Hypotheses – theoretical construct or the key to effective market research?
Successful decisions are rarely based on guesswork. Instead, they require a clear, structured basis – and this is precisely where hypotheses come into play.
What is a hypothesis? A hypothesis is a well-founded assumption that you formulate based on your previous experience and data. It serves as a guide for your analysis and helps you to focus on the essentials. Hypotheses give you orientation and structure when you collect and analyze data in order to make informed decisions.
Example: Let’s imagine that you are responsible for improving customer satisfaction in your company. Various types of hypotheses can come into play here (Dieckmann, 2011):
-There-are-hypotheses: “There is a connection between using our app and higher customer loyalty.”
This type of hypothesis tests whether there is a general relationship between two variables without assuming a direct causality.
-If-then hypotheses: “If customers use our mobile app, they are more satisfied than those who only use the website.”
This hypothesis makes it possible to test clear cause-and-effect relationships and to guide analyses in a targeted way.
-Two-way hypotheses: “The more our customers use the app, the higher their satisfaction.”
Two-way hypotheses show a proportional relationship between two factors. They help you analyze the strength of the connection between variables and determine whether an increase in one area actually leads to a positive result in another.
Benefits of a clear hypothesis strategy (mantro, 2024):
- Focused analysis: You don’t waste time on irrelevant data, but focus on specific, measurable questions.
- More effective decision-making: Hypotheses provide clear answers and help you to take data-based and targeted action.
- Improved customer experience: Targeted insights help you to better understand and respond to customer needs.
Tip: Make sure that your hypotheses are precise and measurable. The clearer your assumptions are formulated, the more meaningful your results will be.
If you are unsure about how to design hypothesis-based market or customer satisfaction research, please contact us. We at TEMA-Q will help you to develop and implement a structured approach.
Take a look at our LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/company/tema-q/ to gain exciting insights into the world of customer and employee experience in the future.
If you have any questions about these or other topics, or would like a live demo version of ClaralytiX via video conference, click here to make an appointment or contact us.
Dieckmann, Hypothesentests, 2011, S. 246
mantro,https://www.mantro.net/glossar/hypothesentest#:~:text=Warum%20sind%20Hypothesentests%20wichtig%3F&text=Hypothesentests%20sind%20entscheidend%2C%20um%20fundierte,soliden%20Daten%20und%20Beweisen%20basieren., 2024