1. Essentials of Marketing Research Chapter 7: Survey Research

2. SURVEYS SURVEYS ASK RESPONDENTS FOR INFORMATION USING VERBAL OR WRITTEN QUESTIONING RESPONDENTS = A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF PEOPLE

3. Advantages of Surveys Standardization Ease of Administration Ability to tap the “unseen” Suitability for statistical analysis Sensitivity to subgroup differences Quick, Inexpensive Efficient, Accurate Flexible

4. PROBLEMS POOR DESIGN IMPROPER EXECUTION Research Manager’s Task = Total Error Minimization

5. Total Error Systematic Error (bias) Random Sampling Error Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

6. RANDOM SAMPLING ERROR A STATISTICAL FLUCTUATION THAT OCCURS BECAUSE OF CHANCE VARIATION IN THE ELEMENTS SELECTED FOR THE SAMPLE

7. SYSTEMATIC ERROR SYSTEMATIC ERROR RESULTS FROM SOME IMPERFECT ASPECT OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN OR FROM A MISTAKE IN THE EXECUTION OF THE RESEARCH

8. Systematic Error (bias) or Non-sampling bias Administrative Error Respondent Error Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

9. SAMPLE BIAS SAMPLE BIAS - WHEN THE RESULTS OF A SAMPLE SHOW A PERSISTENT TENDENCY TO DEVIATE IN ONE DIRECTION FROM THE TRUE VALUE OF THE POPULATION PARAMETER

10. Respondent Error Non-response Error Response Bias Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

11. RESPONDENT ERROR A CLASSIFICATION OF SAMPLE BIAS RESULTING FROM SOME RESPONDENT ACTION OR INACTION NONRESPONSE BIAS RESPONSE BIAS

12. NONRESPONSE ERROR NONRESPONDENTS - PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO COOPERATE NOT-AT-HOMES SELF-SELECTION BIAS OVER REPRESENTS EXTREME POSITIONS UNDER REPRESENTED INDIFFERENT

13. Response Bias Unconscious Misrepresentation Deliberate Falsification Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

14. RESPONSE BIAS A BIAS THAT OCCURS WHEN RESPONDENTS TEND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH A CERTAIN SLANT THAT CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY MISREPRESENT THE TRUTH

15. Acquiescence bias (agree with all Qs) Extremity bias (always extreme response) Interviewer bias (interviewer presence) Auspices bias (halo affect) Social desirability bias Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

16. Systematic Error (bias) Administrative Error Respondent Error Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

17. ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR IMPROPER ADMINISTRATION OF THE RESEARCH TASK BLUNDERS CONFUSION NEGLECT OMISSION

18. Data Processing Error Sample Selection Error Interviewer Error Interviewer Cheating Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

19. COMMUNICATING WITH RESPONDENTS PERSONAL INTERVIEWS DOOR-TO-DOOR SHOPPING MALL INTERCEPTS TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES

20. PERSONAL INTERVIEWS

21. Speed of Data CollectionModerate to fast Geographical FlexibilityLimited to moderate Respondent CooperationExcellent Versatility of QuestioningQuite versatile Door-to-Door Personal Interview

22. Questionnaire LengthLong Item Non-responseLow Possibility of RespondentLowest Misunderstanding Degree of InterviewerHigh Influence of Answer Supervision of InterviewersModerate Door-to-Door Personal Interview

23. Anonymity of RespondentLow Ease of Call Back or Follow-upDifficult CostHighest Special FeaturesVisual materials may be shown or demonstrated; extended probing possible Door-to-Door Personal Interview

24. Speed of Data Collection Fast Geographical Flexibility Confined, urban bias Respondent Cooperation Moderate to low Versatility of Questioning Extremely versatile Questionnaire Length Moderate to Long Mall Intercept Personal Interview

25. Item Non-response Medium Possibility of Respondent Lowest Misunderstanding Degree of Interviewer Highest Influence of Answers Supervision of Interviewers Moderate to high Mall Intercept Personal Interview

