MECanalyst Manual - ENG
Contents
1. Use single link in same ladder Sort orde Abstractness Alphabetical Project properties You can view some of the properties of the current project such as the author the project description the date created the date last modified and the number of chunks ladders subjects demographic codes and synonyms by selecting File gt Application properties MECanalyst Skymax DG 32 Figure 24 Project properties Properties EXAMPLE MECanalyst Skymax DG 332. TF M Printing synonyms Using the Print menu you can print all synonyms and chunks from the project or only first level synonyms first level synonyms are those in the synonym tree that have children but no parents Figure 11 Print content codes menu Ladders Content Codes List Content Codes Table MECanalyst Skymax DG 22 Printing synonyms and chunks To print all synonyms and their associated chunks select Print gt Content Codes gt Content Codes List Having chosen the appropriate demographic codes by which to filter the subjects see Filter by demographic codes and having selected the folder where you wish to save the file a text file will be generated TXT format containing a list of all the synonyms in the project used in the demographic codes selected and the chunks associated with them group hierarchically as in the Content Code Manager In the list each content code is followed by two values in brackets the first represents the number of chunks associated with the content code whilst the second represents the number of chunks associated with the entire group Figure 12 Example of printing synonyms and chunks pfs 0 7 friendly 2 2 the tellers are sweethearts they call my by name 1 the staff is much friendlier than those at large banks 1 personal 2 2 know manager 1 I know the bank manager 1 service 3 3 they explain any problems to me
3. and advertising practice Journal of Advertising Research July August Vallette Florence P Rapacchi B 1991 Improvements in means end chain analysis using graph theory and correspondence analysis Journal of Advertising Research February March MECanalyst Skymax DG 10 Installation System Requirements Operating System Windows 9x NT 2000 XP Minimum Intel 486DX Processor Recommended Pentium MMX Memory 32Mb RAM recommended 64Mb Hard disk space 10Mb free space Installing and uninstalling Follow these instructions to install MECanalyst 1 2 Close all active programs on your computer If you are installing from a CD ROM insert the CD ROM into the CD ROM drive select Run from the Start menu and enter the letter corresponding to the CD ROM drive followed by setup for example If you are installing from a software archive double click the icon representing the archive file unzip it into a temporary directory for example C Temp and then double click the icon representing the setup file to run the Setup program The installation process will begin and InstallShield will extract the MECanalyst files 3 Read the welcome screen and click OK 4 Read the terms and conditions of the license agreement and click Yes if you agree Specify the directory where you wish MECanalyst to be installed If you already have a previous version of MECa
4. p New Open Edit Delete Cut Copy Paste Demo Ladder Codes list Details Close MECanalyst Skymax DG 12 Project Window When you open the program the list of current projects is displayed For each project the list shows the code the description the author the date created Creation and the date last modified Last update You can order the list by each of these properties simply by clicking the heading at the top of the appropriate column In the project list window you can carry out the following actions 1 NEW F2 insert a new project you will be asked to enter the code the description and the author of the project you can modify any of these properties at a later time by selecting the project and using the EDIT command the date created and the date last modified are updated automatically using the system clock OPEN F3 view the ladders see Subject and Ladder Window for more details DELETE F4 delete the selected project requires confirmation EDIT F5 modify project properties code description and author DEMO F6 view the list of demographic codes for the selected project see Element oe AW selected demographic codes for more details 6 CODES LIST F8 view the list of content codes for the selected project see Content Code Manager EXIT F10 exit the application requires confirmation Figure 2 Projec
5. MECanalyst cognitive consumer mapping software user guide rev 0 4 en WHATISMEGCANALYSTJ ecce eher dec ea hh Ph d W e k la eee leka eH eT 3 WHO CAN USE MECANALYST 0 0 tee EE BAZ ie en E Vek HEZ dikan dy W Y K V HAN N Vera BAZ dee 3 MAIN FEATURES OF THE 2 44 2 42 0 a Ka we dR d ke a H Vi k na d edi e tese p qe k ne bew e deal dL Cad y TERRE Pe da kw 3 OBIECTIVE S ER 3 BASIC CONCEPTS MEANS END ANALYSIS AND LADDERING csscesessseseeseeseesecnsesecuseesesaecsessecseeseesseesesaeesesaeeneeaes 4 EISE 4 Iheladdering technique qe in hinay e i ee e 6 ADVANTAGES OF 7 M lin applications tra ouod teslis guit eene udo d n alere beo rs yan 8 REFERENGES Seya PE GEN We 9 INSTALLATION ec M 11 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 2 nie ee ever ke k den n ke toate v k du yere ke eb dee kU ek v ERN veye x e Pe 11 INSTAELING AND UNINSTALLING y yan ertet Geor t
