Research is essential for all the spheres of people’s life where decisions need to be made. When it comes to public administration, research is vital for the development of effective policies and interventions as well as their evaluation (Johnson, 2015). Various research firms offer a variety of services that can be helpful for public administrators. It is possible to consider the services offered by two research firms (Amplitude Research and Euromonitor) to understand in what ways such firms can be helpful. This paper explores the ways these research firms can help governmental organizations as well as internal research in the public administration sphere.
It is noteworthy that the research firms in question offer a similar range of services with some peculiarities. Both companies provide services associated with market research. As for the differences, Euromonitor has a more substantial platform for conducting global research as compared to Amplitude Research. Euromonitor implements online research and has a highly-trained staff that carries out surveys across the globe (“Euromonitor International,” 2017). Although Amplitude Research also has certain tools to carry out international research, the company’s capacity is confined to the implementation of online surveys with no field research (“Amplitude Research,” 2017). At the same time, Amplitude Research offers research software that can enable companies to implement online surveys and manage data (“Amplitude Research,” 2017). Euromonitor focuses on the implementation of research rather than the development and distribution of the corresponding software.
Apart from market research, the companies also carry out surveys associated with such industries as transportation, telecommunication, as well as the public sector (including education and health care). Again, Euromonitor implements surveys on different scales (city, state, country) with the focus on the macro-level (country) (“Euromonitor,” 2017). Euromonitor also covers a wider range of areas as compared to Amplitude Research as the former carries out surveys in such spheres as education, health, defense, trade unions, veterinary services (“Euromonitor,” 2017). It is noteworthy that unlike Euromonitor, Amplitude Research provides assistance in conducting research (for instance, helps to develop questionnaires) (“Amplitude Research,” 2017).
The advantages of using these research firms are manifold and quite numerous. First, the research is likely to be implemented within a short period as professional teams, and all the necessary resources are readily available (McNabb, 2015). Apart from that, the two firms offer a wide range of services and types of research that differ in terms of research methods, geography, sample, and so on. Many companies and individuals have limited resources and can be unable to implement a large-scale study while Euromonitor can carry out global research within quite short periods.
Another advantage of the use of such search firms as Amplitude Research can help small and medium-size companies implement their research as the research firm provides services associated with the development of a survey questionnaire, sampling, data collection, and so on. The collaboration with such a research company as Amplitude Research can be regarded as a certain kind of training for the employees of the organization. Furthermore, governmental organizations can obtain a fresh perspective when implementing research externally. Organizations may often have a narrow perspective due to the lack of information, employees’ skills and knowledge, and so on. They can use only a limited set of methods and tools. The collaboration with research firms can broaden their horizons on existing issues and ways to address them.
However, it is necessary to remember that organizations may prefer carrying out in-house research in many cases. One of the major reasons to implement the research internally is associated with confidentiality (Agranoff, 2015). Any collaboration with any company may be associated with threats to data security. However, if the organization carries out in-house research, there are high chances that the data obtained will be secure. Another important reason to choose internal research is related to the availability of funds. In-house research is less costly especially as compared to the collaboration with such organizations as Euromonitor. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that organizations should collaborate with research firms if a substantial amount of data should be collected and analyzed (global or nationwide research, for example).
It is noteworthy that modern organizations have various opportunities to implement in-house research effectively. Numerous tools are available to help companies carry out research internally. The use of these tools requires quite basic training and skills as compared to the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out a study. For example, such systems as epidemiological surveillance can help public administrators develop efficient policies and interventions in collaboration with healthcare professionals. The data collection process is quite easy and fast.
Policymakers can also benefit from the use of such tools as fault tree diagrams that are instrumental in assessing and managing risks. The tool helps identify possible failures and their outcomes in various fields including industries, defense, electronics, banking, and so on. Importantly, the organization does not have to hire a high-profile professional in a particular sphere or industry to identify and address certain risks. Google tools (for example, Google Analytics and Google Dashboard) can help companies explore some trends in some industries or countries as well as track trends in online customer behavior as to some products. Nielsen MyBestSegmets also assists in evaluating customer preferences as the tool analyzes household lifestyles. If an agency needs to evaluate hazards associated with the implementation of some tasks, such frameworks as Job Hazard Analysis and Job Safety Analysis can be helpful. Statistical tools are also available. For example, NVivo can help organizations identify various correlations between different sets of data. SPSS is another statistical tool that helps in predicting events. Survey Monkey is an online tool that is valuable for data collection. Finally, Microsoft Excel provides various opportunities including calculation and the development of graphs, diagrams, tables, and so on. The majority of these tools are easy to use and are free or can be purchased easily, which makes them instrumental in in-house research. Thus, organizations do not have to address research firms but can implement research internally as various research tools are available.
In conclusion, it is possible to note that research firms can be helpful in public administration research. Addressing such companies as Euromonitor or Amplitude Research, governmental organizations, and NGOs can save time and obtain accurate and reliable data within a short period. Nevertheless, such collaboration will require some (often quite significant) investment which can be unavailable. Therefore, organizations can implement research internally. The availability of numerous research tools provides almost limitless opportunities for research implementation. Importantly, in-house research may be the only option if the organization wants to ensure data confidentiality and save funds.
References
Agranoff, R. (2015). Collaborative public agencies in the network era. In D. C. Menzel & J. D. White (Eds.), The state of public administration: Issues, challenges and opportunities (pp. 272-295). New York, NY: Routledge.
Amplitude Research. (2017). Web.
Euromonitor. (2017). Web.
Johnson, G. (2015). Research methods for public administrators. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe.
McNabb, D. E. (2015). Research methods in public administration and nonprofit management. New York, NY: Routledge.