The relationship between business unit strategy and the use of market research

A study of 42 Australian marketing managers was conducted linking strategy to the use of market research, with a measure known as USER. It was expected that the Miles and Snow strategic typology with its greater emphasis on internal organisational culture, practices and structure would be more powerful than the Porter strategic dimensions in determining the motivation and actual use of market research. The findings showed that neither strategic typology was superior in predicting market research practice. In the study, the USER characteristics most linked to strategy were “the misuse of market research for political purposes” and “internal improvements based on market research.” Two other USER factors “rational use of market research findings” and “use of market research to confirm decisionmaking” were not found to be related to marketing strategy.