Focus Groups: Theory and Practice

112 Pages·2015·11.519 MB·English

by  David W. Stewart, Prem N. Shamdasani

APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH
¡\r1ETHODS SERIES
l. SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS (Fifth Edition) 28. EVENT HISTORY ANALYSIS
by FLOYD J. FOWLER. Jr. by KAZUO YAMAGUCHI
2. SYNTHESIZING RESEARCH (Third Edition) 29. RESEARCH IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS
by HARRIS COOPER by GEOFFREY MARUYAMA
3. METHODS FOR POL!CY RESEARCH and STANLEY DENO
(SCcond Edition) 30. RESEARCHING PERSONS WITH
by ANN MAJCHRZAK nnd M. LYNNE MARKUS MENTAL ILLNESS
4. SECONDARY RESEARCH (Sccond Edition) by ROSALIND J. DWORKIN
by DAVID W. STEWART and MJCHAELA. KAMINS 31. PLANNING ETHICALLY
5. CASE STUDY RESEARCH (Fifth Edition) RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH (Sccond Edition) Focus Groups
by ROBERT K. YIN by JOAN E. SIEBER nnd MARTIN B. TOLICH
6. META-ANALYTIC PROCEDURES FOR SOCIAL 32. APPL!ED RESEARCH DESIGN
RESEARCH (Rcviscd Edition) by TERRY E. HEDRICK,
by ROBERT ROSENTHAL LEONARD BICKMAN, and DEBRA J. ROG
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by PAUL J. LAV RAKAS by GREGORY D. ANDRANOVICH
8. DIAGNOSING ORGANIZATIONS (Second Edition) and GERRY RIPOSA
Theory and Practice
by MICHAEL l. HARRISON 34. APPLICATIONS OF CASE STUDY RESEARCH (Third Edition)
9. GROUP TECHNIQUES FOR by ROBERT K. YIN
IDEA BUILDING (Sccond Edition) 35. INTRODUCTION TO FACET THEORY
by CARL M. MOORE by SAMUEL SHYE and DOV ELIZUR
10. NEED ANALYSIS with MICHAEL HOFFMAN
by JACK McKILLIP 36. GRAPHING DATA Third Edition
11. LINKING AUDITING AND META EVALUATION by GARY T. HENRY
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and EDWARD S. HALPERN by DONNA M. MERTENS
12. ETHJCS AND VALUES and JOHN A. McLAUGHLIN
IN APPL!ED SOCIAL RESEARCH 38. !MPROVING SURVEY QUESTIONS
by ALLAN J.1.'1MMEL by FLOYD J. FOWLER, Jr.
13. ON TIME AND METHOD 39. DATA COil.ECTION AND MANAGEMENT
by JANICE R. KELLY by MAGDA STOUTHAMER-LOEBER
and fOSEPH E. McGRATH and WELMOET BOK VAN KAMMEN
14. RESEARCH IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS 40. MAIL SURVEYS
by KATHLEEN E. GRADY by THOMAS W. MANGIONE
and BARBARA STRUDLER WALLSTON 41. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DESIGN
15. PARTIC!PANT ODSERVATlON (Third Edition)
by DANNY L. fOR< iENSLN by JOSEPH A. MAXWELL
16. !NTERl'RETIVE lHTllRACTIONISM (Second Editlon) 42. ANALYZING COSTS, PROCEDURES,
by NORMAN K. DENZIN PROCESSES, AND OUTCOMES
17. ETHNOGRAPHY (Thlrd Edltlon) IN HUMAN SERVICES
by DAVID M. FETTER.MAN by BRIAN T. YATES
18. STANDARDIZED SURVEY fNTERVIEWING 43. DOING LEGAL RESEARCH
by FLOYD J. FOWLER, fr., by ROBERT A. MORRIS, BRUCE D. SALES, David W. Stewart
and THOMAS W. MANGJONE and DANIEL W. SHUMAN
19. PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT 44. RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENTS FOR PLANNING
by RODERT O. BRINKERHOFF AND EVALUATION
and DENN!S E. DRESSLER by ROBERT F. BORUCH Prem N. Shamdasani
20. FOCUS GROUPS (Third Edition) 45. MEASURING COMMUNITY INDICATORS
by DAVID W. STEWART and by PAUL J. GRUENEWALD, ANDREW J. TRENO,
PREM N, SHAMDASANI GAlL TAFF, and MICHAEL KLITZNER
21. PRACTICAL SAMPLING 46. MIXED METHODOLOGY
by GART T. HENRY by ABBAS TASHAKKORI and CHARLES TEDDLIE
22. DECISION RESEARCH 47. NARRATIVE RESEARCH
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by GERARDO MARIN 48. COMMUNICATING SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH
arld BARBARA VANOSS MARIN TO POLICY-MAKERS
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by ARNOLD J. LOVE 49. PRACTICAL META-ANALYSIS
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FOR INFORMATION: Copyright© 2015 by SAGE Publications, !ne. Contents
SAGE Publlcations, lnc. Ali rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
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SAGE Publications Ud.
