Essay Questions Flashcards
- List and describe all the points that should be included in a research request agreement.
Research request agreement: a document prepared by the researcher after meeting with the decision maker that summarizes the problem and the information that is needed to address it.
Steps:
1. Background: the events that led to the manager’s decision problem. Although the events may not directly affect the research that is conducted, they provide a deeper understanding of the problem
2. Decision problem: the underlying question confronting the manager. Include a brief discussion of the source of the problem (planned vs. unplanned), along with a discussion of whether the problem is discovery oriented or strategy oriented.
3. Research problem: the range of research problems that would provide input to the decision problem. Provide an overview of costs and benefits of each research problem. Indicate and justify the final choice of research problem.
4. Use: the way each piece of information will be used.
a. For discovery oriented decision problems- indicate key info to be obtained and how managers will use the info
b. For strategy oriented decision problems- indicate the way the info will be used to help make the action decision
c. Supplying logical reasons for each piece of the research ensures that the research problems makes sense.
5. Population and Subgroups- the groups from whom the info must be gathered. Specify these groups so that an appropriate sample can be selected.
6. Logistics- estimates of the time and money available to conduct the research. Both of these factors will affect the techniques finally chosen.
- Discuss the four main stages in the market research process.
- Formulate Problem: define the marketing problem to be solved
- Determine Research Design: decide which research design (ie. Exploratory, descriptive, or casual) depends on how much is known about the problem. Primary or secondary data.
Primary data need to determine data collection method, design data collection forms, design sample, and collect data.
Secondary Data need to identify data source and aggregate data. - Analyze and Interpret Data: data is useless unless it is analyzed and interpreted in light of the problem. Involves frequency counts or simple descriptive statistics.
- Prepare the Research Report: graphical representation of data, that summarizes the research results and conclusions. Must be clear and accurate.
- Determine Research Design: decide which research design (ie. Exploratory, descriptive, or casual) depends on how much is known about the problem. Primary or secondary data.
Compare and contrast primary and secondary data.
Secondary Data: information not gathered for the immediate study at hand but for some other purpose
good background info and fill in gaps
save time and money
don’t fit current problem
sometimes not accurate
can use different units of measure or a different class definition
Primary Data: data that you collect for the purpose for the investigation at hand.
Seven types: motivation, demographic/socioeconomic, personality/life-style, attitudes, awareness/knowledge, and intentions and behavior
Can collect through observation or communication
Observation: no questioning respondents, involves recording respondents actions, similar in degree of structure, disguise, and method of admin,
- Compare and contrast depth interviews with focus groups.
Focus Groups:
Small number of individuals (8-12) are brought together to talk about some topic of interest to the focus group sponsor.
Directed by a moderator, who is in the room while other managers and agencies are outside watching session.
Attempts to follow a rough outline
Participants are expose to the ideas of others. Group interaction is the key aspect focus groups interviews from depth interviews.
Most often used technique. Can be the most overused and misused.
Snowball effect, comment by one individual can trigger a chain of responses from others.
Recruiting people is the most crucial aspect.
2 pitfalls:
1.easy for managers to see what they expect to see in focus group results
2. it should not be expected to deliver final results or answers to decision problems
Depth Interviews:
interviews with people knowledgeable about the general subject being investigated.
Used to tap the knowledge and experience of those with info relevant to the problem or opportunity at hand.
Series of depth interviews can be expensive, as well trained interviewers command high salaries. Data collection is slow but it can yield important insights and more often than not is worth the effort.
Can interview anyone with relevant info
How do organizations assess exposure to and effectiveness of advertising in the mass media?
Television: Nielsen rating designed to provide estimates of the size and nature of the audience. Impacts on canceling or continuing a show.
Data needed to compute this rating is gathered by:
People Meters: device used to measure when a television is on, what channel tune to, and who in household is watching. Person watching types in their number into the meter and transmitted to a central computer for processing. Some supplements include electronic meters, consumer diaries, and telephone interviews.
Radio: Diaries or PPM, portable people meter.
Print Media:
Starch Ad readership program, a service of the GfK group, measures the effectiveness of magazine advertisement. Respondents asked to indicate degree to which they read each ad and during interview offer comments on the ad. Gauge reader interest and reactions able to compare readership scores for a particular ad against other ads in issue and ads of similar size, color, and product category.
Internet: easier to count number of time sthat a site or banner ad has been accessed, but not necessarily the demographic of the person
Nielsen NetRatings offers a syndicated audience measurement service that assesses internet usage at work and home.
Multimedia Services: Experian simmons uses a national probability and collects info on media exposure and product
- Discuss the two basic means of obtaining primary data.
Communication involves questioning respondents to secure the desired info, using a data collection instrument called a questionnaire and observation involves scrutinizing the situation of interest and recording the relevant facts, actions, or behaviors.
The communication method of data collection has the general advantages of versatility, speed, and cost; observational data are typically more objective and accurate.
communication is more versatile, faster means of data collection, dont always want to participate
observation can’t assess current behavior or observe a persons past behavior or future intentions. observation can be faster when using scanners and at less cost than if purchasers were questioned. has serious limitations in terms of scope, time, and cost, it has great advantages with regard to objectivity and accuracy. Can almost always gather behavioral data more accurately using observation because doesn’t depend on the respondent’s willingness and ability to provide info needed. recommended over communication when can be used because of accuracy.
