DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING

MBA 2nd Semester Mid-term Exam–2 (22nd Batch)

MKT 521: Advanced Marketing Research Roll Number: 081

Marks: 32, Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes Name: Anik Mahmud

[Note: Students are encouraged to type the answer to the questions. Total exam time is 1 hour 40
minutes. One is expected to take at most 1 hour 10 minutes to complete the exam. However, extra
30 minutes have been given for such purposes as downloading, photocopying, and uploading
and/or cushion against internet connectivity problem, if any]

1. (6 x 2 = 12) Answer any two questions.

(a) Consider a population of size 4 consisting of numbers 2, 3, 4 and 7 and a sample of size 2.

(i) Show the sampling distributions with and without replacement.

(ii) Find the sampling distributions of means in both cases (with and without
replacement).

(iii) Demonstrate the unbiased property in both cases.

(i)

Let, N= 4, n= 2, population mean, μ= (2+3+4+7)/4 = 4 With replacement the samples will be Nn =

42 = 16 Sample distribution [2,2] [2,3] [2,4] [2,7] [3,2] [3,3] [3,4] [3,7] [4,2] [4,3] [4,4] [4,7] [7,2]
[7,3] [7,4] [7,7] With no replacement, total sampling distributions will be 4C2= 6 Sampling
distribution [2,3] [2,4] [2,7] [3,4] [3,7] [4,7] ii) Find the sampling distributions of means in both
cases (with and without replacement).

(ii)
With replacement SD of means: SD of Mean 2, 2.5, 3, 4.5 2.5, 3, 3.5, 5 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5 4.5, 5, 5.5, 7
Without replacement SD means: Sd mean 2.5, 3, 4.5, 3.5, 5, 5.5

(iii) Demonstrate the unbiased property in both cases. With replacement: So, mean of the SD of the
mean, μx̄= (2+2.5+3+4.5+2.5+3+3.5+5+3+3.5+4+5.5+4.5+5+5.5+7)/16 = 64/16 = 4 =μ That
means μx̄= μ , As the mean of the SD of the mean or the proportion is equal to the population
parameter, it is an unbiased property. Without replacement: So, mean of the SD of the mean, μx̄ =
(2.5+3+4.5+3.5+5+5.5)/6 =24/6 =4 = μ That means μx̄= μ , As the mean of the SD of the mean or
the proportion is equal to the population parameter, it is an unbiased property.

(b) XYZ Company wants to introduce a new brand of toothpaste. From literature review, it
identifies that consumers usually seek three attributes (variables) from toothpaste that are
considered as health benefits: preventing cavity, strengthening gums, protecting tooth decay,
and three additional features (variables) that are perceived as social benefits: showing shiny
teeth, freshening breath and providing attractive teeth. Furthermore, the company thinks that
its corporate image might be a crucial factor for the success of the toothpaste.

Now the company wants to develop a questionnaire for carrying out a consumer survey
(before introducing the proposed toothpaste in the market). For this questionnaire, construct
the questions using the following scales to measuring the associated variables:
(i) Likert scale for measuring the variables: preventing cavity, strengthening gums
and
protecting tooth decay.
(ii) Semantic Differential scale for measuring the variables: giving shiny teeth,
freshening
breath, and providing attractive teeth.
(iii) Staple scale for measuring the corporate image.

(c) Revlon wants to conduct a survey of the women aged 25-45 years residing in households
located in Block A, Baridhara during the first week of February 2021. Suppose that there are
110 households (i.e. N=110) in that area and you want to draw a sample of size 11 (i.e. n=11)
following the systematic random sampling. You can make any type of assumption (s) to
answer the following questions.
(i) Identify the target population.
(ii) What might be the possible sampling frame or how can it be developed?

(iii) Show what might be the possible samples.

2. (2 x 5 = 10) Answer any five questions.

(a) Consider the question: “Do you understand and like the new advertising policy of the
government?” Evaluate and comment on this question. What should be done?

Answer: It is a double barred question. Two different question should be asked for two
different things. Here, someone might understand the new advertising policy but he might not
like the policy. How would he answer that on a sole question?
So, the question should be-
 1.Do you like the new advertisement policy of the government?
2.Do you understand the new advertising policy of the government?

(b) Explain as to why an investigator should not change the words and order (sequence) of
questions in a questionnaire while asking questions in interviews with respondents.

Answer: The sequential questions would help the respondents understand the question pattern and
hence they would reply consistently. Vague or confidential questions should be placed later so that
the respondents find it normal to answer the first questions.

Besides that, the questions should be placed in an order that the previous questions are connected
with the later questions otherwise the respondents might find it inappropriate to answer.

(c) Why is sample preferable to census when the cost of non-sampling error is high
and that of sampling error is low?
Answer:
When sample is preferable to a census: Budget and time limits are obvious constraints favoring
the use of a sample. A census is both costly and time-consuming to conduct. A census is
unrealistic if the population size is large, as it is for most consumer products. High costs of
nonsampling errors would favor sampling. A census can greatly increase nonsampling error to
the point that these errors exceed the sampling errors of a sample. Nonsampling errors are found
to be the major contributor to total error. A sample may be preferred if the measurement process
results in the destruction or contamination of the elements sampled. For example, product usage
tests result in the consumption of the product. Therefore, taking a census in a study that requires
households to use a new brand of cereal would not be feasible. Sampling may also be necessary
to focus attention on individual cases, as in the case of depth interviews. Finally, other pragmatic
considerations, such as the need to keep the study secret, may favor a sample over a census.