26. Anonymity of Respondent Low Ease of Call Back or Difficult Follow-up Cost Moderate to high Special Features Taste test, viewing of TV Commercials possible Mall Intercept Personal Interview

27. MAIL SURVEYS

28. Speed of Data CollectionResearcher has no control over return of questionnaire; slow Geographical FlexibilityHigh Respondent CooperationModerate--poorly designed questionnaire will have low response rate Versatility of QuestioningHighly standardized format MAIL SURVEYS

29. Questionnaire LengthVaries depending on incentive Item Non-responseHigh Possibility of RespondentHighest--no interviewer Misunderstandingpresent for clarification Degree of InterviewerNone--interviewer absent Influence of Answer Supervision of InterviewersNot applicable MAIL SURVEYS

30. Anonymity of RespondentHigh Ease of Call Back or Follow-upEasy, but takes time CostLowest MAIL SURVEYS

31. Write a “Sales Oriented” Cover Letter Money Helps - As a token of appreciation - For a charity Stimulate Respondents’ Interest with Interesting Questions Follow Up Keying questionnaires with codes Advanced Notification Sponsorship by a Well-known and Prestigious Institution How to Increase Response Rates for Mail Surveys

32. Ways to Increase Mail Survey Response Foot-in-the-door Personalization Anonymity Response deadline Incentives Length of survey Survey size, reproduction and color Type of postage –outgoing –return envelopes

33. SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES MAIL PLACE OF BUSINESS DROP-OFF COMPUTERIZED E-MAIL INTERNET OTHER VARIATIONS

34. Telephone Surveys

35. Speed of Data CollectionVery fast Geographical FlexibilityHigh Respondent CooperationGood Versatility of QuestioningModerate Telephone Surveys

36. Questionnaire LengthModerate Item Non-responseMedium Possibility of RespondentAverage Misunderstanding Degree of InterviewerModerate Influence on Answer Supervision of InterviewersHigh, especially with central location WATS interviewing WATS: Wide-Area Telecommunications Service Telephone Surveys

37. Anonymity of RespondentModerate Ease of Call Back or Follow-upEasy CostLow to moderate Special FeaturesFieldwork and supervision of data collection are simplified; quite adaptable to computer technology Telephone Surveys

38. TIME PERIOD FOR SURVEYS CROSS-SECTIONAL LONGITUDINAL

39. Comparison Of Data Collection Methods

41. Factors Determining Choice of Survey Method Researcher’s Resources and Objectives –Time horizon –Budget –Desired quality of data collected Generalizability vs. Completeness

42. Factors Determining Choice of Survey Method Respondent Characteristics –Incidence rate (% in target population) –Willingness to participate (suspicion, privacy, interest) –Ability to participate (time, qualified) –Diversity of respondents (problems with selection or response probabilities)

43. Factors Determining Choice of Survey Method Question Characteristics –Complexity of tasks (or props needed) –Amount of information per respondent (and type of information needed) –Topic sensitivity (e.g., hygiene, charity contributions, illicit behaviors)

44. Potential Survey Topics Attitudes –attitude comes before behavior –three parts: what a person knows about a topic –awareness (aided and unaided recall) how a person feels about a topic –positive/negative and intensity of feeling likelihood the person will take action based on the attitude –past, present and future behavior

45. Potential Survey Topics Image –ask what characteristics are most important to the subject –comparison across groups to reveal differences Decisions –What was the process used to make the decision? –What information sources were used? –What criteria was used for evaluation?

46. Potential Survey Topics Needs (or Wants) –Needs, desires or preferences –Find out relative importance of needs. Behavior –what respondents did or did not do –the timing of the behavior –the persistency of the behavior

47. Potential Survey Topics Lifestyles –lifestyle patterns identified by activities, interests, opinions and possessions of the respondents Affiliations –family groups –reference groups

48. Potential Survey Topics Demographics –Variables such as age, gender, income, marital status, education, employment, etc. –demographic groups often differ significantly on issues –demographics can be used to identify market segments

49. Survey Trends Over sampling of some populations Privacy issues New Technology –fax –e-mail –internet –virtual reality