In this episode thoughts and insights from different continents are shared. What differences exist between Sweden and Iraq when it comes to the possibility of conducting surveys, what cultural differences are there and how does society view answering surveys? Munqith Dagher and Torbjörn Sjöström also discuss cultural differences between Islam and Christian culture, how it affects society as well as how to conduct market research.

Munqith Dagher is the MENA Director and a senior associate at CSIS. Dagher conducted Iraq’s very first opinion poll in 2003, followed by founding Iraq’s first survey company (IIACSS) – where he currently serves as CEO. Due to his extensive experience and research, Dagher’s work is often cited and referenced in studies on public opinion in Iraq and the broader Arab world.

Torbjörn Sjöström is the CEO at Novus and the company has been a member of Gallup International Association since 2022 later on Torbjörn became a board member in May 2023.

Munqith Dagher:

“Right now, in the situation Iraq finds itself in, it’s not possible to use the old methods available to collect data. This is a significant difference compared to Sweden, where one can use the best methods to gather responses from the people. This problem isn’t due to Iraq lacking the technology, because we have it, but rather because we simply lack the trust to conduct surveys in that manner. This becomes most evident when it comes to sensitive issues, such as religion and politics.”

Click to listen to the episode.

Would you like to read the report refered to in this podcast, you will find it here.