BHMS4418 Applied Business Research - Lecture 5 Survey PDF

BHMS4418 Applied Business Research 9 Survey Research: An Overview Lecture 5 Survey Research and Observation ©2013 Cengage Le...

BHMS4418 Applied Business Research 9 Survey Research: An Overview Lecture 5 Survey Research and Observation ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. LEARNIN LEARNIN G G OUTCOM OUTCOM ES ES 1. Define surveys and explain their advantages 2. Identify sources of error in survey research 3. Distinguish among the various categories of surveys 4. Summarize ways researchers gather information through interviews 5. Introduce mall intercept and telephone interviews, and distributing questionnaires through the mail, the Internet, and other means 6. Discuss the importance of pretesting questionnaires 7. Discuss the role of observation as a business research method 8. Describe the use of direct observation and contrived observation 9. Explain the observation of physical objects and message content 10. Describe major types of mechanical observation 9-2in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Survey Research Respondents People who verbally answer an interviewer’s questions or provide answers to written questions. Sample Survey A survey that emphasizes contacting respondents who are a representative sample of the target population. 9–3in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Using Surveys Survey Objectives Surveys attempt to describe what is happening, what people believe, what they are like, or to learn the reasons for a particular business activity. Survey research is descriptive research: ◗ Identifying characteristics of target markets ◗ Measuring consumer attitudes ◗ Identifying information regarding activities that could make the company more “green” 9–4in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Advantages of Surveys Advantages of Surveys Gathering information via surveys is: ◗ Quick ◗ Inexpensive ◗ Efficient ◗ Accurate 9–5in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Classifying Survey Research Methods Structured/Unstructured Questionnaires Structured question: imposes a limit on the number of allowable responses. Unstructured question: does not restrict respondents’ answers. Disguised/Undisguised Questionnaires Undisguised questions: assume the respondent is willing to answer. Disguised questions: assume the purpose of the study must be hidden from the respondent. 9–6in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Classifying Survey Research Methods (cont’d) Temporal Classification Cross-sectional study: various segments of a population are sampled and data are collected at a single moment in time. 9–7in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Categorizing Survey Research Methods (cont’d) Temporal Classification (cont’d) Longitudinal study: A survey of respondents at different times, thus allowing analysis of response continuity and changes over time. ◗ Tracking study: uses successive samples to compare trends and identify changes in variables such as consumer satisfaction, brand image, or advertising awareness. ◗ Consumer panel: a survey of the same sample of individuals or households to record (in a diary) their attitudes, behavior, or purchasing habits over time. 9–8in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Errors in Survey Research Random Sampling Error A statistical fluctuation that occurs because of chance variation in the elements selected for a sample. Systematic Error Error resulting from some imperfect aspect of the research design that causes respondent error or from a mistake in the execution of the research. Sample Bias A persistent tendency for the results of a sample to deviate in one direction from the true value of the population parameter. 9–9in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Response Bias Unconscious Misrepresentation When a respondent is consciously trying to be truthful and cooperative, response bias can arise from the question format, the question content, or some other stimulus that affects their response to a question. Sources of misrepresentation: ◗ Misunderstanding the question ◗ Unable to recall details ◗ Unprepared response to an unexpected question ◗ Inability to translate feelings into words ◗ After-event underreporting 9–10 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Types of Response Bias Acquiescence Bias A tendency to agree with all or most questions. Extremity Bias The tendency of some Individuals to use extremes when responding to questions. Interviewer Bias The presence of the interviewer influences respondents’ answers. Social Desirability Bias Bias in responses caused by respondents’ desire, either conscious or unconscious, to gain prestige or appear in a different social role. 9–11 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Selecting the Appropriate Survey Approach Questions to be answered: Is the assistance of an interviewer necessary? Are respondents interested in the issues being investigated? Will cooperation be easily attained? How quickly is the information needed? Will the study require a long and complex questionnaire? How large is the budget? 10–12 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Personal Interviews A personal interview is a form of direct communication in which an interviewer asks respondents questions face-to-face. Versatile and flexible Truly interactive 10–13 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Advantages of Personal Interviews Opportunity for Feedback Probing High Complex Participation Answers Personal Personal Props and Interviews Interviews Length of Visual Aids Interview Completeness of Questionnaire 10–14in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Disadvantages of Personal Interviews Lack Lack of of Interviewer Interviewer Anonymity Anonymity Influence Influence of of Respondent Respondent Personal Personal Interview Interview ss Cost Cost 10–15 ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in  Door-to-Door Interviews Personal interviews conducted at respondents’ doorsteps in an effort to increase the participation rate in the survey. Callbacks Attempts to recontact individuals selected for a sample who were not available initially. 10–16 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Mall Intercept Personal Interview Personal interviews conducted in a shopping mall. Interviewers typically intercept shoppers at a central point within the shopping center or at the main entrance. 10–17 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Telephone Interviews Telephone Interviews Personal interviews conducted by telephone. The mainstay of commercial survey research. “No-call” legislation has limited this capacity. 10–18 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Self-Administered Questionnaires Response Rate The number of questionnaires returned or completed divided by the number of eligible people who were asked to participate in the survey. 10–19 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Increasing Response Rates for Mail Surveys Cover letter Money helps Interesting questions Follow-ups Advance notification Survey sponsorship Other techniques Keying mail questionnaires with codes 10–20 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  E-Mail Surveys Surveys distributed through electronic mail. Ways to contact respondents: Include a questionnaire in the body of an e-mail. Distribute questionnaire as an attachment. Include a hyperlink within the body of an e-mail. Advantages Speed of distribution Lower distribution and processing costs Faster turnaround time More flexibility Less handling of paper questionnaires Disadvantage Not all e-mail systems have the same capacity 10–21 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Internet Surveys A self-administered questionnaire posted on a website. Respondents provide answers to questions displayed online by highlighting a phrase, clicking an icon, or keying in an answer. 10–22 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Pretesting Survey Instruments Pretesting Screening procedure that involves a trial run with a group of respondents to iron out fundamental problems in the survey design. Basic Ways to Pretest: Screen the questionnaire with other research professionals. Have the client or the research manager review the finalized questionnaire. Collect data from a small number of respondents. 10–23 in ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,  Observation in Business Research Observation The systematic process of recording actual behavioral patterns of people, objects, and events as they happen. 11–24 ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in  The Nature of Observation Studies Visible Observation Observation in which the observer’s presence is known to the subject. Hidden Observation Observation in which the subject is unaware that observation is taking place. Advantages of Observation over Surveying Data are free from distortions, inaccuracies, or other response biases. Data are recorded when actual and nonverbal behavior takes place. 11–25 ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in  Direct and Contrived Observation Direct Observation A straightforward attempt to observe and record what naturally occurs. Contrived Observation Observation in which the investigator creates an artificial environment in order to test a hypothesis. Environment may increase the frequency of certain behavior patterns to be observed. 11–26 ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in