Answer to Question 1
The four possible function research serves in business are:
(1) Foundational - answers basic questions (e,g., What business should we be in?)
(2) Testing - addresses things like new product concepts or promotional ideas (e.g., How effective will they be?)
(3) Issues - examines how specific issues impact the firm (e.g., How does organizational structure impact employee job satisfaction and turnover?)
(4) Performance - monitors specific metrics including financial statistics like profitability and delivery times. They are critical in real-time management and in what-if types of analyses examining the potential impact of a change in policy.
Answer to Question 2
A
For the purpose of planning, marketing researchers seek to answer questions regarding three essential sets of information, corresponding to the measurable types of variables in the marketing system: situational variables, marketing mix variables, and performance measures. Marketing mix variables are those under the firm's control.