Dr. Bea Bourne 1

2 If you have any trouble in seminar, please call Tech Support at: They can assist if you get “bumped” from the seminar room or experience other difficulties.

 This week's Seminar will examine the steps that management should take to identify and resolve a problem and address the development of a research proposal and how it relates to problem identification.  This week we cover chapters 10 & 11.  Questions 3

4 What is the definition of “primary data”? Data that is collected from original sources for a specific purpose. Everyone please take a moment and look at Figure 10.1 – it diagrams the overall primary data collection framework.

 What is active data collection?  Questioning respondents by personal (interview) or nonpersonal (survey) means.  What is passive data collection?  Observation of persons or phenomena. 5

 Some methods used to obtain primary data in an active fashion include: ◦ Interview, telephone and mail surveys, internet, web-based or surveys. 6

7 Nonresponse error involves including a respondent in the study design but the respondent is not actually reached. In other words, one of your samples (person) is unable to be reached during the time of the survey. How might we combat non-response error? Call back!

8 Response error occurs when the reported information does not represent the real data. For example, if I mistakenly record my age as 24, instead of 42 on a survey.

 What are some items/conditions we need to consider if we select individuals to complete interviews for us or our research firm?  Communication skills, levels of education, trust/goodwill, motivation, expertise, access to the interviewee. 9

 If we send an interview or survey, what are some of the inducements that will likely increase our response rate (hint Table 10.1)?  Prenotification, personalization, monetary incentives, return postage, appeals, and follow-ups. 10

 Does internet delivery of online surveys tend to increase or decrease response rates, as compared to mail or telephone surveys?  Online surveys were found in one study to produce response rates twice the level of telephone surveys and 17 times the level of mail. 11

 Your company will make a determination whether to use a research company (vendor) to provide research services or to complete the primary data collection in-house. What are some important considerations (in addition to the items listed previously).  Confidentiality, expertise, objectivity, resources (cost)  Can anyone give an example of recent primary data collection done by your company? 12

 What are some of the managerial considerations about the collection of primary data?  Need for the data, control procedures, quality of the suppliers, and the quality of collected data. 13

 Now think back – what device helps the manager control what goes on during primary data collection?  The research proposal. 14

 How would you define quantitative research?  Usually a structured data collection procedure often with large sample sizes, usually numerically or statistically analyzed.  How would you define qualitative research?  Relatively unstructured investigations using a very limited number of samples. 15

 If I send 1000 survey instruments that use primarily Likert type scales to a group of individuals, am I likely trying to accomplish quantitative or qualitative research?  Quantitative 16

 What about interviews that start with only two questions and allow the interviewer to pursue a variety of other questions, depending on answers given in the interview, of 12 corporate leaders. Is that qualitative or quantitative research?  Qualitative 17

 What is a focus group?  Group of individuals being asked questions related to your research. 18

 Hidden issue questioning attempts to uncover an individual’s feelings about sensitive issues. ◦ For example, if you wanted to find out an executives thoughts about employee theft, perhaps you might ask a question phrased such as “how do you feel about a restaurant employee. 19

 Symbolic questioning tries to uncover underlying meanings. An example might be phrased as “What is the opposite of self-preservation in the workplace”. Perhaps the answer might be loyalty to the company. Then the researcher might try to find out further what loyalty means to the interviewee. 20

 A protocol technique involves placing a person in a decision making situation and asking him or her to describe aspects of the decision making process.  This technique is often used in job interviews 21

 The projective technique involves sentence completion, role playing and picture tests.  Projective technique involve putting the interviewee into a simulated situation. 22

 What are some of the management concerns of qualitative research?  Research objectives, appropriate techniques, complementary to quantitative studies being undertaken, investigators, cultural issues addressed, adequate planning. 23

 Part 4 of the matrix in Figure 1.5 (P.17) you will develop a narrative of the follow:  (1) Develop the Primary Data Collect for your Business Research (Specific Data)  (2) Design Where Data will come from and specific sources (What, where, and why)  (3) Develop a possible tool to collect your Data (Survey or other instrument)  (4) Describe how you will measure your Data (Measurement tools appropriate to problem and survey)  (5) Compile your material into a MS Word Document using APA format and submit in the Dropbox.  Project Directions  This report should be a minimum of 2-3 pages in text length, and you should support your position with at least two credible secondary references.  Directions for Submitting Your Project  Before you submit your project, you should save your work on your computer in a location and with a name that you will remember. Make sure your project is in the appropriate format (Word) then, when you are ready, you may submit on the Dropbox page. 24

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 I appreciate your time and attention during our 1 hour seminar tonight. If you have questions, feel free to contact me: and I’ll be happy to help!  See you in Class! 26