Preface to the First Edition xi
1 Oliver's Yard
55 City Road Preface to the Second Edition xiii
London EC1 Y 1S P
Printed in the United States of America
United Kingdorn Preface to the Third Edition XV
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ud. About the Authors xvii
B M 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area
Stewart, David W.
Mathura Road, New Delhi 11 O0 44
Focus groups : theory and practice / David W. Stewart, Prem l. Introduction: Focus Group History, Theory, and Practice 1
India N. Shamdasani. - Third edition.
Border Crossl.ngs: The Behavioral Science Origins of Focus Groups 2
SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Ple. Ud. Contributions From Sociology and Social Psychology 5
pages cm
3 Church Street Includes bibliographical references and index. Contributions From Clinical Psychology 6
#10-04 Sarnsung Hub Contributions From Marketing Research 7
Singapore 049483 ISBN 978-1-4522-7098-2 (alk paper) Separation of Practice From Theory 8
Focl.ls Group Theory 9
l. Focus groups. 2. Social sciences-Research-Methodology.
Focused Research 9
3. Social groups. l. Shamdasani, Prem N. II. Title.
Group Interactions 10
H61.28.S74 2015 In-Depth Data 12
300.72'3-dc23 2013051223 Humanistic Interview 13
Purpose of the Book 14
Plan for the Book 14
Conclusion 15
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Review Questions 16
2. Group Dynamics and Focus Group Research 17
Acquisitions Editor: Helen Salman
Influences of Intrapersonal Factors and Individual Differences 18
Editorial Assistant: Kaitlin Coghill ./J, Pa~!~Óm Demographic Factors 19
Production Editor: Olivia Weber-Stenis
Copy Editor. QuADS Prepress (P) Ud. F SC. respons.1b1e sources Physical Characteristics 21
Typesetter. C&M Digitals (P) Ud. WWW.fOO.O'lJ FSC® C014174 Personality 21
Proofreader: Susan Schon Interpersonal Influences 23
lndexer: Will Ragsdale Group Cohesiveness 24
Cover Designar: Karine Hovsepian Group Compatibility, Homogeneity!Heterogeneity 26
Marketing Manager. Nico!e Elliott 14 15 16 17 18 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Social Power 27 Making Contact 61
Group Participation and Nonverbal Communication 29 Incentives 62
Environmental Influences 30 Location 63
The Material Environment fO How Many Participants.? 64
Territoriality !n Recruiting Hard-to-Reach Individuals 65
Spatial Arrangements 31 The Language of the Group 66
Interpersonal Distance 32 Recruiting Participants Across Cultures 67
Moderated Groupings of Strangers 32 Developing the Interview Guide 68
Group Dynamics in Cross-Cultural Focus Groups 34 Formulating Questions 69
Interpersonal Style and Communication Pattern 35 How Many Questions? 70
Nonverbal Communication 36 How Much Structure? 71
Social Power 36 Wording of Questions 73
Group Compatibility, Homogeneity, and Heterogeneity 36 Pretesting 74
Environmental Influences 37 Issues and Trends for the Future 74
Conclusion 37 Conclusion 75
Review Questions 38 Review Questions 76
3. Focus Groups and the Research Toolbox 39 5. The Focus Group Moderator 77
Focus Group Basics: Structure, Process, and Data 39 Leadership and Group Dynamics 78
Place 40 Interviewing Styles and Tactics 81
The Moderator 40 Moderator Selection 86
To pies 41 Moderator Preparation 88
Analy sis 42 Cultural Dimensions of Focus Group Moderation 92
The Role of Focus Groups Among Research Tools 43 Moderator Selection in Cross-Cultural Research 92
Applications, Advantages, and Limitations 44 Moderator Preparation in Cross-Cultural Research 93
Applications of Focus Groups 44 Moderator Bias in Focus Group Interviews 94
Advantages of Focus Groups 45 Conclusion 95
Limitations of Focus Groups 47 Review Questions 96
