Final answer:
Joe's Heating and Air Conditioning Corp. is using explanatory data in their research to understand customer motivations and behaviors in the home heating system purchase process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Joe's Heating and Air Conditioning Corp. is engaging in a research study that looks at the customer journey in purchasing a home heating system, from the initial realization of needing a new furnace up to the selection of the installer. The company is likely using explanatory data to understand the reasons and motivations behind customers' decisions. This type of qualitative data encompasses in-depth insights that explain customer behaviors and choices encountered throughout the purchasing process, including how they sourced product information and made their final decisions on which installer to hire.