Using Qualitative Data to Learn About Customer Needs: Understanding Employer Desires When Designing an MBA Program

Abstract

When studying customer expectations, qualitative data can be as rich in information as quantitative data. In this article, the authors illustrate one way of using both qualitative and quantitative data to understand the needs and wants of customers. Specifically, they show the process by which the administrators and faculty of a business school learned about the needs and wants of their customers, namely, the employers of their MBA graduates, as part of an effort to redesign their MBA program. The authors explain how their inquiry was guided by the “customer-in” perspective, how they used the “voices into choices” approach to collect qualitative data, and how they supplemented this with quantitative data collected through surveys. In addition, the authors provide an example of how this information was translated into actionable goals and the steps taken to improve the MBA program. The methods illustrated in the article can help faculty of business schools as well as managers in obtaining information to improve any service.

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