MORI

MORI
Name	MORI
Type	Independent research institute
Founded	1969
Headquarters	London
Key people	Sir Robert Worcester, Andrew Marr, Nick Sparrow
Fields	Public opinion research, market research, social research

MORI

MORI is a United Kingdom–based public opinion and market research institute known for polling, survey research, and applied social studies. Founded in the late 20th century, it gained prominence through national polling, corporate commissions, and policy evaluations, working alongside political parties, media outlets, universities, and international organizations. Its outputs have informed debates in parliamentary elections, public policy reviews, corporate strategy, and academic inquiry.

History

The institute was established during a period of expanding social measurement alongside institutions such as British Social Attitudes survey, National Centre for Social Research, Gallup Organization, Ipsos MORI (as a later commercial successor), and contemporaneous efforts like Polling Day 1970-era activity. Early leadership included figures who previously worked with University of Oxford survey centres, collaborating with journalists from The Times, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, and broadcasters such as BBC News and ITV News. During the 1970s and 1980s MORI produced high-profile national polls that were cited in reports by House of Commons select committees, referenced by policymakers in 10 Downing Street, and used by think tanks including The Institute for Fiscal Studies and Chatham House. In subsequent decades it adapted methods in response to critiques from academics at London School of Economics, University of Cambridge, and University College London, and to regulatory shifts exemplified by the establishment of bodies like the Market Research Society and oversight from the Office for National Statistics.

Organizational Structure

MORI’s organizational model historically featured divisions responsible for quantitative polling, qualitative research, corporate engagement, and public affairs, resembling the structures of institutes such as RAND Corporation (research arms) and Pew Research Center. Executive leadership typically included a director, research directors with backgrounds at institutions like King's College London and Queen Mary University of London, and a board with members drawn from media groups (for example, senior figures from ITV, The Independent, Reuters), academic departments such as Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford, and professional associations like the Market Research Society. Field operations coordinated regional teams across the UK, engaging local partners in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Bristol, while international projects connected with partners in Brussels, New York City, Geneva, and Tokyo.

Services and Operations

Services offered encompassed national opinion polling, brand and market research, panel maintenance, election forecasting, and evaluation studies for public bodies similar to work seen from YouGov and Ipsos. MORI provided tailor-made surveys for corporations, NGOs, and governmental agencies including commissions from entities such as Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and cultural institutions like the British Museum and National Trust. Operational tools included telephone interviewing, face-to-face household interviewing, online panels, and focus groups located in facilities comparable to those operated by GfK and Kantar. Outputs were routinely cited by broadcasters BBC Radio 4, Channel 4 News, newspapers The Financial Times, The Sun, and used in parliamentary evidence submissions to committees in the House of Lords and House of Commons.

Research and Methodology

Research methods combined probability sampling, quota sampling, longitudinal panel designs, and experimental modules; these echoed methodological debates addressed in journals like Journal of the Royal Statistical Society and Public Opinion Quarterly. Statistical approaches included weighting, multilevel regression, and post-stratification similar to techniques popularized in work at Princeton University and Harvard University. Qualitative strands used focus groups, deliberative workshops, and in-depth interviews following practice from National Centre for Social Research training curricula and courses at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Methodological scrutiny involved peer engagement with academics at University of Manchester and University of Edinburgh, and method audits by professional bodies including the Market Research Society and regulators such as the Information Commissioner's Office.

Major Projects and Impact

Major projects included high-profile election polling during UK general elections, multi-wave social attitude studies used by Department for Work and Pensions and think tanks like Resolution Foundation, and corporate reputation studies for multinational firms akin to Unilever and HSBC. MORI’s data contributed to academic articles in venues such as British Journal of Political Science and informed white papers produced by Centre for Policy Studies and Institute for Government. Its public opinion tracking shaped media narratives on referendums and government approval ratings, cited across outlets including Sky News, The Economist, and Reuters. International assignments linked to bodies like the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and the European Commission showcased comparative survey work across regions including projects in India, South Africa, and Poland.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques mirrored those levelled at peer organizations: sampling bias concerns debated in Journalism Studies and Political Studies Review, discrepancies in election forecasting compared to organizations such as YouGov and ComRes, and commercial conflicts of interest when commissioned by corporate or political clients as highlighted by commentators at Open Democracy and The Guardian. Methodological disputes involved debates with scholars from University of Oxford and London School of Economics over weighting and turnout modelling. Regulatory and ethical questions prompted reviews by the Market Research Society and commentary in The Independent and BBC Newsnight regarding transparency of funding and reporting practices.

Category:Polling organisations in the United Kingdom