TRUST IN RESEARCH Fostering trust, advocacy and motivation among research participants - Ipsos

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TRUST IN RESEARCH Fostering trust, advocacy and motivation among research participants - Ipsos
TRUST
IN RESEARCH
Fostering trust, advocacy
and motivation among
research participants
By Hazel Freeman, Sandro Kaulartz, Trent Ross, Jason Fuller and James Karr | August 2021
September 2021

Leah McTiernan

With contributions from:
Hazel Freeman
Jason Fuller
James Karr
Sandro Kaulartz
Trent Ross

IPSOS
VIEWS
TRUST IN RESEARCH Fostering trust, advocacy and motivation among research participants - Ipsos
THE ROLE OF TRUST
     Trust is integral to the successful running             depth interviews. Research activities                                 At Ipsos, our aspiration is that by operating      ecosystem), the answers provided will
     of market research activities, as is the                not only gather opinion but can also                                  as a full-service company owned by                 be anonymised and only be used for
     case with any industry. On one hand, it                 capture personal behaviours and data                                  market researchers and its own data                the purposes of the research study, and
     is critical to secure clients’ trust. On the            through various advanced techniques                                   collection, we create a sense of security          their data will be deleted after a specified
     other, research agencies need to build                  such as passive measurement of digital                                in the quality and the rigour of the insights      period.
     respondent trust so that the individuals                behaviours, facial coding and eye                                     that we provide.
     who complete research activities are                    tracking. This continued evolution, along                                                                                We have found that the public would be
     willing to share their personal information,            with the ongoing shift to online research,                            As discussed in a recent Ipsos paper The           more comfortable sharing personal data
     opinions and behaviours.                                requires respondents to not only hold                                 Power of Research Panels1, research                with a company that is clear about how it
                                                             trust in the organisation they are working                            participants have a contract with Ipsos            will use it and that promises not to share
     The market research industry has now                    with but also be engaged and motivated                                that establishes the rules of engagement:          it with third parties.
     evolved beyond gathering data through                   to participate. Otherwise severe limits are                           their data and privacy will be protected
     simple surveys, focus groups and in-                    placed on the project’s success.                                      (especially in the post-GDPR digital

                          Q: To what extent would you be more comfortable about sharing
                          your personal information with companies or brands that…
     More
     comfortable*

                          Are clear about what they will do with that information
                                                                                                                                                                                      A survey conducted with the World
     67%                                      28%                                                  39%                                     21%                      12%
                                                                                                                                                                                      Economic Forum explores the broader
                          Promise not to share it or not to sell it to other parties                                                                                                  context of online trust and data privacy.
                                                                                                                                                                                      It finds members of the public say they
     64%                                       29%                                               36%                                    23%                        13%
                                                                                                                                                                                      are more likely to share personal data if
                          Have never been subject to any breach, leak or fraudulent usage of data                                                                                     they are:

     62%                                     27%                                               36%                                    23%                         14%
                                                                                                                                                                                      •   Clear about what will be
                          You have a lot of experience with                                                                                                                               done with the information
                                                                                                                                                                                      •   Promised it will not be
     61%                               20%                                              41%                                          26%                           13%
                                                                                                                                                                                          shared with third parties
                          Offer you some kind of compensation for your information (e.g. discount, reward, etc.)                                                                      •   Aready familiar or experienced
                                                                                                                                                                                          with the organisation in question
     60%                                  23%                                            37%                                        26%                           14%
                                                                                                                                                                                      •   Offered some kind of compensation.

                              Much more comfortable              Somewhat more comfortable             Not much more comfortable    Not more comfortable at all

     *Much or somewhat more comfortable                      Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en/ignorance-and-distrust-prevail-                     Base: 17,811 adults aged 16-64 across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil,
                                                             about-what-companies-and-governments-do-personal-data                                Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan,
                                                                                                                                                  Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea,
                                                                                                                                                  Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States..

