Essentials of Marketing Research Chapter 7: Survey Research

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

MAIL SURVEYS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Telephone Surveys

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

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

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

TIME PERIOD FOR SURVEYS CROSS-SECTIONAL LONGITUDINAL

Comparison Of Data Collection Methods

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

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)

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)

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

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?

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

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

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

Survey Trends Over sampling of some populations Privacy issues New Technology –fax – –internet –virtual reality