ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the industrial marketing research in overseas territories, and focuses on modifications to techniques that are required to complete research successfully in markets. Industrial activity in countries, even in a rudimentary stage of development, is invariably in the hands of trained nationals, and controlled by management, who are often themselves, nationals of more advanced economies or has been trained in Western countries. The main difference in analysis and interpretation between marketing research data obtained overseas and that obtained in the United Kingdom is in establishing the acceptable tolerances of accuracy and the background against which the material was obtained. Overseas research in most countries takes longer than would a project of similar complexity and magnitude in the United Kingdom. Subjectivity in reporting, the need for anonymity, pre-occupation with their principal job responsibilities, lack of skill in using research techniques are all in themselves good reasons for not using the firm's own personnel.