6. Skymax DG 15 2 DELETE F4 delete selected chunk requires confirmation if you have selected more than one chunk you can delete the selected chunks simultaneously EDIT F5 modify the selected chunk see Modifying chunk properties CUT CTRL X cut the selected chunk and copy to the clipboard COPY CTRL C copy the selected chunk to the clipboard PASTE CTRL V insert the chunk s stored on the clipboard MAIN F10 return to the project window You can also cut copy and paste multiple chunks see the section Selecting elements SL 9 MECanalyst Skymax DG 16 Working with chunks Chunk list When you selected a ladder you will see the list of chunks that make up the ladder on the right side of the window The listing displays the properties of each chunk 1 the type 2 the associated synonym if present 3 the answer given by the subject In the status bar you will see the ID number of the selected subject and ladder Figure 4 Status bar MECanalyst ver 1 0 11 Sub 6 Lad 1 EXAMPLE Example project Giorgio Pistolazzi 2 Inserting new chunk To insert a new chunk you must first select the appropriate ladder then click NEW in the toolbar Alternatively create a new ladder click LADDER in the toolbar and the window to insert a new chunk will be displayed automatically For each chunk MECanalyst allows you to enter the response given by the subject interview
7. select the demographic codes the you wish to use for the imported data if the desired code is not present in the list you can create a new code by selecting NEW and inserting a name and description for the code use EDIT to enter the values to associate with all the imported subjects click OK to confirm The data will be imported and the list of new subjects ladders will be displayed Importing from SUB TXT files MECanalyst project To import ladders from another MECanalyst project you need the SUB TXT file contained in the folder which bears the project s name which is located within MECanalyst s DATI folder Select File gt Import gt MECanalyst project inthe dialogue box which appears select the file you wish to import click OK to confirm The imported ladders will be added to those already stored in the project MECanalyst Skymax DG 30 Options By selecting File gt Options you can modify the following options 1 the font used in the window that is used to insert or modify chunks 2 the font used in the content code manager and the ladder manager Figure 22 Options General options Implication matrix Font mi InsfEdit Chunk window Hal List and Tree Views Imported demographic codes recognition Fixed field separator Use separator 3 import mode for demographic codes from Laddermap LAD files a fixed field separator b Xseparator 4 aut
8. module i e when presenting the final maps and the implication matrix should the laddering results be supplemented by further statistical analyses e theoretical principles since MECanalyst implies and applies in a flexible though rigorous manner the more recent theories in the field of means analysis it constitutes a valuable tool in laddering studies Further software modules are being investigated to make MECanalyst increasingly effective and useful In particular the research team is studying an extension of the program aimed at facilitating the administration of laddering interviews in the data collection phase Such extension would also enable a larger number of interviews to be managed a feature currently limited by the high cost of data collection This would allow the method to be applied to large scale quantitative studies resulting in greater reliability of data without a corresponding increase in cost Main applications Suitable areas for application of means end analysis hence of MECanalyst may be Gutman 1982 e product positioning and segmentation analysis e design of new products or improvement of existing ones e design of communications strategies As regards to product positioning means end chain analysis is a useful tool to identify opportunities and threats from competitors MECAnalyst allows to process the information obtained from laddering interviews strengths as well as weaknesses in order to
9. IN F10 return to the project window Selected element ladder 1 NEW F2 add a new chunk to the selected ladder see Inserting a new chunk DELETE F4 delete the selected ladder and all associated chunks requires confirmation LADDER F7 insert a new ladder for the selected subject this command automatically selects the new ladder and opens the window you can use to insert a new chunk MAIN F10 return to the project window CUT CTRL X cut the selected ladder and copy all the chunks to the clipboard requires confirmation COPY CTRL C copy the selected ladder and store on the clipboard 7 PASTE CTRL V paste the ladder stored on the clipboard to the selected subject It is also possible to move chunks between ladders by selecting the chunk s to move copy and then dragging and dropping onto the required ladder When you drop the selected elements into their new location a dialogue box will appear asking if you wish to copy or move the elements or if you wish to cancel the operation Selected element demographic attribute 1 DELETE F4 delete selected demographic attribute EDIT F5 modify selected attribute using the editing window that appears you can modify the demographic attributes for the selected subject DEMO F6 code a new demographic attribute for the selected subject Selected element chunk l NEW F2 insert a new chunk see Inserting a new chunk MECanalyst
10. analyst automatically updates the other statistics visible total number of chunks in the project Q number of active chunks that is excluding chunks below the cut off level and excluded synonyms total number of links Q number of active content codes Q proportion of active cells in the implication matrix to total number of cells as a percentage Q proportion of active cells in the implication matrix to cells in the implication matrix with cut off equal to 1 as a percentage Q proportion of active links and active links with cut off equal to 1 as a percentage Figure 17 Entering the cut off level Choose cut off level S oj xj Cut Off level Presentation preferences Use indirect links V Cut off level 3 zl Blocks position optimization j Select content codes Total chunks in project 68 Active cells total cells 25 Active chunks 57 Active cells Active cells 1 7 Active links 29 Active links Active links 1 33 Active content codes E 3 Nun nana n HE HHHH HN HRH HHHH Cancel MECanalyst Skymax DG 26 The progress bar at the bottom of the window gives a graphical representation of the number of chunks included in the cut off level against the total number of chunks in the project excluding of course those not included due to demographic filters Selecting the Use indirect links option will take into account indire