Steps in the Design and Use of Focus Groups 49
6. Conducting the Focus Group 97
Problem Definition 49
The Physical Arrangement of the Group 98
Identifying the Participants 51
Interviewing Style 99
The Moderator and Interview Guide 51
Discussion Aids 100
The Interview 52
Analysis and Interpretation 52 Intimacy 101
Sorne Practica/ Considerations 52 Observers and Recordings 101
The Logistics of Focus Groups 52 Beginning the Interview 102
Institutional Review Boards 53 Ensuring Participation 104
Conclusion 54 Time Management 104
Review Questions 54 Probing 105
Dealing With Problems 106
4. Recruiting Focus Group Participants Experts 107
and Designing the Interview Guide 57 Friends 107
Establishing the Research Agenda 58 Hostile Group Members 108
Recruiting Participants 60 Special Issues 108
Children as Foeus Group Participants 108 Types of Virtual Focus Groups 160
Foeus Groups With Participants With Special Needs 109 Platforms Available far Condueting Virtual Foeus Groups 163
Observational Techniques uo Reeruitingfor Virtual Focus Groups 165
Dealing With Sensitive and Embarrassing Tapies 1¡10 Benefits of Virtual Foeus Group Reeruitment 165
Focus Groups in International Settings iru Challenges of Virtual Foeus Group Recruitment 165
Moderating Virtual Focus Groups 166
Conclusion 112
The Next Phase ofVirtual Focus Groups 168
Review Questions 113
Other Group Techniques 168
7. Analyzing Focus Group Data 115 The Nominal Group Technique 168
How Much Analysis? 116 The Delphi Technique 169
Transcribing the Interview 117 Brainstorming and Synectics 172
Qualitative Analytic Approaches 118 Leaderless Discussion Groups 174
Epistemologieal Orientation 118 Conclusion 175
Disciplinary Foeus 119 Review Questions 175
W:orkbeneh Issues 120
The Order of Tapies in a Group Diseussion 120 10. Conclusion 177
What Is Diseussed and What Is Not? 120
Time Spent on an Issue 121
References 181
Intensity and Emotional Content of the Diseussion Expression 122
Reasons Versus Responses 122 Index 193
What Is Believable? 122
Individuals Versus the Group 123
Methods of Analysis 123
The Scissor-and-Sort Teehnique 123
Content Analysis 124
Quantitative Analysis 132
Computer-Assisted Content Analysis 133
Conclusion 139
Review Questions 139
8. Focus Groups in Practice 141
Political Campaigns and Focus Groups 143
Television Ads the Public Will Never See 144
Impulsive Consumers, Shoplifters, and Focus Groups 145
A Representative Focus Group Report: Buying a New Car 146
New Car Purchasing Experiences: A Sample Report 146
Purpose 146
Composition of the Groups 148
Majar Faetors Influencing Vehicle Purchase 148
Summary 154
Conclusion 155
Review Questions 155
9. Virtual Focus Groups and Other Group Research Methods 157
Virtual Focus Groups 158
Preface to the First Edition
1n late 1986, when we were asked to write a book on focus groups for the Sage
series on Applied Social Research Methods, there were few extant sources
on the use of focus groups. There were a few collections of readings and sorne
chapters in various handbooks, but these tended to be either dated or quite
superficial, and Merton and Kendall's (1946) classic The Focussed Interviewwas
long out of print. By the time we completed the book in late 1989, numerous
treatments of the conduct and application of focus groups had appeared. Most
of these books were by experienced focus group moderators and provided
considerable detall about the recruitment of focus group participants, the
actual conduct of groups, and the interpretation of data generated by focus
groups. We have referenced a number of these books in our own monograph,
-and we feel that the reader will find them useful supplements to the material
we offer.