2   IPSOS VIEWS | TRUST IN RESEARCH                                                                                                                                                                    TRUST IN RESEARCH | IPSOS VIEWS   3
TRUST IN RESEARCH Fostering trust, advocacy and motivation among research participants - Ipsos
DEFINING TRUST                                                                                TRUST IN PANELS: THE IPSOS EXPERIENCE
      Trust can be defined in many ways.              Trust is to behave                            To have real value as an insights provider,     As set out in Corporate Reputation: The
      According to Merriam-Webster, trust
      is “assured reliance on the character,
                                                      voluntarily in a way to                       respondent trust is essential. The first
                                                                                                    building block is for respondents to believe
                                                                                                                                                    key questions answered6, trust drives
                                                                                                                                                    reputation because it reflects how people
      ability, strength or truth of someone or        accept vulnerability due                      their data is protected and secure, and         think about an organisation. Trust is also

                                                                                 ”
      something”2. Steven M.R. Covey states
      “…trust means confidence. The opposite
                                                      to uncertain behaviour of                     that their opinion is important. With this
                                                                                                    understanding in place, they are more
                                                                                                                                                    earned.

      of trust – distrust – is suspicion.”3 And, as   another (the trustee), based                  willing to provide more sensitive and           For Ipsos panels, it is critical to maintain
      Zheng and Katok4 allude to, if individuals
                                                      upon the expectation of                       personal information, and to enter a            trust so that panelists remain engaged
      are to trust a market research company                                                        long-term, reciprocal relationship with a       and motivated to participate. As more
      they must accept a level of risk, as they       a positive outcome. Zheng and Katok           research company that leads to continued        than half of Ipsos panelists participate
      voluntarily agree to provide personal data                                                    participation in research over time.            in more than one research panel (see
      and assume that the market research             This paper shares the view from Ipsos                                                         Figure 1), it is especially important to keep
      agency will treat it appropriately.             panelists on their experiences and                                                            to high standards and consistently meet
                                                      ongoing participation in research. We also                                                    respondent expectations.
                                                      bring in knowledge and experience from
                                                      across our Corporate Reputation, Brand
                                                                                                      Ipsos Reputation Model                                SUPPORTIVE BEHAVIOUR
                                                                                                                                                            (E.G. ADVOCACY)
                                                      Health Tracking and Social Intelligence
                                                                                                                                                            Likelihood to advocate/criticize
                                                      Analytics capabilities to present the wider
                                                      view around trust and engagement in                                                                   TRUST
                                                                                                                                                            Overall trust metric, plus dimensions of trust
         Ipsos’ 2019 report on trust 5                research studies.
         interrogates the idea that trust                                                                                                                   EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT
         is in terminal decline in society            We explore the essential elements                                                                     The extent to which people associate a variety of brand
                                                                                                                                                            attributes, values or personality traits with an organisation
         today. It doesn’t find evidence              of trust, how to establish trust with
         for this stark conclusion, instead           respondents or panelists – as well as                                                                 FAVOURABILITY
                                                                                                                                                            Baseline sentiment or ‘warmth’
         suggesting that there is a more              motivate their ongoing engagement – and
         nuanced conversation to be had               consider what is important when building
                                                                                                                                                            FAMILIARITY
         – one that is less about trust               long-term trust and advocacy in market                                                                The extent to which people know about an organisation
         per se, and more about what                  research.
         organisations and individuals                                                                                                                      The layers are interlinked – if stakeholders are more
         can do to be trustworthy in a                                                                                                                      familiar with an organisation, they are in turn more likely to
                                                                                                                                                            feel favourably disposed towards, trust, and speak highly
         particular context.                                                                                                                                of that organisation.

                                                         Without some degree                        Reputational equity brings benefits for         Figure 1: % of respondents who belong

                                                        of trust society simply                     attracting and maintaining engagement
                                                                                                    with respondents. We have found that,
                                                                                                                                                    to one or more additional panels
                                                                                                                                                    North America                Europe                    Latin America
                                                          would not function.”                      across all regions, Ipsos shows a strong,
                                                                                                    established reputation with its panelists, as
                                                                                                                                                        58%                        54%                            57%
                                                                                                    well as high levels of advocacy (see Figure
                                                                                                    2). Brand name awareness and respect
                                                                                                    plays a part in this. In markets where Ipsos              Middle East                    Asia Pacific
                                                                                                    has a strong presence in polling and in
                                                                                                    public media releases, resulting in a strong                   50%                            62%
                                                                                                    share of voice, Ipsos is as reputable as its
                                                                                                    associated panel brand (see Figure 3).

