International Marketing in Germany – From a cultural perspective

3.3.3
 
Choice of Data Collection 
In this thesis, we apply a qualitative method performing interviews with six companies. This 
is due to the fact that our subject doesn’t categorize easily into brief survey questionnaires, 
but rather needs discussions to get useful data. The limited time set for the process of the 
thesis also implied it to be hard collecting enough quantitative data from companies. 
We have primary data from the interviews with the companies collected in the case study, 
which we have performed by using personal interviews at the company in question or by 
telephone interviews. The choice of interview method was due to our wish of getting reliable 
answers, having a discussion with the respondent and being able to explain the questions. As 
instrument of the interviews we have conducted a questionnaire that laid as basis for the 
discussions.
139
We have used the same questionnaire in all interviews, but due to the 
complexity of the subject and due to the fact that the companies belong to different industries 
the discussions and answers have been various.
In the exploratory phase of this thesis, we have made use of secondary data from books, 
articles, journals and internet to gain a fundamental base of knowledge comprised in chapter 
1-3 as well as in the pre-study presented in chapter four. It was an appropriate choice since 
within international marketing secondary data is more available and cheaper to gather than 
primary data. While searching for information Google Scholar was of great help and we have 
used keywords such as: the marketing mix, the extended marketing mix, international 
marketing, culture, culture models, Hofstede, Terpstra, Trompenaars, Hall, Germany and 
German culture. 
3.4
 
The Pre-Study 
To be able to perform the interviews and analyze the answers according to the subject of the 
thesis, we have performed a pre-study about German culture. We collected the information 
through secondary sources such as literature and databases. This knowledge with information 
serves as base when performing the interviews helping us in asking relevant questions as well 
as understanding the respondent’s answers. It was also a necessity to have gained knowledge 
about German culture when analyzing the answers of the interviews to see whether the culture 
had been an affecting factor or not.
137
Dahmström, K., 
Från Datainsamling till Rapport, 
(2005), p. 75 
138
Craig, S. & Douglas, S., 
International Marketing Research,
(2005), p. 63

139
See Appendix I-II, Interview Guide 

---

41