· Despite the recent appearance of other books on the topic, we feel that our
own work offers a unique perspective on focus groups. Our original intent
and we think we have adhered to it-was to produce a relatively short volume
that provides a simple guide to the conduct and application of focus groups and
places the use and interpretation of focus groups within a theoretical context.
Focus group research had its origins in early research on group dynamics,
persuasive co~munication, and the effects of mass media. These origins and
the rich empirical and theoretical foundations they provide are infrequently
acknowledged and used. We have revisited the origins of focus group research
in our text and have tried to tie focus group research more closely to its origins
in mainstream social science. In doing so, we believe we have set our own book
apart from others on the same topic that tend to provide considerable detall
on the conduct of groups, as well as detailed examples, but tend to place less
emphasis on the theoretical dimension.
The reader will find three chapters are especially concerned with the the
oretical dimensions of focus groups. Chapter 2 draws heavlly on the literature
of group dynamics and the social psychology of groups. Focus groups are, by
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xii FOCUS GROUPS: THEORY AND PRACTICE
definition, an exercise in group dynamics, and the conduct of a group-as well
as the interpretation of results obtained from focus groups-must be under
stood within the context of group interaction. Chapter 4 considers the liter
ature on interviewer and moderator effects, including the interaction of ¡:he
group and the moderator. This chapter not only emphasizes the importancé of
the moderator in determining the quality of focus group data but suggests that
Prefa c e to the Second Edition
the data are themselves the result of a unique interaction of the moderator and
the group. Only an understanding ofthis interaction and the factors that con
tribute to it provides a sound basis for the interpretation of focus group data.
Chapter 6 also includes sorne discussion of the theory of content analysis.
Because this chapter is concerned ~-h-the interpretation of focus group results,
it seemed particularly appropriate to treat the theoretical underpinnings of this
interpretation. W
hen we began work on the second edition of this book, it became evi
The remaining chapters of the book, as well as portions of the chapters
. dent to us that many dimensions of the focus group environment, as
already discussed, are devoted to the mechanics of designing, conducting, and
well as the underlying methodology itself, had evolved significantly since we
interpreting the outcome of focus groups. We hope the result is a balance of
wrote the first edition. We believe this evolution has been a positive force and
theory and practice that suggests that focus groups need not be ad hoc, atheo
has both expanded the range of problems and settings for which focus groups
rétical, or unscientific exercises. Rather, we have tried to convey the notion that
are appropriate and improved the general practice of conducting focus group
focus groups can be useful social science research tools that are well grounded
research. Amorig these trends in focus group re.search are the following:
in theory.
No work is ever the sole accomplishment of its authors. Ours is no excep l. A very significant acceleration of the diffusion of focus groups into the behav-
tion. We would be remiss if we <lid not acknowledge the contributions of others. ioral and health sciences ·
Len Bickmann, coeditor of this Sage series, was instrumental in encouraging us
2. The globalization of focus group research
to undertake the project. Toro O'Guinn of the Department of Advertising at the
University of Illinois reviewed an earlier draft of the manuscript and offered a 3. The consolidation of focus group facility ownership with a consequent
increase in advertising by owners using a diversity of advertising appeals
variety of helpful criticisms and suggestions. Siony Arcilla typed the final ver
sion ofthe manuscript. To all ofthese individuals we extend our gratitude. Any 4. The growth of niche positionings among focus group facilities and moderators
remaining problems and points lacking in clarity are, of course, our responsi with specialists emerging to focus on specific ethnic groups, particular age
ranges, and specific industries, among others
bility and exist despite the generous help of others.
