QUALITATIVE RESEARCH COMPARING MARKETING TOOLS BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND INTERNET FAIRS (III)

Chapter III: Research Design

Research Methodology

Specifically, the objective of this article is to study the advantages and disadvantages of the fairs with respect to new forms of communication trade and especially the recent and unstoppable effect of electronic marketing. We intend to find out from a conceptual point of view the strengths and weaknesses of the new electronic commerce against the more traditional format of trade fairs. The objective is to reflect the reality of the trade fairs and glimpse forecasts about its future. The methodology used to develop this study consisted in studying with bibliographic sources and documentaries that will allow us to carry out a conceptual and comparative analysis. Undoubtedly, the fairs have been considered since its inception a valuable tool to promote the commercial offer of a company. However, new technologies and mainly Internet are changing how to do business and facilitate trade by the firms.

In this context, we will try to answer the following questions:

1.      Is Internet marketing the best tool for communicating the commercial offer of a company?

2.      Are trade fairs an effective instrument to communicate the commercial offer of a company?

3.      Has it been a decreased the power of the trade fairs to establish new relationships  with regards to the new electronic technologies

4.      Are Internet and trade fairs two complementary tools conversely to e marketing

5.      Are marketing fairs a serious threat to traditional trade fairs?

Throughout this work, we will try to clear these uncertainties, specifically; our goal is the study of the advantages and complications of traditional fairs, with respect to newer forms of communication, such as and especially the recent and unstoppable effect of e marketing. We infer from a conceptual point of view the strengths and weaknesses of the new e-commerce from the usual format of trade fairs. To achieve this goal, the first part of this paper will deal with studying the role of fairs as a commercial tool with other instruments of exposure. By the other hand inquiries into the similarities and differences, between the traditional fairs and modern electronic marketing: (a) the relational nature of both tools to initiate and maintain commercial agreements and (b) the opportunity to promote the sale of products and the image of the company. At the same time, in order to know the efficiency of both channels, we deepen in the study of cost and level of penetration in the markets that both tools uphold. The objective is to illustrate the truth of the trade fairs and analyze predictions about their future. The methodology adopted for this study has been to explore bibliographic sources that provide a conceptual and comparative analysis. We have also analyzed statistical data indicators of the pace of expansion of electronic commerce.

Sampling

This is a qualitative research among small and medium size business people in the Tampa Bay area, Hillsborough County at State of Florida the sampling of this qualitative research falls into non-probability because the groups of people surveyed are selected in a non-random manner. The purpose of this research is to answer the four questions made at the chapter III, research design. Based on the type of research, a purposive sampling method was use since accessibility to companies’ owners, professionals, and executives working in the Tampa Bay area.

The sampling is designed to deliver questionnaires to case businessperson, managers, and professionals who assist to fairs. The assumption of this study was that those interviewed through the questionnaire are familiar with current need of promotional services in the Hillsborough County and have the experience to identify better solutions for service delivery.

Data Collection Method

This is a qualitative research where the data will be collected through a 17 survey questions. The present survey is part of an investigation, as a requirement of the degree "Master of business administration" by the candidate to that extent José Ramón Sánchez at the Metropolitan University of the system Ana G. Méndez University, Tampa Bay Campus. In this regard, I request your cooperation and answer this questionnaire.

Instrument

            The instrument consist of a 17-questions questionnaire, which title is, Interview among Small and Medium Size Enterprises in the Tampa Bay Area (see Appendix A), as part of a research for academic purposes about trade shows among small and medium-size business owners, and it is developed as qualitative semi-structure instrument instrument (see Table 1).

Table 1: Qualitative Semi-Structured Interview Instrument  

#	Question	Type of Question	Measurement
1	Define in your own words and experience what is a trade show	Open	Coding
2	Have you ever participated in a trade fair event?	Binomial	Categorical
3	If you answer YES to question #2, choose from the following reasons why	Multiple Selection	Ratio
4	Have you participated in a trade fair event during the last two years?	Binomial	Categorical
5	If you answered NO to question #3, choose from the following reasons why:	Multiple Selection	Ratio
6	Do you know about the existence of Internet Trade Fairs?	Binomial	Categorical
7	Do you think virtual fairs could help your business develop?	Binomial	Categorical
8	Have you ever participated in a virtual trade fair?	Binomial	Categorical
9	If you answered yes, to question 7, which have been your experience in that (those) event(s)	Binomial	Categorical
10	If you answered NOT to question seven, choose from the following potential reasons why you have not participated so far	Multiple Selection	Ratio
11	Do you think that virtual fairs could outgrow the popularity of traditional fairs?	Binomial	Categorical
12	If you answered yes to question 11, why do you think virtual trade fairs will outgrow the traditional ones?	Binomial	Categorical
13	If you answered NOT, choose from the following options the reason why:	Multiple Selection	Ratio
14	How your company uses the Internet? (You could choose more than one)	Multiple Selection	Ratio
15	In what sector of the industry your business you operate. (e.g., education, health care, design)	Binomial	Categorical
16	What is your sales average in a year?	Multiple Selection	Ratio
17	How long are you in your current business?	Multiple Selection	Ratio

 

Operational Definitions

1. Sectors of the economy: Sectors of the economy are a division of a country's population based upon the economic area in which that population is employed (Businessdictionary.com, 2013).
2. Primary sector: Primary sector of the economy involves the retrieval and production of raw materials, such as corn, coal, wood and iron (oxforddictionaries.com, 2013).
3. Secondary sector: Secondary sector of the economy involves the transformation of raw or intermediate materials into goods (e.g., manufacturing steel into cars, or textiles into clothing) (oxforddictionaries.com, 2013).
4. Tertiary: Tertiary sector of the economy involves the supplying of services to consumers and businesses, such as baby-sitting, cinema and banking. A shopkeeper and an accountant would be workers in the tertiary sector. (oxforddictionaries.com, 2013).
5. Work by yourself or self-employed: Work by you is the physical or mental effort directed towards doing something in an absolute self-construction (cambridge.org/dictionary, 2013)
6. Service: Service is a profession that provides assistances to meet diverse needs. Sector of the economy to be of service to; to serve; to provide with a service (Oxford English Dictionary, 2013).

Assumptions, Scope, Limitations, and Delimitations

This research assumes that all questions have been answered in their best knowledge. A large barrier on this research is the size of the sample because of time constrains, which did not represent the total number of service providers for companies’ executives surveyed in the city of Tampa, Hillsborough County.