11. and products services the means end approach attempts to pinpoint consumer preferences in order to reveal the often hidden motives behind choices Indeed the concept that consumer choices are not solely directed by material product features but to a considerable extent also by a psychological component to which these appeal is relatively recent To a consumer a good service can have diverse meanings For instance when buying coffee the product could be chosen based on attributes related to type e g in grains soluble origin e g Brazil package e g jar or pouch brand etc However consumers are not only interested in the bundle of characteristics attributes that distinguish one type of coffee from another rather they are attracted discouraged by the desirable benefits or undesirable risks consequences deriving from the use purchase of the relevant good and or service In the case of coffee the decision to buy may thus result to be connected with benefits such as less strong than espresso coffee easy to make suitable for elderly people Quelch et al 1994 however it is mainly the personal relevance to the eye of the consumer that constitutes the main purchase motive fig 1 In other words if one delves into the consumer s mind the motivation of the choice results to be based on psychological states i e reasons connected with a need value which is satisfied by the purchase e g the achieveme
12. attribute Abstract attribute Functional consequence Psycological consequence Instrumental value Terminal value MECanalyst ver 1 0 12 2 2 MECanalyst Skymax DG 20 You can group content codes by clicking on the synonym you wish to group and dragging and dropping to the synonym you wish to aggregate it with To ungroup codes you must right click on the code you wish to ungroup and select First Level from the contextual menu or else drag and drop onto another synonym To view the complete list of synonyms right click within the CCM window and select Expand To view only the first level synonyms right click within the CCM window and select Collapse All By clicking NEW F2 you can insert a new content code A window will appear asking for the name and type of synonym By clicking DELETE F4 you can delete the selected content code requires confirmation By clicking EDIT F5 you can change the name of the content code selected Figure 9 Contextual menu in the Content Code Manager First level Edit Delete Change type Print track list Expand all Collapse all By right clicking on a synonym you can change its type before making a change MECanalyst first asks for confirmation and then checks that all associated chunks can change type given the restrictions imposed by the sequence of the ladder Even if it is impossible to change the position of only one chunk the entire operation will
13. be cancelled it is then possible to save a list of those chunks which cannot change position to a separate file this file contains the following information SubjectNumber LadderNumber ChunkNumber By clicking DETAILS you can show or hide the window containing all the chunks associated with the selected group of synonyms next to each chunk you can see the content code the subject code the ladder code the position in the ladder occupied by the chunk and the subject s answer By right clicking on the synonym and selecting Print track list you can save the contents of the chunk list window to a file You can select more than one chunk with the SHIFT CTRL keys from the chunk list and change the synonym associated with these chunks by dragging and dropping onto another synonym Content codes automatic purging It is possible to delete all content codes non associated to any chunk selecting from File menu the Purge content codes command and choosing Yes in the confirmation dialog that will appear MECanalyst Skymax DG 21 Printing Printing ladders By going to the Print menu and selecting Ladders you can export all the ladders from a project into a CSV file Each row contains 1 the subject s ID number the ladder s ID number demographic data for each subject the chunk type the synonym SAR ee the answer Figure 10 Example of an exported ladder 3 M TT 2 3M 2 3M at
14. between consumer and product through the construction of a simple associative network between concrete and abstract product attributes functional and psychosocial consequences linked with product use and finally consumers instrumental and terminal values Product attributes are but means through which consumers achieve their ultimate values ends via the positive consequences or benefits accruing from the attributes In other words goods services are seen as means to satisfy needs that are conscious to a varying degree In the means end chain model products are thus not chosen and purchased for themselves or their acharcteristics but rather for the meaning they engender in the mind of prospects Reynolds and Gutman 1988 In this way products though selected for fairly concrete features such as their characteristics and attributes e g proportion of fat color origin production method and for the benefits which they are capable of providing functional or psychosocial consequences e g a healthy and tasty diet are in fact perceived subconsciously as aimed at and connected with the achievement of individual goals Peter et al 1999 A means end chain is thus a conceptual structure linking a product defined as a bundle of attributes and a consumer regarded as a holder of values fig 2 Attributes of products are assumed to lead to various consequences of product use or consumption which in turn satisfy consumers values Su