4   IPSOS VIEWS | TRUST IN RESEARCH                                                                                                                                                TRUST IN RESEARCH | IPSOS VIEWS           5
TRUST IN RESEARCH Fostering trust, advocacy and motivation among research participants - Ipsos
Figure 2/3 legend:              Familiarity             Favourability             Trust             Advocacy
                                                                                                                            MOTIVATING ONGOING
      Figure 2: Relative Performance of Ipsos Panel brands against key competitor                                           ENGAGEMENT
      brands by region. (Double Index* of Top Box Results)                                                                  Within the online and social ecosystem,          • Warmth: perceived intent
                                                                          147                                               there are channels, feeds and pages              •	Competence: perceived
                                                                                127         132                             instructing individuals to make money               ability to act on their intent
                           116 116                  117 117                           120
      111 110                         109                           113                                 112 113 110         through joining online panels. These
                106 103                     107               107                                 103
                                                                                                                            posts often review the panels available          While it is important to be seen as
                                                                                                                      100
                                                                                                                            to inform potential followers if the panel       trustworthy, to support ongoing research
                                                                                                                            is trustworthy or willing and able to            participation, panelists also need to
                                                                                                                            fulfill their side of the market research        be motivated. According to the Job
                                                                                                                            contract7.                                       Characteristics Model 9, motivation
                                                                                                                                                                             requires at least one of the following:
                                                                                                                            As per the Stereotype Content                    skill variety, task identity and/or task
       North America            Europe               Latin America            Middle East           Asia Pacific
                                                                                                                            Model by Fiske 8 , individuals assess            significance; together with autonomy and
                                                                                                                            trustworthiness along two dimensions:            feedback.
      Figure 3: Relative Performance of Ipsos versus Ipsos Panel brand in a market
      where the Ipsos brand is well known. (Double Index* of Top Box Results)

                           111 110
      103 102 107 105                 106 103

                                                  100

                                                                      *Double Indexing was used to allow for                Most Important Trustworthiness Attributes for a Market Research Organisations
                                                                      comparisons of brands of different sizes,
                                                                      and to minimise the impact of Ipsos panel
                                                                                                                                          Takes all necessary precautions to protect your
                                                                      brand effect. The average is 100.                         1         privacy
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Competence
            Ipsos             Ipsos Panel

                                                                                                                                          Takes all necessary precautions to protect your
                                                                                                                                2         personal information
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Competence

      The reasons for trusting Ipsos, given                           panel brands through their experiences,
      spontaneously by panelists, often refer to                      panelists also trust Ipsos where the Ipsos
                                                                                                                                3         Treats you with respect                                         Warmth

      the organisation’s reputation. This shows                       public presence is well-established and its
      that in addition to gaining trust in Ipsos                      face and name is known locally.                                     Provides you with a choice of rewards that are
                                                                                                                                4         relevent to you
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Competence

                                                                                                                                5         Provides you with rewards in a timely fashion                   Competence

      Ipsos is a great                                                My friends told me                                    (n=2,285 panelists) across North America, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Asia Pacific.

      name in the market                                              I can trust Ipsos

                                                                                                         ”                                                                                               ”
      research field.                                                 completely and they                                   I’ve been a panelist for quite a while now
                                                                      handle data very                                      and I feel safe answering their surveys.
                                                                      carefully.

