Conceptualizing a transformative research agenda

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2012.08.009Get rights and content

Abstract

Transformative consumer researchers seek to enhance consumer well-being by tackling some of the more difficult and intractable social problems and getting the results into the hands of stakeholders who can apply the research findings. Although traditional research approaches offer a viable path for doing research seeking positive social change, alternative research approaches exist that are uniquely suited to the challenges of Transformative Consumer Research. This article examines the standard research process from the perspective of a transformative research agenda to highlight steps in the process that can be better adapted and suggests innovations inspired from other translational research programs.

Introduction

The Transformative Consumer Research (TCR) movement involves researchers taking a more consumer-focused position emphasizing societal welfare (Mick et al., 2012, Pettigrew, 2001). TCR challenges researchers to undertake studies “that are framed by a fundamental problem or opportunity, and that strive to respect, uphold, and improve life in relation to the myriad conditions, demands, potentialities, and effects of consumption” (Mick, 2006, p. 2). This charge brings with it the challenge of assessing the fitness of current methodological approaches for achieving TCR goals.

TCR embraces a wide range of methodological approaches, yet some approaches are better suited to the task (Ozanne et al., 2011). Current approaches to initiating, executing, and publishing consumer research need to be refined to meet the challenges of TCR. Recently, consumer researchers are proposing alternative approaches to meet these challenges, such as activism research (Wansink, 2012) and action research (Ozanne & Saatcioglu, 2008). A new level of complexity arises with the dual need to produce theoretical advances in knowledge and practical outcomes that improve consumers' lives. This article reviews the traditional research process through a TCR lens, identifying elements that may need reworking. The goal is to enable consumer researchers to break free from favorite research approaches when appropriate to better respond to the methodological demands of the multifaceted and highly complex problems currently facing consumers.

The following sections parallel the flow of the research process, including problem identification, selecting research teams, sampling, recruitment, data gathering techniques, analytical processes, and translating and disseminating results. At each stage, the implications of adopting a TCR focus are discussed and illustrations are provided (see Table 1).

Section snippets

Problem identification: Be consumer relevant

TCR is a product of a growing consciousness among scholars that current research does not adequately address problems significant to the whole of humanity. Myriad problems threaten the development and maintenance of meaningful and peaceful human lives (Mick et al., 2012). Yet these problems, such as poverty or global warming, are often viewed as too grand or complex to study, especially within the boundaries of a single study or discipline. Consequently, researchers tend to conduct incremental,

Advantages of transdisciplinary teams

A consequence of tackling more substantive and substantial research problems is the need for larger, transdisciplinary teams bringing a broader range of knowledge, expertise, and resources to the research task (Choi and Pak, 2006, Choi and Pak, 2007, Rosenfield, 1992, Stokols et al., 2008). Such projects may require a longitudinal approach, lasting for years or even decades, to accommodate iterative data collection and analysis phases (Klein, 2008). This research model is well-established in

Sampling: Remain flexible and creative

Transformative researchers study real-world issues that impact consumer well-being. A reliance on standard approaches to sampling will inevitably encounter obstacles. For example, representative sampling may be difficult among consumer groups that are geographically dispersed, marginalized, or are unwilling to participate in research. In such instances, researchers need openness, flexibility, and creativity. Rigid attachment to orthodoxy can frame challenges as insurmountable, presenting a

Recruitment: Enhance participants' benefits

Both traditional and transformative researchers recruit subjects under the oversight of institutional review boards (IRBs). In the United States, review by IRBs is required for research at public universities receiving federal funding (Protection of Human Subjects, 2009). For social scientists conducting low risk studies, these regulations can be a troublesome hurdle to surmount as quickly as possible (Fiske, 2009). Structural and procedural problems concerning IRBs are well documented and

Data gathering techniques: Get creative, up close, and personal

Historically, positivist paradigmatic approaches to generating knowledge dominate consumer research. Anderson (1986) provides a cogent critique of the problems with this tradition. Recently, more interpretive and post-positivist research approaches are flourishing (Arnould & Thompson, 2005). Despite this apparent diversity of approaches, the dominant paradigms seek to understand or explain behavior rather than partner with consumers to change behavior to enhance well-being (Ozanne & Saatcioglu,

Analytical process: Collaborate

In a traditional approach to research, often the analysis methods are determined at the beginning of the study to test the proposed hypotheses. This approach is efficient and assumes that the researcher as the expert can a priori determine the focus and scope of the study and is equipped to use the analytical techniques and interpret the results. Thus, initial analyses and interpretations are primarily performed by the scholars (Campbell & Stanley, 1963). Although this analytical process can

Research translation—Connect research findings to enhance well-being

Research translation is the term most commonly employed in health research, but this step is relevant to any research program seeking to use findings to effect change. Research translation involves converting prior findings from basic and pre-clinical medical research into clinical and public health applications to improve health outcomes. Translational research involves taking core insights from bench-to-bedside and back, first converting results into actionable insights for clinicians and

Research dissemination—Use engaging and novel communication tools

To achieve TCR objectives, researchers need to embrace more inclusive forms of communication. Currently, research findings are primarily disseminated in academic journals and at professional conferences to which most consumers are not exposed. A broader set of dissemination tools is needed if transformative researchers are to deliver on the promise of real social change. The Internet and social media constitute effective means of conveying information to targeted groups (Mick et al., 2012,

Bias and external validity--Be open and transparent

All research has biases and TCR is no different. Research problems need to be selected from among many worthy topics, necessitating value judgments and prioritization. Each method and perspective is inherently limited (Baker & Gentry, 2006). Given the tendency of TCR to address sensitive issues, consumer vulnerability may be amplified (Downey, Hamilton, & Catterall, 2007). One means of addressing the bias inherent in work of this kind is to engage in complete transparency throughout the

Concluding thoughts

The historic role of the academy is to inform humanity about the state of its existence. This role requires that a wide range of issues affecting humanity be studied. Any limits to studying certain kinds of issues can lead to bias and reinforcement of the status quo. Unfortunately, several forces have combined to thwart the academy's historic role. Far too few academics struggle to examine the most pressing issues confronting humanity. We have discussed the limits arising from the structure of

References (78)

  • R.W. Belk

    ACR presidential address: Happy thought

    Advances in Consumer Research

    (1987)
  • Belmont Report

    Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research

    (1979)
  • C. Benoit et al.

