Focus Groups: Theory and Practice (Applied Social Research Methods) (Paperback)

Stressing the unique interaction of the moderator and group as well as the mechanics of designing, conducting and interpreting the outcome of focus groups, this book provides a systematic treatment of focus group interviews within the context of social science research and theory. It also brings together the substantial literature on group processes and the analysis of qualitative data.

David W. Stewart is the Robert E. Brooker Professor of Marketing in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. Dr. Stewart is a past editor of the Journal of Marketing. Dr. Stewart has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications and seven books. His research has examined a wide range of issues including marketing strategy, the analysis of markets, consumer information search and decision making, effectiveness of marketing communications, public policy issues related to marketing and methodological approaches to the analysis of marketing data. His research and commentary are frequently featured in the business and popular press. In 2006 Professor Stewart received the Academy of Marketing Science Distinguished Marketing Educator Award. He has also been honored for innovation in teaching by the Decision Sciences Institute and he was a member of a four-person faculty team honored by the U.S. Distance Learning Association for the “Best Distance Learning Program 1996 -- Continuing Education” in 1996. In 1998, he received the American Academy of Advertising Award for Outstanding Contribution to Advertising Research. His paper on warning messages was named the best paper published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing during 1992-94 and, he was recipient of the American Academy of Advertising Award for best paper in the Journal of Advertising in 1989. In 1988 he was Marketing Science Institute Visiting Scholar at the General Motors Corporation. He was been included in Who’s Who in America, Who's Who of the World, Who’s Who in American Education, and Who's Who in Advertising. Professor Stewart's experience includes work as a manager of research for Needham, Harper, and Steers Advertising, Chicago (now DDB) and consulting projects for a wide range of organizations. . A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Professor Stewart received his B. A. from the Northeast Louisiana University (now the University of Louisiana at Monroe) and his M. A. and Ph.D. in psychology from Baylor University.

Prem Shandasani  is Associate Professor of Marketing,Director, Commonwealth-Singapore Chief Executives Program, Co-Director, Stanford-NUS and Berkeley-NUS Executive Programs. He was the former Director of the Master of Science (Marketing) Program and Director of the Office of Executive Education (English) at the NUS Business School, National University of Singapore. He holds a First Class Honors BBA degree from the National University of Singapore, and received his PhD from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. His research and teaching interests include Brand Management, New Product Marketing, Retail Strategy, Relationship Marketing, and Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior. He has taught in the USA and has received numerous commendations for teaching excellence. Aside from teaching graduate and executive MBA courses, Dr Shamdasani is very active in executive development and training for such clients as Caterpillar, Johnson & Johnson, Nokia, Samsung, Dupont, Asahi Glass, Philips, Siemens, Telenor, Exel, Royal Brunei Airlines, Singapore Airlines, GlaxoSmithKline, DaimlerChrysler, Ikea, Carrefour, Royal Ahold, NTUC Fairprice, Danone, Ceylinco, Singapore Tourism Board, National Service Affairs Dept, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Secretariat (UK).  He is actively involved in focus group research for consumer products companies and social marketing programs. His research publications have appeared in the leading regional and international journals and include the Journal of Consumer Research, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Advertising Research, Asian Journal of Marketing, Asia Pacific Journal of Management and the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.