Ethnographies

Ethnographies

The ethnographic approach to qualitative research comes largely from the field of anthropology. The emphasis in ethnography is on studying an entire culture. Originally, the idea of a culture was tied to the notion of ethnicity and geographic location, but it has been broadened to include virtually any group or organization.

The ethnographer becomes immersed in the culture as an active participant and records extensive field notes. As in grounded theory, there is no preset limiting of what will be observed and no real ending point in an ethnographic study. Ethnographic research supports companies comprehend the customer in terms of approach, cultural trends, routine factors and how social framework impacts product selection and usage. Usually, focus group is a method of choice, when companies need to decide how customers sense about a service or product. In case of focus group, people generally gather at one place and discuss on the topic under consideration Ethnographic research employs a range of methods and settings to present a whole picture of customers and the manner in which products and services are appropriate.