    Community-academic research on hard-to-reach populations: Benefits and challenges

    Qualitative Health Research

    (2005)
  • P.H. Birnbaum

    Integration and specialization in academic research

    Academy of Management Journal

    (1981)
  • P. Bongartz et al.

    Tales of shit: Community-led total sanitation in Africa—An overview

    Participatory Learning and Action

    (2010)
  • E.H. Bradley et al.

    Research in action: Using positive deviance to improve quality of health care

  • D. Burke et al.

    Embracing the creative: The role of photo novella in qualitative nursing research

    International Journal of Qualitative Methods

    (2011)
  • D.T. Campbell et al.

    Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research

    (1963)
  • B.C.K. Choi et al.

    Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity in health research, services, education and policy: 1. Definitions, objectives, and evidence of effectiveness

    Clinical and Investigative Medicine

    (2006)
  • B.C.K. Choi et al.

    Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and transdisciplinarity in health research, services, education and policy: 2. Promotors, barriers, and strategies of enhancement

    Clinical and Investigative Medicine

    (2007)
  • D. Crockett et al.

    Immigration, culture, and ethnicity in transformative consumer research

    Journal of Public Policy & Marketing

    (2011)
  • K.B. Dahlin et al.

    Team diversity and information use

    Academy of Management Journal

    (2005)
  • Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General

    Institutional review boards: A time for reform

    (1998)
  • H. Downey

    Suppressing the medical model, family at war, and the fallenness of humanity

  • H. Downey

    The last gift, vulnerability, and the letter

  • H. Downey et al.

    Researching vulnerability: What about the researcher?

    European Journal of Marketing

    (2007)
  • Epode European Network
  • S.T. Fiske

    Institutional review boards: From bane to benefit

    Perspectives on Psychological Science

    (2009)
  • M. FitzPatrick et al.

    On honesty and trust in patient–practitioner relationships

    Journal of Research for Consumers

    (2005)
  • P. Freire

    Pedagogy of the oppressed

    (2000)
  • A. Gopaldas et al.

    Intersectionality: Insights for consumer research

    Advances in Consumer Research

    (2009)
  • L. Gracia-Marco et al.

    Methods and social marketing

  • R. Gray et al.

    The use of research-based theatre in a project related to metastatic breast cancer

    Health Expectations

    (2000)
  • C.A. Guenther-Grey et al.

    Trends in sexual risk-taking among urban young men who have sex with men, 1999–2002

    Journal of the National Medical Association

    (2005)
  • P. Henry et al.

    Empowering the citizen-consumer: Striving to reduce maternal deaths and morbidity in Pakistan

    Advances in Consumer Research

    (2007)
  • F. Hillier et al.

    Evidence-base for primary prevention of obesity in children and adolescents

    Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz

    (2011)
  • E.C. Hirschman

    Secular mortality and the dark side of consumer behavior: Or how semiotics saved my life

    Advances in Consumer Research

    (1991)
  • M. Horton

    The long haul: An autobiography

    (1997)
  • Cited by (52)

    • Mapping the conceptual and intellectual structure of the consumer vulnerability field: A bibliometric analysis

      2022, Journal of Business Research
      Citation Excerpt :

      While these three themes remained basic during 2008–14, themes of “consumer well-being” (which also includes articles on “transformative consumer research”), “sustainability,” “quality of life,” and “entrepreneurship” emerged as developed themes. Research on the topics “consumer well-being” and “transformative research” gained traction with the publication of articles such as Anderson et al. (2013), Kipnis et al. (2013), Crockett, Downey, Fırat, Ozanne, and Pettigrew (2013), and Devezer, Sprott, Spangenberg, and Czellar (2014). The emergence and development of the topics on “consumer well-being” and “transformative research” witnessed various researchers coming together in setting the agenda and publishing articles as outcomes of deliberations, debates, and collaborations on these topics.

    • “I want to break free!” How experiences of freedom foster consumer happiness

      2020, Journal of Business Research
      Citation Excerpt :

      In Study 2, a content analysis demonstrates the characteristics of experiences of FF and FT. Study 3 is an experiment comparing the divergent effects of experiencing FF and FT on hedonic and eudaimonic consumer happiness as well as the mediating role of the level of positive emotional arousal. These studies add to the stream of research related to the positive experiences of consumption and consumer happiness (e.g., Gilovich et al., 2015) and echo the transformative consumer research agenda (Crockett, Downey, Fırat, Ozanne, & Pettigrew, 2013) in its investigation of paths to sustainable “personal and collective well-being” (Mick, Pettigrew, Pechmann, & Ozanne, 2012, p. xii). We help advance marketing theory and practice by proposing a categorization of consumption-based experiences of freedom and by demonstrating their relevance in the pursuit of consumer happiness through both its hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions.

    View all citing articles on Scopus

    The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Melanie Pescud and the helpful comments of Marylouise Caldwell, Bige Saatcioglu, the four anonymous reviewers, and the editors. The authors thank Baylor University for sponsoring and hosting the 3rd Biennial Transformative Consumer Research Conference.

    1

    All authors contributed equally.

    View full text