5. ·The emergence of creative innovations in focus group design and the use of
David W. Stewart technology
Prem N. Shamdasani
These innovations include virtual focus groups that bring people together
November 1989 via Internet or videoconference, th~ use of natural groups (as opposed to the
use of groups of strangers), and the conduct of focus groups in the home or
office where the natural environment can serve as a stimulus for discussion.
· At the same time these positive trends have occurred, there has been growing
criticism of focus groups among the traditional heavy users of them-the mar
keting community. The trade and acadernic literature criticizes focus groups for a
multitude ofs hortcomings: their use as an inappropriate substitute for quantitative
résearch and in-depth individual interviews; their use as an evaluative research
tool rather than an exploratory tool for discovery; and the conduct of "cookie
xiü
xiv FOCUS GROUPS: THEORY AND PRACTICE
cutter" groups conducted by relatively unskilled moderators. Although we believe
there is sorne merit in this criticism, it is our view that such criticism is not so
much about focus group methodology as about the manner in which the meth
odology is sometimes employed. Even the best of tools will not yield good re~ults
when used inappropriately. A hammer is very useful for driving nails but is a poor
substitute when the need is to cut a two-by-four in half. A hammer can certainly
Preface to the Third Edition
be used to break a two-by-four in half, but the result is neither pretty nor especially
helpful. The same may be said of the focus group: It is a useful tool for sorne types
of research problems but neither pretty nor helpful in ali research contexts.
One of our objectives in writing this book was to better define the research
contexts and problems for which focus groups are best suited. We also wanted
to provide practica! advice about how to design, implement, and interpret
focus group research. We did not, however, want to write just another "how-to" A
lmost 25 years have passed since the appear~c_e of the first edition of
book-there are many available. Rather, we sought to show how focus groups
this book. At the time we wrote the first ed1tlon, focus groups were
fit into the broader fabric of research in the social and behavioral sciences. In
l~gely the domain of marketing researchers, and there were few books that
doing this, we also sought to move focus group research from a tool principally
provided guidance for the design, conduct, and interpretation of focus group
used by marketing researchers to a tool more broadly applied. We were grat
research. Our objectives in writing the first edition were to fill this gap with a
ified to find that the first edition of this book found a broad audience in the
short and accessible treatment of the method and to place focus group research
social, behavioral, and health sciences, as well as among marketers.
within the broader context of social science research. We were gratified with
In this second edition, we have retained our attention to focus groups as a
the reception of the ·book, but shortly after the book appeared, a number of
general research tool for the social sciences. We have also attempted to remain
other very good, and more comprehensive, books on the "how" of focus group
close to original source materials when appropriate. Focus group research is a
. research appeared. The following two decades saw an explosion of the use of
mature methodology, and much that is today considered "best prac!ice" has its
' focus groups and a broadening of their use to a diverse array of social science
origins in earlier work. At the same time, we have updated the book to reflect
and professional disciplines. By the time we wrote the second edition, focus
the positive evolutionary trends in focus group research. We have also added a
_/ groi.lp research was widely employed, but much of the work using such groups
third author to expand the experience base and perspectives.
seemed to have lost the strong theoretical and disciplinary history that pro
We would be remiss if we did not thank the many readers of the first edi
vided the original foundations of group depth interviews. For this reason, the
tion who have offered us numerous suggestions and thoughts over the years.
second edition of the book sought to more fully explore the historical origins
Our students and our research clients have also challenged us to better explain
of focus group research and demonstrate the very deep epistemological and
the role of focus group research as a social science research method and to help
theoretical underpinnings of. the method. We wanted to make the case that
improve the general level of research practice revolving around focus groups.
in-depth group interviews are a tool for serious social science research and not
Finally, we thank the editors of this series for inviting us to write the first
just something that is done to ihform real science. The second edition appears
edition, encouraging us to develop a revised second edition, and offering
to have accomplished this objective, and it has been cited more than 3,500
helpful and constructive comments about how the book could be improved.
