A Matter of Trust: The Ashby Research Service and the Business of Market Research

Abstract

As Australia's pioneering market research firm, the Ashby Research Service helped introduce market research to Australian businesses and played a leading role in building confidence in market research as a business investment. By examining the firm's activities and organisational operations from the 1930s to the 1970s, this article contends that the establishment, development, maintenance, and deepening of trust underpinned all aspects of the firm's operations – from internal practices to externally focused client relations. The long-term approach also illustrates the multiplicity of factors contributing to the development of trust in business, and underscores the importance of culture in this process.