Limitations of the marketing research:
Fragmently: many times, marketing research tends to be fragmently in its approach as a result of which it becomes difficult to have an overall perspective in which a marketing problem is to be viewed and studied.
Superficial and faulty: marketing research is criticized on the group that it becomes too superficial and faulty in the industry. While the principlals of marketing research are good and based on scientific lines, in industry, marketing research is very often used by those who have had no formal training in the subject.
Communication gap: there is an absence of a meaningful diaglogue between the marketing management and the marketing research team. As a result, marketing researches get discovered from the main stream of marketing.
Not a science: marketing research is not an exact science, ther are several imponderables which come in the way of getting accurate results. For example, consumer behaviour is an area which is rather elusive the theory does not go very far in disclosing it very precisely. Analytical tools of marketing research are still deficient and cannot give us a precise idea, especially on the behaviourable aspects.
Misused: apart from these limitations of marketing research one field that it is sometimes misused. These mis applications strictly speaking are not the limitations of the subject as such.
Delay in decision: another misuse of marketing research is found in deliberately delying decision making. In the hands of vested interests it may be used to avoid taking a certain decision or delaying it until the findigs of marketing research are available.
As a tool for grabbing power and authority: It is used to grab power and authority in an organization. Executives who are over ambitious may use marketing research to consolidate and strengthen their position in the organization as also to extend their authority over their colleagues.