Compare and contrast the main methods of administering questionnaires.
o The main methods include personal interviews, telephone interviews, mail questionnaires, and Internet-based questionnaires.
o Sampling control refers to the ability of a particular method to identify and obtain responses from a sample of respondents from the target population.
o Take into account sampling, info, and admin control.
Personal Interviews
o Direct face to face converstation. Includes mall intercepts.
• Sampling control is a little different not always random
• Can have any degree of structure
• Adv. Ability to explain or rephrase questions and to have repondents explain answer
• Can gather lots of info more than any other approach.
• Adv. Ability to secure correct respondent and response rate.
• Ad. Ability to probe for detailed answers, handle complex info, clarify questions, info obtained, flexibility of question and ablity to show visual displays.
• Disadvantages: interview bias, obtain personal info, ability to offer anonymity, and administrative control, takes lots of time, high cost, and quality control.
Telephone
o Similar to personal interview except taken over the phone.
o Traditionally response rates are high, but with the trend to less landlines and caller ids it has fallen.
o Costs are lower than personal interviews.
o As long as stay away from telephone books sampling control is good.
• Random digit dialing
o Information Control- simple fixed questions so easy to give question easy for respondent to answer and to sequence the questions.
o Allow probe and follow up on respondent answers when necessary.
o Biggest disadvantage is the limited amount of info that can be gathered. Unless of great interest can get bored easily so should not be over 5-10 minutes.
o Are listening to it cant see the survey.
o Cost per contact is reasonable low.
o Adv. Sampling control is good, and able to probe for details and clarify questins, and flexible in question sequencing time is low and computer support.
o Dis. – ability to handle complex questions, interview bias, not able to obtain personal info, or show visual displays or offer anonymity.
• Mail Questionnaire
o Surveys sent to designated resepondents with an accompanying cover letter and reply envelope.
o Need accurate mailing list, or can purchase mailing lists.
o Provide little control in getting a response. And don’t know if the respondent completed it or someone else. (more problem with businesses than consumers)
o Only method that can be truly anonymous. So more likely to be candid in response. Best when topic is sensitive.
o No interview bias, able to use visuals, can collect a bit more info.
o Disadvantages: do not allow clarification of questions or response categories and cant ask follow up questions or to clarify answer.
o More difficult to write in open answer than to give orally.
o Can review entire questionnaire before filling out.
o Doesn’t cost a lot compared to hiring and training interviewers.
o Quality control
o Takes longer than telephone surveys but often faster than personal interviews
Internet based questionaire
Cost of mail surveys with low response rates and increased reliance on electronic communication makes online surveys very popular and attractive.
Pretty easy to obtain email addresses.
Because on internet easy for the survey to become inaccurate especially when offer incentives people lie so they can receive more benefits plus are professional panelists.
Low response rates
Disadvantage: sampling control, hard to secure list of population members and to secure correct respondents.
Advantage: ability to handle complex info, flexibility of question sequencing, protection from interviewer bias, and ability to show visual displays. Also admin control is an advantage
Discuss in detail the two types of errors that may affect measurement scores.
Systematic error: error in measurement that is also known as constant error because it affects the measurement in a constant way
• Such as personality trait or other stable characteristics of individuals
• Ex. More willing to express negative feelings than most other people. Or tend toward positive answers.
Random error: due to temporary aspects of the person or measurement situation can affect the measurement in irregular ways.
• Present when we repeat a measurement on an individual and dot get the same scores as the first time, even though the characteristics have not changed.
• Ex. Change in mood, state of health, fatigue, may affect your response.
• Ex. Room tempature was too hot or cold.
• Should write items or questions that mean the same thing to all respondents to take away random error.
• Although both types of error reduce valididty, in some ways systematic error is less troublesome. We cant hold random error constant like we can with systematic.
• A measure could be reliable but not valid with systematic error.
- Discuss at least five rules researchers should keep in mind in trying to develop bias-free questions.
- use simple words,
- avoid ambiguous words and questions
- avoid leading questions
- avoid unstated alternatives
- avoid assumed consequences
- avoid generalizations and estimates
- avoid double barreled questions.
- Compare and contrast probability and nonprobability sampling.
In a probability sample, each member of the target population has a known, nonzero chance of being included in the sample. The chance of each member of the target population being included in the sample may not be equal, but everyone has a known probability of inclusion. With nonprobability samples, on the other hand, there is no way of estimating the probability that any population element will be include in the sample. Thus, there is no way of ensuring that the sample is representative of the target population. All nonprobability samples rely on persona judgment at some point in the sample selection process.
- discuss at least five ways in which response rates might be improved.
Making the data collection instrument and procedure as interesting and short as possible
Guaranteeing confidentiality or anonymity to respondents
Carefully choosing and training interviewers
Personalizing data collection forms as much as possible
Providing incentives
Sending follow up surveys.