15. ch connections can be identified using the addering technique an interviewing method that aims at explaining consumer choices through the identification of the network of links among product attributes the tangible positive outcomes associated to these functional consequences personal outcomes which pertain to the individual MECanalyst Skymax DG 5 psychological realm or relationships with other people psychosocial consequences and ultimately values The laddering technique The means end chain information is contained in consumers memories As a rule however consumers are unable to access such information in an articulated manner when it is required A suitable research strategy is needed to analyse it Similarly the motives for buying products cannot be obtained by direct asking as in most cases consumers are not aware of their decision making process nor are they able to perceive naturally the reasons which have prompted them to choose a product to the exclusion of another An in depth interviewing technique addering is thus required to learn how consumers perceive products and what significance they attribute to them This technique which aims at obtaining cognitive maps or Hierarchical Value Maps HVMs is the most widely used method to uncover consumers cognitive structures Reynolds and Gutman 1988 so much so that it is sometimes confused with means end chain analysis The laddering technique is intende
16. ct links between chunks This option can also be deselected Figure 18 Selecting synonyms for the HVM Content code selection Content codes list Content codes not to be printed BANK REPUTATION drive up hours interest rates local bank size location service charges pfs access to money save money trust save time family accomplishment belonging AAAA J OK Cancel By clicking on the Select content codes button you will see a new window which you can use to exclude any content codes present in the implication matrix from being represented graphically in the HVM By clicking on the Presentation Preferences tab you can select the colour of the graphical blocks Simply click on the block corresponding to the appropriate content code to change the colour and select a new colour from the dialogue box that appears MECanalyst Skymax DG 27 Figure 19 Selecting block colours BKET linis Cut Off level Choose content code block colors i dum D d eed r Select connector preferences Connector color Maximum width By choosing the Block position optimization option MECanalyst will position the blocks in the HVM minimising the number of crossed links this option requires a high level of processing power and so available when the number of synonyms above the cut off is too high gt 14 When you click OK Microsoft PowerPoint w
17. d to reveal how the respondents link product attributes to more abstract consequences and values Reynolds and Whitlark 1995 It consists of three fundamental steps elicitation of salient attributes data collection through the actual laddering interview analysis of results During the interview consumers are prompted to reflect on their purchase decisions Once the significant attributes have been elicited using one or more of the available techniques the laddering interview proper is performed This method has the advantage of inducing consumers to reflect and reason on attributes consequences values relationships To identify of the connections between attributes consequences and values respondents are asked to trace the network of associations in the means end chain by answering repeatedly a simple question why do you think this attribute or consequence value is important to The researcher by this sequence of in depth probes thus identifies one or more ladders for each consumer by revealing what product attributes mean to the consumer in terms of consequences and values Gutman 1982 Application of the laddering method thus allows to identify the network of connections HVMs which drive consumer behaviour toward products and or services and to identify the barriers preventing the greater diffusion of certain goods and or services The links which consumers consider personally significant and which enab
18. decide whether to focus on promoting favourable product features or on highlighting the weaknesses of competing products Reynolds and Whitlark 1995 by exploting perceived product differences With reference to segmentation MECAnalyst can be used to determine the influence of values among different consumer segments and to link the possible differences detected with as many product variants Design of new products and improvement of existing ones begins from the attributes but the significance of the latter becomes apparent as a function of their associated consequences MECanalyst Skymax DG 8 When introducing a new product or an innovation knowledge of the attributes consequences values links allows those responsible for Company marketing to recognize consumers desires and communicate them after translating them into physical characteristics to product managers Gutman 1982 Finally the cognitive maps that can be obtained with MECAnalyst though obviously not aspiring to be the sole basis on which more effective communication strategies or advertising can be developed can however be valuable supports to direct those choices Reynolds and Whitlark 1995 Knowledge of the key factors values influencing consumers as well as of the leverage points psycho social consequences connecting multiple values and multiple lower level constructs enables companies to develop original communication strategies reduce advertisi
