Abstract:

In this paper we seek to show that the market research industry in the UK has had two distinct phases in which it has thought very hard about quality. These phases can be linked with different aspects of product performance as described by Levitt's quality model, which in turn links with a changing definition of 'quality' as a result of an increasing importance being attributed to the service element. This means that the criteria of 'suitable for the purpose', against which research products are judged, is itself changing.