times si~ce it appeared. ·
David W. Stewart As we began the third edition of this book, it became very clear that focus
group research had both matured and moved into new domains of research
Prem N. Shamdasani
questions and methodology. The current edition reflects two of these new
Dennis W. Rook domains. The first is the growing use of focus group research to address an
increasingly broad array of issues with a global span. In addition to the tradi
January 2006
tional use of focus group research in marketing, such groups are now employed
among rural farmers on the Indian subcontinent, gang members in South
XV
xvi FOCUS GROUPS: THEORY AND PRACTICE
Central Los Angeles, parents who home school their children, and individu
als suffering from various physical ailments, to name but a few. Focus group
research has certainly extended its reach beyond marketing research applica
tions focused on relatively affluent consumers.
The second major change is the growing use of virtual groups. The Internet
has brought with it a rich array of tools and technologies for conducting focus
About the Authors
groups with participating individuals who are separated by considerable time
and space. First used as a necessary, if inferior, substitute for physical groups,
virtual focus groups are proving to have very unique advantages of their own.
In this edition of the book, we have greatly expanded our treatments of the use
offocus groups in an international context and the use ofvirtual focus groups.
We have also sought to update the book with new and updated source
materials while retaining dassic and timeless materials that were a part of the ear David W. Stewart, PhD, is President's Professor of Marketing and Law at
lier editions of the book. We have added new materials about procedural details, Loyola Marymount University and editor of the Journal of Public Policy and
such as the role of institutional review board approval and the recruiting of par Marketing. He has previously seryed as a member of the faculty of the Owen
ticipants. We have also expanded our treatment of the role of the moderator, the Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, the Marshall
conduct of focus groups, and software tools for the analysis of focus group data. School ofBusiness at the University ofSouthern California, and the University
The second edition of the book was enriched by the contributions of a of California, Riverside. In. addition to his responsibilities as a faculty member,
third author, Dennis Rook. Dennis was not able to join in our effort to produce he has served in a number of administrative roles in higher education. He is a
the third edition, but many of his earlier contributions remain in the present past editor ofboth the Journal of Marketing and the Journal of the Academy of
edition. We thank Dennis for his collaboration and acknowledge his earlier Marketing Science. He has served on the Board of Governors of the Academy
work by including him as a contributing author. of Marketing Science and as Vice President, Finance, and a member of the
Th is editlon of the book has been informed by the comment of II1any read Board of Directors of the American Marketing Association. He has also
ers, including our students, colleagues, clients, and reviewers. We especiallywish served on the Board of the American Marketing Association Foundation.
)
to express our gratitude to the reviewers who provided us with comments about He is a past president of the Academic Council of the American Marketing
the earlier edition: Michael B. Blank, University of Pennsylvania; Christina Ássociation, a past chairman of the Section on Statistics in Marketing of the
Harnett, Johns Hopkins University; Jane Hunt, Keele University; Sheri Oden, American Statistical Association, a past president of the Society for Consumer
Oakland University; and Marilyn E. Swisher, University ofFlorida. The insights Psychology, and a Fellow of both the American Psychological Association
and suggestions made by these reviewers provided us with direction and guid and the Association for Psychological Science. He is also a former member
ance for improving and updating the book. We have also heard from many and a past chairman of the U.S. Census Bureau's Advisory Committee of
reséarchers who have used the book as a resource for their research. We very Professional Associations.
much appreciate their suggestions, and we have tried to be responsive to sugges Stewart has authored or coauthored more than 250 publications and 8
tions. We would be remiss if we did not thank the editorial staff at Sage for their books. His research has examined a wide range of issues induding marketing
encouragement and pátience. We hope that our new edition continues to be as strategy, the analysis of markets, cpnsumer information search and decision
useful as the earlier ones. We thank the editors of this series for inviting us to making, effectiveness of marketing communications, public policy issues
write the first edition and staff of Sage for encouraging us to persist in our work. related to marketing and methodological approaches to the collection and
aríalysis of marketing data. His research and commentary are frequently fea
David W. Stewart tured in the business and popular press.
