International

If you want to know what undergraduates think of you in your Eastern European territory or why someone would give up their job in Berlin to relocate to London the best way is to go and ask them and find out. Published surveys and documentation provide a solid platform on which to start - as do online tools, but on their own they are unlikely to provide the individual and tailored viewpoints that will furnish your business with the knowledge it requires.

Going global

With a world that is shrinking all the time, conducting research beyond home shores is becoming more and more accessible. To take away some of the mystique around what an international project involves we've listed some pointers that we hope you will find helpful:

Some common points

International research was once the domain of large scale, global organisations with a local outfit in each region. We don't have local NPR offices across the globe, but we do have a strong network of resources we use when conducting international projects. Some things to bear in mind: 

  • It's probably easier than you think

The secret is having a clear set of objectives, rigid project planning and a thorough understanding of the processes in each region where the research is being conducted.

We have considerable experience of co-ordinating, planning and conducting research on an international basis working with the support of partner organisations who provide local fieldwork recruitment, venue hire, simultaneous translation facilities and invaluable on-the-ground knowledge. The nuances of each region, such as incentive formats or cultural implications are essential in ensuring a succcessful project and we ensure no research stone is left unturned.

  • Central management

We are able to bring consistency and continuity through a centrally managed international project. You will want to know that the views of respondents in one country can be fairly compared with views in another country. We will project manage the entire project from design through to co-ordination with the field teams in each territory and be on each location as the fieldwork takes place.

  • Continuity and translation

It is worth emphasising again that continuity and consistency are the key for any projects conducted in different countries. Often focus groups are conducted in the local language to avoid miscommunication through translation during the group. Clients can sit in on the groups whilst a translator relates what is being said and we pay close attention to ensure the composition of the groups and the topic guide are on brief.

  • Your local teams

Even with central management of an international project, if you have local knowledge it pays to use it and get the local team on-side from the outset. This should always be a starting point as they need to be totally engaged with what is happening and their teams should be consulted throughout the process.

  • Different cultures, different approaches

It's obviously important to take into account the culture of each region. This can be related to sensitivies of peers and open group discussion or the protocol in offering incentives. The field organisations we work with to recruit focus groups and set up interviews advise on such situations and by working with a local facilitator we can be confident we are following all acceptable protocols.

  • Getting started

There's a bit of scoping out required initially, including taking into account any existing reports, audits and local information that may already exist and how the research will be used as part of your employer branding and recruitment strategy where appropriate. For an informal chat give us a call on 01454 20 33 20 or email international@nickpriceresearch.com.