An Empirical Investigation of the Practices and Challenges Specific to International User Studies

In today’s globalized world, it is increasingly important for companies
to gain knowledge about international markets and to understand the
differences and similarities between international users. As a result, international
user studies have become more common. However, they still pose a challenge
for most companies. In this paper, we present the results of an empirical
investigation of how companies conduct international user studies. We describe
the empirical findings in detail, with an emphasis on the practices and challenges
that are specific to the process of doing international user studies. Key findings
concern where, geographically, companies choose to collect data; the scope and
scale of the studies; as well as the preferred data collection methods and
employed control mechanisms. Our research shows that strategic/pragmatic
considerations, perceived differences in national culture, and concerns about
data quality shape and delimit the approach that companies take to international
user studies.