In 2007, Stewart was awarded the Elsevier Distinguished Marketing
Prem N. Shamdasani
Scholar Award by the Society for Marketing Advances, and in 2006, he
September 2013 was honored by the Academy of Marketing Science with the Cutco/Vector
Distinguished Educator Award for lifetime contributions to marketing. In
xvii
xviii FOCUS GROUPS: THEORY AND PRACTICE About the Authors xix
2005, he received the Omicron Delta Kappa Men of Merit Award from his UPS, AP Moeller Maersk, Roche, Bayer Healthcare, GSK, Deutsche Bank,
alma mater, Baylor University. He has also been honored for innovation HSBC, Barclays, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte, Danone, Nestle, Suntory,
in teaching by the Decision Sciences Institute, and he was a member o~ a Volvo, Ikea, Carrefour, Royal Ahold, NTUC Incheon Int'l Airport, Wipro,
four-person faculty team honored by the U.S. Distance Learning Associati?n Singapore Tourism Board, UNICEF, USDA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
for the "Best Distance Learning Program 1996-Continuing Education'' :in (Singapore), and Commonwealth Secretariat (UK).
1996. In 1998, he received the American Academy of Advertising Award for He is also actively involved in focus group research for consumer prod
Outstanding Contribution to Advertising Research for his long-term contri ucts companies and social marketing programs. His research publications
butions to research in advertising. His article on warning messages was named have appeared in the leading regional and international journals and include
the best article published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing during the Journal of Consumer Research, European Journal of Marketing, Journal
1992-1994, and he was recipient of the American Academy of Advertising of Advertising Research, Asían Journal of Marketing, Asia Pacific Journal of
Award for best article in the Journal of Advertising in 1989. In 1988, he Management, and the Journal ofR etailing and Consumer Services.
was Marketing Science Institute Visiting Scholar at the General Motors He holds a BBA degree with first class honors from the National University
Corporation. He has been included in Whos Who in America, Whos Who of of Singapore and received his PhD in marketing from the University of
the World, Whos Who in American Education, and Whos Who in Advertising. Southern California, Los Angeles. His research and teaching interests include
Stewart's experience includes work as a manager of research for Needham, Brand Management, New Product Marketing, Retail Strategy, Relationship
Harper, and Steers Advertising, Chicago (now DDB) and consulting proj Marketing, and Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior.
ects for a wide range of organizations. Among the organizations for which
he has consulted are Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies, the Coca-Cola
Company, Hughes, NCR, Texas Instruments, IBM, Intel, Cadence Design
Systems, Century 21 Real Estate, Samsung, American Home Products,
Visa Services, Xerox, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Federal Trade
Commission, among others. He has served as an expert witness befare the
Federal Trade Commission, in U.S. Federal Court, and in State Cour~s in cases
)
involving deceptive advertising claims and unfair business practices, in matters
related to trademarks and intellectual property, and in antitrust actions. He has
delivered executive education programs throughout the United States and in
20 other nations on 4 continents.
A native ofBaton Rouge, Louisiana, he receivedhis BA from the Northeast
Louisiana University (now the University ofLouisiana at Monroe) and his MA
and PhD in psychology from Baylor University.
Prem N. Shamdasani, PhD, is Associate Professor of Marketing; Associate
Dean, Executive Education; Academic Director, Asia-Pacific Executive
(APEX) MBA Program; Ca-Director, Stanford-NUS Executive Program in
International Management Program; and Director, Advanced Management
Program at the NUS Business School, National University of Singapore.
He has taught in Singapore and other countries and has received numerous
commendations and awards for teaching excellence. Apart from teaching grad
uate and executive MBA courses, he is very active in executive development
and training and has worked with more than 80 companies globally, such as
Caterpillar, J&J, I.:Oreal, McDonalds, Nokia, Sony, Samsung, IBM, Microsoft,
3M, DuPont, Asahi Glass, Philips, Siemens, Alcatel-Lucent, Singapore Airlines,