WINTER ARCHIVES

Business Matters

Improv Mindset: 4 Principles to Build Your Qualitative Skills

January 3, 2023 1

Qualitative research is a form of applied improvisation: even though moderators prepare extensively, almost anything can happen in an actual conversation, and we have to be able to react in the moment—all while putting on a show for our highly-engaged client “audience.” Actor Will Dennis describes how deliberately adopting an “improv mindset” can further bolster our qualitative skills, offering exercises to help us listen more attentively, make our respondents look good, and reconsider how spontaneous dialogue can turn into opportunities for more genuine and authentic conversations with participants. […]

Book Reviews

Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & Well You Live by Becca Levy, William Morrow, 2022 and Stage (Not Age): How to Understand and Serve People Over 60 by Susan Wilner Golden, Harvard Business Review, 2022

January 3, 2023 0

The world’s population is getting older, but businesses struggle to address this consequential shift. Two new books, Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & Well You Live, and Stage (Not Age): How to Understand and Serve People Over 60, explore the many negative ageist perceptions and self-perceptions that constrain business opportunities within the aging population. […]

QRCA 2022-23 President Michael Mermelstein
From the President

From The President – Winter 2022-23

December 30, 2022 0

QRCA is comprised of a broad community of market researchers who specialize in qualitative research. A strong sense of community is what has and continues to make QRCA such a great organization. The powerful sense of community that exists has always been a core strength. […]

From the Editor in Chief

From the Editor in Chief – Winter 2022-23

December 30, 2022 0

Did you know that your QRCA magazine is produced by an all-volunteer QRCA member committee, along with one QRCA staff liaison from Ewald Consulting, and our publisher, E&M Consulting, Inc.? Through member surveys, we know that our members see VIEWS as an important resource for leading-edge and applicable qualitative ideas and information. […]

Book Reviews

What to Ask: How to Learn What Customers Need but Don’t Tell You by Andrea Belk Olson, BenBella Books, 2022

December 21, 2022 0

Contrary to what the title may suggest to qualitative researchers hungry for discussion guide ideas, this book isn’t about crafting a discussion guide. Instead it presents a well-rounded examination of the many reasons companies struggle to innovate (or even talk to customers, much less get useful insights if they do). By understanding more about our clients’ struggles, we can become more effective changemakers in advocating for research. […]