19. e is aimed at e Companies o carrying out market surveys o doing consulting work specifically targeted to marketing e Researchers inthe field of consumer research o in the field of qualitative and quantitative research e Universities o teaching staff and marketing students interested in further information on and the application of means end chain analysis Main features of the software MECanalyst was developed in 2002 by Prof Raffaele Zanoli and Dr Simona Naspetti of the University of Ancona IT Dr Eva Thelen of the University of Innsbruck AT Dr Gunther Botschen and the Institut f r Marketing Strategieberatung in cooperation with Leonardo Cigolini Gulesu and Dr Antonio Ruccia of SKYMAX IT Objectives MECanalyst aims at providing users with the opportunity to apply means end chain analysis to consumer research in order to shape where possible appropriate strategic marketing decisions The results of the application of this method can provide marketers and researchers with an essential starting point in the understanding of consumer decision making processes as well as with a basis to develop communication strategies and improve product positioning MECanalyst Skymax DG 3 Basic concepts means end analysis and laddering MECanalyst uses the conceptual model of means end chain analysis to study the motivations underlying consumer purchasing decisions By analyzing the link between consumers
20. ed answer field the type of chunk type buttons and the associated content code synonym field Six different chunks types are available 1 Concrete attribute Ac Abstract attribute Aa Functional consequence Cf Psychological consequence Cp Instrumental value Vi ONY LM Terminal value Vt MECanalyst Skymax DG 17 Figure 5 Inserting a chunk ZETA r Ladder Chunk Synonym Type Concrete attribute Ac Functional consequence Cf Instrumental value Vi Abstract attribute Psycological consequence Cp Terminal value Vt Answer the bank is at the top of my street Jf OK Cancel When you have added new chunk it will be automatically inserted into the ladder depending on which type it has been assigned by modifying the type the chunk will be allocated a new position respecting the hierarchy of the six chunk types Ac Aa Cf Cp Vi Vt In the synonym field it is possible to view the list of content codes corresponding to the selected type and to select a content code from the list Alternatively you can enter a new content code Each time a chunk is added click OK or press Enter MECanalyst remains in Insert Chunk mode You can exit by clicking Cancel or by pressing Escape on the keyboard With the CTRL X CTRL C and CTRL V keys you can also cut copy and paste text within each chunk answer Modifying chunk prope
21. ek ek kak enne Ke KHK Ka KK KA KAKA nnne 25 CREATING VIEWING ABSTRACTNESS AND CENTRALITY TABLE Ee eee renten keke kek keke keke keke k nennen 25 CREATING VIEWING THE HIERARCHICAL VALUE 2 kereke eee keke kk nre 26 IMPORTING E 30 Importing LAD files Laddermap file L L LL LLL Es Eksa rennen 30 Importing from SUB TXT files MECanalyst project 30 OPTIONS M PR 31 PROJECT PROPERTIES ea d e vets YORK A e ud tonabeesvevuonestnsbeatdertehadaneeses 32 MECanalyst Skymax DG 2 What is MECanalyst MECanalysist is a versatile software developed to identify consumers motives for buying products and or services It has been designed to learn and understand how consumers ascribe to a product service a meaning a self relevance which may encourage or hamper their use MECanalyst is a tool to analyze the link between products and consumers and to gather information on consumers goal structures starting from the analysis of their decision making processes It allows to uncover analyze consumer cognitive structures and decision maps also referred as Hierarchical Value Maps by the utilization of an innovative research method means end chain analysis Grunert et al 1995 Olson and Reynolds 1983 Reynolds and Gutman 1988 coupled with a in depth interviewing technique called addering Who can use MECanalyst The softwar
22. eo chet vs e dakev pite vt SAD n 11 USERINTERFACE On cuss Ve V KERE KERR FE KAKA SEVE R NE e K ERK sU KER IN es CE ERK N 12 TOOLBAR so vied P 12 PROJECT WINDOW 5 55 256 DD ces 13 SUBJECT AND LADDER WINDOW LADDER MANAGER cessesssesseeeseeseceseceseceaecsaecseecaeeeseeeeesaeeeeensesnaeenseenaeenaes 14 Zend m 14 Selected Clement subject s eoe tei tege i Eger HH HH ee 14 Selected element ladder m 15 Selected element demographic attribute eee eerte rennen nennen 15 Selected element chunks RENE nenne Ad 15 WORKING WITH CHUNKS I 17 Chunklisti ge to eir eee mU RA Acces d Ad 17 Inserting a new chunk tiet ire vh ite as ebb ep Saa eec a ka a y na teen 17 Modifying chunk properties 18 De levine CHUNK S K 19 CONTENT CODE MANAGER ttt t OE RU e Oe ep Beet e dig dies 20 lunc 22 Printing Jaddersz e Urt tied ot atero dereud 22 Printing SV ORIS eod DD DIZA HHHH HH os hadith HHHH ue e d 22 FILTER BY DEMOGRAPHIC CODES eene We Mi ke e o ee be H V Uere e ede e dre kele A Ve R eee tear eve eo 24 CREATING VIEWING THE IMPLICATION 2 2 2 2 ener kek ke k
