Theme 4 pre-seminar

The research study I selected focused on an experiment in which South Korean researchers attempted to learn more about how to improve public opinion of QR codes and discover ways of ensuring increased usage in the future. This was a well written and organized article and focused on a very interesting concept I haven't before encountered: QR codes are designed for mobile phone users, who have the appropriate software, to quickly scan for information coded within the image. This represents a communication-limited interaction based upon permission-based marketing. Such a relationship actually "...eliminates the methodology of broadcast media..." 

            This study utilized a methodological approach in an experimental design. Because this study was designed an a purely experimental way, the results could be victim to the faults and errors of a randomized testing scenario, one which much be monitored as closely as possible to generate accuracy. However, I learned a few things about quantitative testing through this article. The chief among these principles are thoroughness and oversight. Because this study sought to explore and discover new relationships the study design of this experiment was multileveled  and complex with four levels: Individual in-depth interviews, expert input from industry sources helped for groups of subjects, following focus groups a final questionnaire was developed with multiple inputs including industry experts and university professors, and finally this survey was administered by a professional marketing design group. The amount of input and oversight by knowledgeable professionals was huge. For a quantitative analysis like this one it is important to note that each question asked of the subjects in the survey was conceptualized in a "yes" or "no" format which creates the ability to place numerical value on the responses.

            Several weakness do become evident, however: first, the number of responses only totaled 370. In a study of widespread social importance this would be a serious problem, but in this study the research does focus on a specific technology not everyone has access to. I believe that in this case the small sample number may be adequate, but it can be open to criticism if future claims are made based upon this work.  Another problem is a technological one; such a study of emerging technology can only remain relevant for so long. QR codes are a new and rapidly evolving technology, and public opinion and use could shift rapidly at any time in the future.

            Another methodological problem is described in the study itself, that the sample input came only from the Korean market,

"...more research with samples from other countries is needed to validate the current results and provide pivotal implications for future convergence services. Customers’ value perceptions and their influence on commitment and behavior may differ from culture to culture, and results indicating the weights of the influence of different value dimensions should be interpreted with caution, at least with regard to the Asian markets, where the social influence of the group tends to be higher than in individualistic Western societies." (Shin, Jung and Chang, 2012)