6   IPSOS VIEWS | TRUST IN RESEARCH                                                                                                                                                                 TRUST IN RESEARCH | IPSOS VIEWS   7
TRUST IN RESEARCH Fostering trust, advocacy and motivation among research participants - Ipsos
Figure 4: Panellist Ratings of Ipsos Panels* Performance                                           Figure 5: Most Important Attributes of a Market Research Organisation

                                                                                                                                  Being rewarded for offering your time to complete
         Warmth                  Treats you with respect                                    63%            Feedback
                                                                                                                                  research studies                                               63%

                                                                                                                                  Being rewarded for participating in activities you
         Competence              Makes it easy for you to provide your opinion              62%            Task Identity
                                                                                                                                  enjoy                                                          62%

         Warmth                  Treats you equitably                                       52%            Autonomy               Your opinion is considered important                           52%

         Competence              Provides you with rewards in a timely fashion               51%           Task Identity          Being interested in the research topic                          51%

                                                                                                                                  Able to participate in a variety of different research
         Warmth                  Invests in a long-term relationship with you               45%            Skill Variety
                                                                                                                                  activities                                                     45%

                                                                                                                                  You understand the core purpose for the research
         Competence              Continually delivers on its promises                       45%            Task Identity
                                                                                                                                  activity                                                       45%

                                 Provides you with a choice of rewards that is                             Task
         Competence
                                 relevant to you                                            45%            Significance
                                                                                                                                  Feeling like you are a part of something bigger                45%

         Warmth                  Acts in an ethical way                                     45%         % of Panelists who rate attribute as ‘Very Important’ (n=2,285) across North America, Europe,
                                                                                                        Latin America, Middle East and Asia Pacific

     % of Panelists who rate Ipsos Panels’* performance as ‘very good’ (n=2,285) across
     North America, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Asia Pacific.
     *Results for Ipsos follow a similar pattern.

     When reviewing the factors that                       in which the individual is treated with      As Ipsos carries out work for clients               It the platform I like
     underscore trustworthiness and motivate
     ongoing motivation, we can see that
                                                           respect and equitability, feels that their
                                                           opinion is important, and can participate
                                                                                                        across many sectors which explore
                                                                                                        different topics and questions, there is            the most. It is very
     panelists do not merely want to receive
     compensation/rewards for their work;
                                                           in interesting research activities
                                                           for which they understand the core
                                                                                                        a variety of research activities available
                                                                                                        to panelists. This choice further bolsters
                                                                                                                                                            trustworthy... I like
     these rewards must also be worth their                purpose. Additionally, given that globally   ongoing motivation and engagement.                  the subjects covered
     effort, relevant to them, and attached to
     tasks that they enjoyed doing.
                                                           individuals are increasing their digital
                                                           footprint, there is an expectation that
                                                                                                                                                            in its surveys.
                                                           their privacy and personal information
     Just as important is the desire to be a               will be protected.
     part of a mutually beneficial relationship

8   IPSOS VIEWS | TRUST IN RESEARCH                                                                                                                                           TRUST IN RESEARCH | IPSOS VIEWS   9
BUILDING LONG-TERM                                                                          Terms of Privacy are                         Furthermore, there is the power of
       TRUST AND ADVOCACY                                                                          clear and regularly                          personal identity: it is critical that an
                                                                                                                                                individual’s opinion is considered
       To truly understand which elements are
       most critical for Ipsos and its panels
                                                      and effort, they will trust Ipsos and its
                                                      panels when they (and their personal
                                                                                                   updated. No issues                           important. Offering a variety of research
                                                                                                                                                activities is also key as people in those
       and use this to support continued trust        data) are treated with the utmost respect    for a long time with                         developed markets are likely to be
       and advocacy, a drivers analysis was
       conducted to determine the factors that
                                                      and consideration.
                                                                                                   good advice.                                 more accustomed to online surveys
                                                                                                                                                and therefore may respond well to the
       would have the most impact.                    It is also important to them that, through                                                variety.
                                                      participation in research projects that
       The analyses demonstrate that panelists        they care about and understand the core      “I have been working with Ipsos              In developing markets, we find a
       take their job contract seriously and          purpose of, they can influence future        panel brand for many years                   stronger sense that panelists value
       expect it to be reciprocated. So, while        decisions.                                   without worry.”                              our panels having a positive impact on
       panelists expect rewards for their time                                                                                                  society through their everyday business.
                                                                                                   Investing in a long-term relationship        Receiving answers to any questions or
                                                                                                   with panelists further supports              concerns and, not unexpectedly, being
       Figure 6: Key Drivers of Trust and Advocacy for Ipsos and Ipsos Panel Brands                brand advocacy.                              rewarded in a timely fashion is also key.