23. ill be launched if correctly installed containing a slide showing the content codes and their links based on the implication matrix The blocks are positioned according to the centrality and abstractness indexes of the synonyms shown y axis centrality x axis abstractness Each block contains a description of the synonym the number of chunks it represents and the percentage of subjects that have named it The width of the arrows that link the blocks is directly proportional to the number of links between the synonyms and also depends on the settings chosen on the Presentation Preferences tab in the Maximum width field the thickness of the links is determined by the highest number of links in the implication matrix and limited by the maximum width chosen in the preferences MECanalyst Skymax DG 28 Figure 20 Hierarchical Value Map MECanalyst Skymax DG 29 Importing You can import LAD Laddermap or SUB TXT MECanalyst files into MECanalyst Figure 21 Import menu opio Laddermap MAP file Close MECanalyst project Importing LAD files Laddermap file To import LAD files you must open the project into which you wish to copy the data you are importing select the project in the project list and click OPEN select File gt Import gt Laddermap LAD file inthe dialogue box which appears select the file you wish to import in the demographic code window that appears
24. in a polite manner 1 the staff is helpful 1 they provide all the services I need 1 Printing the list of first level synonyms To print the first level synonyms select Print gt Content Codes gt Content Codes List Having chosen the appropriate demographic codes by which to filter the subjects see Filter by demographic codes and having selected the folder where you wish to save the file a CSV file will be generated containing the following information Q description of synonym type number of associated chunks Figure 13 Example of printing first level synonyms MECanalyst Skymax DG 23 Filter by demographic codes Figure 14 Filtering by demographic codes Filter subject by demographic codes D x x Edit Delete AGE is GENDER MIF is not Imported subject nr MECanalyst allows you to filter subjects by the demographic codes before processing or printing synonyms You can set up conditions for filtering by selecting the demographic code by which you wish to filter and selecting EDIT a new window will appear in which you can select the condition identity non identity is is not and the value Figure 15 Inserting a filter condition MECanalyst 5 x Filter subjects whose Code AGE If you decide to delete a condition simply select the demographic code and click DELETE The next time you print process data the subject will be analysed accordi
25. le the maps to be derived can be addressed in detail also in the light of different demographic and socio economic See Reynolds and Gutman 1988 for a detailed description of the method MECanalyst Skymax DG 6 characteristics or of any other features that may be relevant to the identification of different motivational drives for specific market segments The phase of data collection through laddering interviews is followed by four phases of analysis content analysis and coding of data derivation of the implication matrix construction of HVMs and analysis of results proper MECanalyst considerably facilitates the processing of data both in the phase of their coding and in the final three phases see Data show After map construction the information contained therein can be used to improve the positioning of existing products to innovate products services or to define appropriate communications strategies Advantages of MECanalyst Means end analysis which is usually perceived as a complex time consuming and expensive study method becomes simpler and friendlier with MECanalyst The utilization of this software simplifies and solves some of the typical problems encountered in the phases of coding and subsequent analysis of laddering interviews Grunert and Grunert 1995 In particular this software performs a significant amount of operations making the greatest part of the data processing and map construction work nimbler a
26. nager CCM By selecting a project from the list and clicking CODES LIST F8 you can carry out content analysis by viewing modifying and inserting new content codes The Content Code Manager CCM is made up of a window containing a list of content codes used in the project code name and ID number divided by level of abstractness by clicking on the required type shown on tabs at the bottom of the window you can view the synonyms belonging to the selected category Figure 7 Content code categories Concrete attribute Abstract attribute attribute Functional consequence Psycological consequence Instrumental value Terminal value When a synonym is selected the following properties are displayed in the status bar the name the number of chunks directly associated with the synonym and the number of chunks indirectly associated with the synonym through any synonyms that are grouped under the selected synonym Figure 8 Content code manager MECanalyst DEMO VERSION i B ici xl File Print Help D x New Edit Delete Details Syn Sub Lad Pos Answer 19 10 1 1 the bank has ATM machines 19 14 3 1 the bank has an ATM by the b 1 BANK REPUTATION 18 direct deposit 15 service charges 17 drive up t 20 hours gt 4 interest rates 11 local bank size 7 location 13 pfs 12 friendly 22 personal 21 service Concrete
27. nalyst installed choose the directory where the previous version is stored to retain access to existing data and preferences Click Next When installation is finished select the relevant option if you wish to launch MECanalyst straight away Click Finish to close InstallShield You can uninstall MECanalyst by simply deleting the MECanalyst folder and all its contents MECanalyst Skymax DG 11 User interface Toolbar In MECanalyst you can either use the toolbar combinations of keys or the function keys to carry out commands Below is a description of the main commands accessible from the toolbar In brackets you will see the associated function key shortcut NEW F2 new project subject chunk OPEN F3 open project DELETE F4 delete project subject ladder chunk EDIT F5 modify properties of project demographic attribute of a subject chunk DEMO F6 edit add delete demographic codes for the project insert demographic codes for subjects LADDER F7 add a new ladder for the selected subject CODES LIST F8 view content codes for the selected project DETAILS view the chunks associated with a content code MAIN CLOSE F10 return to the project window exit the application CUT cut the selection and store on the clipboard CTRL X COPY copy the selection to clipboard CTRL C PASTE paste the contents of the clipboard CTRL V Figure 1 Toolbar Dic amp me H
