Why Ethnography?
...and Other Frequently Asked Questions
Why do ethnography?
Most commonly used approaches for gaining customer insights (such as surveys, focus groups, basic market research studies) reveal what people say they do and not what they actually do. Since many individual and organizational practices are hidden from mainstream awareness, these approaches reveal only part of the picture. Ethnography provides a more valid, complete, and nuanced picture by revealing what people actually do and why.
What methods do ethnographers use and how are they different from other methods?
The ideal method depends on the kind of questions that need to be answered and what kind of data is most useful for that purpose. Since different methods yield different slices of the whole picture, PARC ethnographers try to combine the most appropriate methods to gather insights about the target market, customer, or process of interest. Our ethnographers can also draw on these insights to help the client develop a solution for the identified problem or area of interest.
Typical methods include:
- interviews, usually in the setting of interest;
- shadowing (following someone performing activities of interest);
- participation (taking part in the activities of interest to learn more about them);
- recording using videos, audio, notes – or online activity logging tools – depending on what makes sense for the activity of interest;
- diary studies (where study participants keep a diary of the activities of interest as they engage in them); and
- surveys (structured questionnaires in-person or online to gather statistical data)
Understandings, formalisms, and predictions in an ethnographic study are usually based on evidence from the field, not theoretical hypotheses. Unlike a marketing study, an ethnographic study usually involves developing deep insights into people and practices, focusing on individuals or small populations first, before trying to generalize findings to large populations.
What's the "output" at the end of an ethnography engagement? How can we measure the results of an ethnographic study?
Output could include:
- recommendations and requirements for new technologies or processes;
- program design, training, and/or strategies;
- solution specifications and/or prototypes;
- supporting tools or documentation;
- transferring methods, tools, and other know-how within the organization;
- and others, depending on the goals of the ethnographic study.
In some cases ethnography yields results that are difficult to tangibly capture (e.g., customer loyalty and company reputation saved from misdirected product innovation), but in most cases there are a number of qualitative and quantitative ways to measure results. Ideally, organization stakeholders and ethnographers should discuss the various metrics and ways to define them (e.g., does "enhancing employee productivity" mean amount of time saved on given task, accuracy or quality of work, etc.)
– before the ethnographic study begins.
How long does it take? Doesn't ethnography take a long time?
Ethnographic engagements can range from just a few days to months to years. The duration depends on the question being investigated, the scope of the project, the expected output, and other project factors (e.g., is it part of another project?). Another factor is if the ethnographer is experienced and/or familiar with the company/ domain/ industry or has worked in a similar setting.
When is the best time to do an ethnographic study?
Ethnography is appropriate any time user input or actual practice impacts the design of the product/service. Some companies believe that it's better to "do the ethnography later" – for example, just to test prototypes – because they believe engineers or planners should initially focus on technical issues. But in many cases, it's better to conduct an ethnographic study earlier in the development process, since the results of the study can help determine the viability, strategy, design, and directions of the product, service, or program of interest.
How much can we expect to spend on an ethnographic study?
Often, the ethnographic component of a project is just a small fraction of overall project development and implementation costs. If executed properly, ethnographic studies can save money by: preventing companies from investing in the wrong product or business development path; proposing a better alternative; and ensuring program success within a particular context. In order to maximize their results, some of our clients have also asked PARC ethnographers to transfer basic ethnographic capabilities into their organizations.
How generalizable and scaleable are the findings?
Experienced ethnographers have many strategies for making findings applicable beyond a particular field site or scope. Some of these include extending experience gleaned from other settings; drawing on local experts to assess the typicality of findings; reviewing academic and practice case studies with colleagues; conducting targeted "probes" or mini-ethnographic studies at similar sites; and more.
Why can't we just do the ethnography ourselves?
Many people assume that ethnography is easy because they just see the part that involves natural observation. However, most of the analytical work – preparing, analyzing, synthesizing, and communicating findings – is invisible to participants. Furthermore, even seemingly casual observation requires a trained eye, and good ethnography requires training, experience, systematic data collection, and rigorous analyses.
|
