行銷研究是環境分析中最重要的一環,透過行銷研究所得的資訊,可據以發掘行銷機會與問題;並提供行銷策略擬定所需資訊,提升決策品質,進而產生、修正及評估行銷活動與績效。所以行銷管理過程可說是始於行銷研究,也終於行銷研究。本研究以系統觀點檢視各內外環境因素對於企業行銷研究活動-行銷資訊類型、行銷資訊來源、資訊蒐集方法等的影響,希望能對行銷研究應用發展與實務有所貢獻。本研究首先建構理論模型並以「淨最小平方法」(Partial Least Squares, PLS)進行實證,顯示企業行銷資訊類別、資訊來源及蒐集方法,確實深受各內外環境因素與決策者特性的影響,根據實證結果本研究也提出理論與實務的意涵。
Marketing research has been defined as objective and systematic process of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data relevant to a specific situation or problem facing an institution. The primary goal of the research being done is to help marketing executives understand marketing problems and opportunities and to make better decisions. The study undertook a mail survey of 137 firm's marketing executives in Taiwan to assess the kind of marketing research activities being conducted by firma and developed a model of PLS (Partial Least Squares) that includes three dimensions of marketing research activities, namely type of marketing information, information sources, and technology of collecting data. Key determinants of these activities were also identified, including environmental uncertainty and competition, the firm's strategy, size, and the manager's education level. The results also have implications for future investigations and implementations of marketing research systems in corporate.