Data Collection Methods

Learning Outcomes Students should be able to determine the type of data, the source and technique to collect data in business research

Outlines Type of data: primary and secondary Observation, interview, and questionnaire Writing good questionnaire

Methods of Collecting Data

Research Data Research Data can be divided from its: – Nature Quantitative data Qualitative data – Sources External data Internal data – The way of collecting Primary Secondary – Timing Longitudinal Time series

Sources of Data Data can be obtained from primary or secondary sources – Primary data refer to information obtained firsthand by the researcher on the variables of interest for the specific purpose of the study Ex: individuals, focus groups, panels, unobtrusive methods – Secondary data refer to information gathered from sources already existing Ex: company records or archives, government publications, industry analysis, websites, the Internet

Data Collection Method The choice of data collection method depends on the facilities available, the degree of accuracy acquired, the expertise of the researcher, the time span of study, other costs and resources associated with and available for data gathering Types of data collection method: – Questionnaires – Interviews – Observations – Panel studies – Motivational research

Questionnaires Definitions of questionnaires When to use questionnaires Advantages of questionnaires Principles of questionnaire design – Word content – Measurement – General appearance Questionnaire administration and data collection

Definition of Questionnaires A preformulated written set of questions to which respondents record their answers within defined alternatives Questionnaires can be – administered personally, – mailed to the respondents, – electronically distributed

When to Use a Questionnaire When researcher knows precisely what information is needed When large numbers of people are to be reached in different geographical regions When a group of people can be assembled in conference rooms to whom questionnaire can be administered and collected immediately

Advantages of Questionnaire Helps researcher obtain data easily Information is easily coded Benefits the scientific community if the measures are validated and reliable Often is catharsis for respondents

Questionnaire Design Refer to such factors: – Principles of wording Content and purpose of the questions Language and wording of the questionnaire Type and form of questions Sequencing of questions – Classification data or personal information Demographic questions to elicit information as: – age, – educational level, – marital status, – sex, – income

Guidelines for Wording Purpose: to get objective facts or subjective feelings and perceptions Wording and language: Would the respondent understand the words? Are the questions ambiguous? Are there double-barreled questions? Are there loaded questions? Are the questions leading? Any social desirability? Are there recall-dependent questions?

Type of questions : – Open-ended questions Allow respondents to answer the questions in any way they choose Could pose problem for researcher in coding the response – Example: » Asking respondent to state five car brand in Indonesia » Asking what the respondent like about their supervisor and their work environment – Closed questions Ask the respondents to make choices among a set of alternatives given by the researcher Respondent can make quick decision Easy to interpret and code – Example: » The researcher list 10 or 15 aspects that might seem interesting or challenging in jobs, then ask the respondents to rank the first five in order of their preference Form of questions : should be both positively and negatively worded to reduce response bias or halo effect

Sequencing of questions : – The funnel approach From general to specific questions From easy to difficult questions Personal information or classification data or demographic data – Decisions on : Name, number required? (anonymity) What info required? (income, marital status, sex) Age, income,….should a range be given? If so, what are the appropriate ranges? < >40 Should personal info be at beginning or end of questionnaire?

Principles of Measurement Appropriate to minimize bias Appropriate to test the hypotheses Consider scales and scaling techniques used in measuring concepts Assessed goodness of data through validity test and reliability test Easy categorizing and coding

Interviews Interview to respondents is aimed to obtain information on the issues of interest Interviews can be unstructured or structured, and conducted either face to face or by telephone or online

Unstructured Interviews The interviewer doesn’t enter the interviewing setting with a planned sequence of questions to be asked of respondents. The objective: – To bring some preliminary issues to the surface so that the researcher can determine what variables need further in-depth investigation What do you like about working here? Tell me something about the reward systems in this place

Structured Interviews Those conducted when it is known at the outset what information is needed. The interviewer has a list of predetermined questions to be asked of the respondents either personally, through the telephone or medium of PC, internet, messaging. The objectives: – To identify new factors, deeper understanding, and to recognize a probable response – The information collected then tabulated, analyzed, and answer the problems or describe phenomena.

Tips for Interviews Interviews can be taped with the permission of the interviewee Cameras can be used to captured the non- verbal cues of the interviewee, and can be studied later Training of interviewees is necessary to establish inter-rater reliability

Observation There is possibility to get data without asking questions of respondents. People can be observed in their natural work environment or in the lab setting, and their activities and behaviors or other items of interest can be noted and recorded, e.g.: – Their movement – Work habits – Facial expressions of joy, anger, other emotions – Body language – Environment factor such as: lay out, work-flow patterns, seating arrangement Roles can be played by the researcher are: – Nonparticipant observer – Participant observer

Nonparticipant-Observer – The researcher may collect data without becoming an integral part of the organizational system. Ex: the researcher might sit in the corner of an office and watch and record how the manager spends the time. Participant-Observer – The researcher enters the organization or the research setting and becomes a part of work team. Ex: if a researcher wants to study group dynamics in an organization, she may join the organization as an employee and observed the dynamics in groups while being a part of the work organization and work groups

Structured vs Unstructured Observational Studies Structured Observational Studies – An observation where the observer has a predetermined set of categories of activities, or phenomena planned to be studied – Formats for recording the observations can be specifically designed and tailored to each study to suit the goal of the research Unstructured Observational Studies – Observing events as they take place, then the observer will record everything that is observed is called unstructured observational studies. – It is possible that the observer has no definite ideas that need focus

Advantages and Disadvantages of Observational Studies Advantages: – Sample sizes could be increased at less cost – Respondent bias could be avoided – Both behavioral and non-verbal reactions could be studied Disadvantages: – Observer fatigue could set in – Observer bias – Inter-observer reliability problems – Costs of observer training could be high

Panel Studies Mostly used in market research, e.g.: advertising effect, product improvements, brand comparisons Kinds of panel studies: – Static panels: same member throughout – Dynamic panels: members substituted from time to time Advantages of panel studies: – Panels gain expertise and can give good data – Could establish cause-effect relationship – Rapport between researcher and panel members established Disadvantages: – Could be expensive – Panel could lose interest after a while – Attrition of members with time