28. nd more detailed at the same time MECanalyst possesses some features that set it apart from previous software e ease of use MECanalyst is endowed with a simple and intuitive interface and has been designed for use also by operators approaching means end analysis for the fist time e g students e data storage and processing ability MECanalyst allows to manage and store an unlimited amount of data i e number of respondents number and or length of the ladders chunks expressed by each respondent e graphic interface all operations entering and modification of the data collected attribution of synonyms and clustering of data etc are made dramatically easier more agile and in some cases even automatic e g calculation of centrality and abstractness indices e coding of data MECanalyst has an option which facilitates and streamlines the most complex task of data analysis content analysis Its in built pattern recognition tool allows to reduce and simplify the coding phase a very expensive part of all means end analyses making this software a unique easy to use and highly effective tool to study consumers cognitive processes MECanalyst Skymax DG 7 e visualization of results output management since MECanalyst is based Microsoft Windows applications such as Powerpoint and Excel for output generation it is easy to manage the processing of results with reference to both the graphic
29. ng expenditure e g by standardisation of advertising programs and increase its efficiency Reynolds and Whitlark 1995 References Grunert K G Grunert S C 1995 Measuring subjective meaning structures by laddering method theoretical considerations and methodological problems in International Journal of Research in Marketing Grunert K G Grunert S C Serensen E 1995 Means end chains laddering an inventory of problems and an agenda for research Mapp The Aarhus School of Business working paper n 34 Gutman J 1982 A means end chain model based on consumer categorization processes Journal of marketing 46 1 Newell A Simon H 1963 GPS A program that simulates human thought in Computer and Thought ed Feigenbaum and Feldman McGraw Hill New York Olson e Reynolds 1995 Olson J Reynolds T 1983 Understanding Consumer s cognitive structures Implications for advertising strategy in Percy L Woodside A eds Advertising and Consumer psychology Lexinton Books Lexinton MA Peter J P Olson J C Grunert K 1999 Consumer Behaviour and marketing strategy European ed McGraw Hill London MECanalyst Skymax DG 9 Reynolds T J Gutman J 1988 Laddering Theory Method Analysis and Interpretation Journal of Advertising Research 28 1 Reynolds T J Whitlark D B 1995 Applying laddering data to communications strategy
30. ng to the default conditions MECanalyst Skymax DG 24 Creating Viewing the implication matrix To view the implication matrix simply select Print gt Print Implication Matrix you will be asked to choose the demographic codes by which to filter subjects Choose the name and location of the file and the implication matrix will be generated and saved in CSV format Figure 16 Print menu Print Ladders Implication Matrix Abstractness Centrality Table Hyerarchical Value Creating Viewing Abstractness and Centrality table Select Print gt Abstractness Centrality table then choose the demographic codes by which to filter subjects see Filter by demographic codes Microsoft Excel will be launched if correctly installed showing the list of synonyms from the implication matrix and their respective indexes of abstractness and centrality the indexes are calculated using algorithms from Bagozzi e Dabholkar 1994 and Pieters Baumgartner and Allen 1995 MECanalyst Skymax DG 25 Creating Viewing the hierarchical value map By selecting Print gt Hierarchical Value Map a window will appear that allows you to change the cut off level and the colour used for blocks in the graphical representation The Cut Off Level window shows the cut off level selected for the HVM to be created you can change this by using the up and down arrows next to the cut off level field When you change the cut off level MEC
31. nt of a physical sense of well being self esteem belonging to a group etc It is thus interesting to study the link between product characteristics and the consumer in order to achieve a better understanding of the way consumer choice is influenced by his her values Means end chain analysis tries to make this relationship emerge Figure 1 Example of a means end chain The means end chain model One of the more relevant aspects of marketing research from the scientific as well as the operative standpoint is the comprehension of consumer decision making processes Means end analysis is a strategic problem solving technique first introduced by Newell and Simon 1963 in GPS General Problem Solving a program applied to the solution of artificial intelligence problems based on the simulation of human cognitive processes MECanalyst Skymax DG 4 However the methods employed to study consumer behaviour are often unsatisfactory due to the lack of a tool linking consumers knowledge of product characteristics and their needs hence their own characteristics The means end chain model is a conceptual tool which allows to understand how consumers perceive the self relevant outcomes of product use and consumption Grunert et al 1995 Peter et al 1999 Reynolds and Gutman 1988 Vallette Florence and Rapacchi 1991 Product knowledge Self knowledge Figure 2 Means end chain theory It explores the connection
