The market research industry in the U.K. has not only grown appreciably over the last two decades, but it has also changed considerably in character and the way in which it is structured. The purpose of this paper is to look at what changes have taken place, why they have taken place in the industry and to see how a typical research company has coped and adapted itself (for better or for worse) to these changing conditions.
Conclusion of the seminar "Managing market research as a business" by J. A. Burdus.
When reflecting on organising an opinion and market research company, the first difficulty is the necessity not to find a good organisation but to find a good organisation convenient for the men who put it into practice. The problem is that of being able to adapt the structure not only to problems resulting from size, market or nature of survey launched but at the same time to men who work together in the company: this relation between organisation and men appears clearly through the past evolution of SOFRES: During the fifteen years of the company's life, its organisation has evolved considerably and each step is coincidental with arrival or departure of the level of their competence and consequently of their demands. The best way to introduce the description of this solution we put in practice to solve this problem, is to give a summary of the evolution of SOFRES organisation with a brief description of the various solutions used one after the other, their advantages, their drawbacks and their consequences.
Downham's comment on the paper "The organisation of market research within manufacturing and marketing companies" by G. Rüping.
Roughton's comment on the paper "The shoemaker's children always have the poorest shoes" by A. Leighton.
Fuller's comment on the paper "Organising an opinion and market research company" by J. Fuller.