                                                                                                   Interesting nuances appear when              In certain developing markets where
         Warmth                        Competence                    Motivation                    reviewing the key drivers in developed       there is a tendency for individuals to
                                                                                                   and developing markets. In developed         define themselves against others, the
         Treats you well for loyalty   Takes all necessary           Being interested              markets, panelists want to be treated like   key drivers for panelists include:
                                       precautions to protect your   in a research topic           an important consultant, to know how
                                       privacy                                                     they influence decisions and to receive      •   Feeling like you are part of something
                                                                                                   rewards that are worth their effort.             bigger.
         Continually delivers          Takes all necessary           Being able to influence the
         on its promises               precautions to protect your   future of products
                                       personal information          and services with             We also find that trust and advocacy in      •   Knowing how your answers compare
                                                                     one’s opinion                 developed markets is supported by Ipsos          to others’ answers.
                                                                                                   being a brand with which panelists are
         Treats you with respect       Provides accurate             Being rewarded for            proud to be associated, supported in         •   Understanding that the purpose of
                                       descriptions about            participating in activities   many markets by our polling presence.            the research will have a positive
                                       potential online research     one enjoys
                                                                                                                                                    impact on others’ lives.
                                       activities
                                                                                                   “I trust Ipsos because we often
         Treats you equitably          Makes it easy for you         Understanding the core        hear about them in the media.”               “The polls I answer are
                                       to provide your opinion       purpose of the study                                                       sometimes cited when it comes
                                                                                                                                                to the opinion of the public and I
         Operates without bias         Uses the information you      Being interested                                                           appreciate being part of it.”
                                       provide for its intended      in a research topic
                                       purpose

       Surveys are picked up by the media to have data                                             I have complete confidence in Ipsos because
       on a topical issue. I am proud to participate and                                           it is often cited in the media. I think it is a
       give my opinion.                                                                            reference for polls in my country.

10   IPSOS VIEWS | TRUST IN RESEARCH                                                                                                                              TRUST IN RESEARCH | IPSOS VIEWS   11
A TRUSTED PUBLIC IMAGE
                                                                                                       social media data skews heavily towards        I am a panelist at this polling
       As discussed in Opinion Polls: a tour              than this. Individuals have an opportunity   news posts, including those from national      institute. I have always had my
       of the territory10, polling puts a face            to see how their opinions input into         and regional news, TV and radio, news          rewards and I have never had any
       to the market research industry and                broader decision-making, both for            agencies, and so on. The top words used        security problems.
       provides a brand name for people to                governments and companies alike.             and the semantics surrounding them (the
       recognise through media releases.                                                               what and how of a social conversation)         [Panel name] is affiliated with
       In various markets around the world,               A review of social media data illustrates    appear to exclusively relate to polls that     Ipsos, which is a very serious
       Ipsos is a household name because of               the benefits for a research organisation     Ipsos has released.                            institution.
       its investments in polling practice and            having a recognised position among the
       continued advancements in this area.               public as a polling company. To take the     With a face and a name to Ipsos,
       Although polls are most typically linked           case of Ipsos, even though polling is a      consumers and citizens can establish
       with elections, Ipsos’ practice is wider           small part of our overall business, the      a sense of trust in its data collection
                                                                                                       capabilities, whether online or offline.