32. omatic generation of content codes if you decide to generate the implication matrix before all the chunks have been assigned content codes then it is possible to generate a content code for each unassigned chunk In this case the chunk answer will be considered as the content code for that specific chunk On the contrary the program stops the implication matrix being created until all chunks have been assigned No processing until complete chunk assignement 5 ifa synonym is repeated a number of times in the same subject ladder then this be ignored if by selecting Use single links in same subject ladder or taken into account by selecting Use multiple links in same subject ladder Normally the single links option should be checked for both subject and ladder to prevent the results from being biased MECanalyst Skymax DG 31 by garrulous interviews But in some instances you may want to chose a different option 6 the ordering of synonyms in the implication matrix alphabetical or by abstractness index Figure 23 Options Implication matrix Options General options Implication matrix Content code automatic generation No processing without complete chunk assignement Multiple links in same subject Use multiple links in same subject Use single link in same subject Multiple links in same ladder C Use multiple links in same ladder
33. rties You can modify any of the following chunk properties the answer the chunk type the content code associated with the chunk synonym the position of the chunk within the ladder chunk MECanalyst Skymax DG 18 Figure 6 Modifying a chunk Ladder Chunk Synonym 1 lt 1 location Concrete attribute Ac Functional consequence Instrumental value Vi Abstract attribute Psycological consequence Terminal value Vt Answer the bank is at the top of my street Jf OK Cancel When you change the type you will be warned that carrying out this operation will remove the association between the chunk and its current content code As a result the position of the chunk will be automatically modified respecting the hierarchy of chunk types Ac Aa Cf Cp Vi Vt next to the field showing the position of the chunk are two buttons which you can use to move the chunk up and down the ladder within the restrictions imposed by the sequence of the ladder By using the up and down arrows in the bottom right hand corner of the window you can edit all the chunks in the ladder without exiting this mode Deleting a chunk To delete a chunk first select the chunk from the chunk listing then click DELETE F4 and confirm using the dialogue box that appears MECanalyst Skymax DG 19 Content code ma
34. t List ziBixi File Print Help D gt 4 New Open Edit Delete Demo Codeslit Exit Last update USA 21 10 2002 09 01 2003 Simona Naspetti 20 11 2002 07 01 2003 i Raffaele Zanoli 16 12 2002 08 01 2003 4 EXAMPLE Example project Giorgio Pistolazzi 17 12 2002 07 01 2003 7 TEST 07 01 2003 09 01 2003 MECanalyst ver 1 0 12 MECanalyst Skymax DG 13 Subject and ladder window Ladder Manager On the left side of the window you can view the list of subjects and their associated ladders whilst the right side of the window shows the list of demographic attributes for each subject or the chunks that constitute the ladder depending on whether you have selected a subject or a ladder on the right side of the window Figure 3 Subject and ladder list EXAMPLE Example project Giorgio Pistolazzi DEMO VERSION mi x File Print Help D mr x New Edit Delete Cut Copy Paste Ladder Main Type Synonim Answer drive up there is a drive up window save time convenient don t have to get out of my cal save time saves me time accomplishment can get other chores done during lunch hot n PD PD QN A PS PD PD PD PD PD 0 C JS mecanalyst MECanalyst ver 1 0 12 Sub 3 Lad 2 EXAMPLE Example project Giorgio Pistolazzi Selecting elements Before you can move copy or delete subjects ladders or chunks you have to select them You can selec
35. t using the mouse or keyboard selected chunks are highlighted Subjects and ladders can be selected only one by one However you can select multiple chunks in the same ladder If you wish to select more than one chunk simultaneously select all the chunks using the eft mouse button holding down the SHIFT command on the keyboard for adjacent chunks or using the efi mouse button holding down the CTRL command on the keyboard for nonadjacent chunks on the keyboard and then perform the cut copy or paste operation Selected element subject If you select a subject you can carry out the following actions 1 NEW F2 insert a new subject MECanalyst Skymax DG 14 2 DELETE F4 delete the selected subject and all associated ladders requires 5 confirmation DEMO F6 code demographic attributes for the selected subject a window will appear containing the list of demographic codes associated with the project from which you can choose the relevant demographic codes To code demographics simply select the relevant code and click EDIT use the va ue field in the form that appears If you wish to add a new demographic code you must return to the project window and insert a new code there then go back to the subject click on DEMO F6 and select the newly inserted code from the list LADDER F7 insert a new ladder for the selected subject this command automatically opens the window you can use to insert a new chunk MA
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