                                                                                                       Figure 8: Ipsos polling features in media outlets worldwide

       Figure 7: Key words used in reference to Ipsos and Ipsos panels on social media

                     Sunday overwhelming        respondents gift cards data CNW

                                        president independents
                 President Donald Trump third other

                          americans Friday Republicans time
               Canadians
              republicans
                question
                           week pandemic COVID-19 able cash
                                                   Democrats
                              people ABC News poll
                  least virus
                 family same
                                                     months
                     Americans Trump new abc news weeks year
                number
                           new  poll  country more  years March
               more likely
                     democrats         coronavirus pandemic            coronavirus
                  better states

       Source: Ipsos Social Intelligence Analytics

12   IPSOS VIEWS | TRUST IN RESEARCH                                                                                                                                 TRUST IN RESEARCH | IPSOS VIEWS   13
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF TRUST                                                                REFERENCES
       Trust is critical to any business sector,     1. A public presence (gained through          1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trust
       just as it is essential for society to           participation in global and local
       function. It has a special significance          polling, for example) provides a sense     2. Covey, Steven. M.R, The Speed of Trust: The One thing that Changes Everything,
       within market research that centres              of familiarity and a base level of trust      2018, Free Press, Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY,
       around respondents. The individuals              for potential participants.                   NY, 10020 (p.5)
       that offer up their personal opinions and
       data for market research purposes need        2. A continued commitment to                  3. The Handbook of Behavioral Operations: Trust and Trustworthiness
       to trust that it will be protected and used      participant data security, across all         https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328405908_Trust_and_Trustworthiness
       appropriately.                                   modes of data collection.
                                                                                                   4. The Handbook of Behavioral Operations: Trust and Trustworthiness
       Each organisation needs to find its own       3. Reinforcing the sense that each               https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328405908_Trust_and_Trustworthiness
       way of establishing a trusted relationship       panelist’s opinion is important and
       with respondents. But reflecting on our          they are an integral part of the market    5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11321314_A_model_of_often_mixed_
       experience at Ipsos, we would highlight          research industry, and through their          stereotype_content_Competence_and_warmth_respectively_follow_from_perceived_
       the following four factors as being              involvement they are participating in         status_and_competition/link/0deec52092e6075bdd000000/download
       particularly important when it comes to          something bigger.
       trust, advocacy and motivation:                                                             6. Corporate Reputation: The key questions answered
                                                     4. As the market research industry               https://www.ipsos.com/en/corporate-reputation-key-questions-answered
                                                        continues to evolve, offering panelists
                                                        the opportunity to participate in a        7. The Handbook of Behavioral Operations: Trust and Trustworthiness
                                                        variety of research activities that can       https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328405908_Trust_and_Trustworthiness
                                                        build and sustain their interest.
                                                                                                   8. A model of (often mixed) stereotype content: Competence and
                                                     We believe that securing respondent trust        warmth respectively follow from perceived status and competition
                                                     is a cornerstone of delivering reliable          https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11321314_A_model_of_often_mixed_
                                                     and trustworthy research insights. By            stereotype_content_Competence_and_warmth_respectively_follow_from_perceived_
                                                     staying close to participants’ motivations,      status_and_competition/link/0deec52092e6075bdd000000/download
                                                     preferences, and real-life contexts, we are
                                                     able to adapt our approaches and meet         9. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:5339439
                                                     evolving expectations.
                                                                                                   10. Opinion Polls: A Tour of the Territory
                                                     The quality of market research data               https://www.ipsos.com/en/opinion-polls-tour-territory
                                                     is inextricably linked to the strength of
                                                     engagement with individual participants,
                                                     and so investing in activities that foster
                                                     trust and advocacy must be a priority.

14   IPSOS VIEWS | TRUST IN RESEARCH
TRUST IN RESEARCH

Leah McTiernan
Senior Vice President, Total Operations, Ipsos

Contributing authors:

Hazel Freeman
Brand Health Tracking, Ipsos

Jason Fuller
Interactive Services, Ipsos

James Karr
Interactive Services, Ipsos

Sandro Kaulartz
Social Intelligence Analytics, Ipsos

Trent Ross
Corporate Reputation, Ipsos

The Ipsos Views papers
are produced by the
Ipsos Knowledge Centre.

www.ipsos.com
@Ipsos
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