(d) What type of sampling is made in selecting the goods and services for constructing CPI
(Consumer Price Index)? Why?

(e) What do you mean by sampling efficiency? Evaluate stratified and cluster sampling in
terms of sampling efficiency.

Sampling Efficiency: Sampling efficiency is a measure of the optimality of

a sampling strategy. A more efficient sampling strategy requires fewer simulations and less
computational time to reach a certain level of accuracy. The efficiency of a sampling strategy is
highly related to its space-filling characteristics.

Stratified sampling is one, in which the population is divided into homogeneous segments, and
then the sample is randomly taken from the segments on the other hand cluster refers to sampling
method of the population are selected at random. In case of selectiing sample, stratified sampling
sample is seletced randomly from the strata but in case of clusters the individuals are selected
randomly from the clusters. Population is selected randomly in stratified sampling where in cluster
sampling it is collected collectively.

(f) “When the nature of measurement is destructive in nature then it should be a sample rather
than census.” Why? Cite an example.

(g) Suppose you want to conduct personal interviews with a number of randomly selected
engineers relating to cement produced by XYZ Company that might be used for building
structures, houses, apartments, roads, highways, bridges and the like. Prior to conducting
the interview how will you introduce yourself to the respondent in seeking cooperation for
collecting the necessary information sought in the questionnaire?

Answer:

Making an initial contact

The initial contact can result in cooperation or the loss of potential respondents. As a result, the
interviwer must be trained to do that. First of all, a polite and gentle introduction of who he is and
about what he is here to the respondent should be cleared specifically. Then if the engineers are
unwilling to answer the questions, the interviewer must try to find a suitable time to ask
questions to the respondent. Again, the interviewer must follow some rules regarding
introducing him towards the respondents. These are:
• Specific in nature, who he is, what he’s up to.
• What’s the purpose mentioning clearly
• What the research is about must be cleared to the respondent.
• Must be good looking in nature and dressed properly
 • Must provide the time to respondent and to talk and react on the above

3. (1 x 10 = 10) Answer the MCQs. Put tick (√) mark on the appropriate answer (i.e. A, B, C or D).

a. The first step in the questionnaire design process is ____C____.

A) specify the type of interview method

B) identify the form and layout

C) specify the information needed

D) determine the content of individual questions

b. A _____leading question___ is a question that gives the respondent a clue as to what answer is desired
or leads the respondent to answer in a certain way.

A) leading question

B) implicit alternative

C) filter question

D) structured question

c. ______Pre testing__ is the testing of the questionnaire on a small sample of respondents for the
purpose of improving the questionnaire by identifying and eliminating potential problems.

A) Funneling

B) Editing

C) Post-testing

D) Pretesting

d. The ____finite population correction____ is a correction for overestimation of the variance of a

population parameter, e.g., a mean or proportion, when the sample size is 10 percent or more of the
population size.

A) statistic

B) precision level

C) finite population correction

D) parameter
 e. "Describe your college experience" and "What is your occupation?" are ____unstructured ____
questions.

A) dichotomous

B) filter

C) structured

D) unstructured

f. A _____statistic___ is a summary description of a characteristic or measure of the sample. It is used

as an estimate of the population parameter.

A) statistic

B) precision level

C) finite population correction

D) parameter

g. A statistic that indicates the distribution's dispersion is a _____measure of variability___.

A) measure of variability

B) measure of shape

C) measure of occasion

D) measure of location

h. The tendency of the deviations from the mean to be larger in one direction than in the other is

called _____skewness___.

A) kurtosis

B) Type I error

C) skewness

D) moment

i. The introduction of a third variable in the initial analysis based on two variables may result in four
possibilities. Which one of the following is not one of those four possibilities?
Answer: A.

A) No change in initial relationship

 B) Respecifying the relationship

C) Spurious initial relationship

D) Reveal suppressed association

j. The unsatisfactory responses are not handled by: D

A) Assigning missing values

B) Adjusting the data statistically

C) Returning qnres to the field

D) Discarding unsatisfactory responses

Consider a population of size 4 consisting of numbers 2, 3, 4 and 7 and a sample of size 2. (i) Show the
sampling distributions with and without replacement. Answer: Sampling Distribution with replacement the
formula N^n N=4 n =2 So the sampling size4^2=16 – [2,2], [2,3], [2,4], [2,7], [3,2], [3,3], [3,4], [3,7], [4,2],
[4,3], [4,4], [4,7], [7,2], [7,3], [7,4], [7,7]

(ii) Find the sampling distributions of means in both cases (with and without replacement). Sampling
Distribution with replacement – Ans: Sampling Distribution of means without = Sum of mean / number of
sample = (2.5 + 3 + 4.5+ 3.5+5+5.5)/6 = 24/6 =4

Sampling Distribution with replacement = (2+2.5+3+4.5+2.5+3+3.5+5+3+3.5+4+5.5+4.5+5+5.5+7)/16 =

64/16

Consider a population of size 4 consisting of numbers 2, 3, 4 and 7 and a sample of size 2. (i) Show the
sampling distributions with and without replacement. Answer: Sampling Distribution with replacement the
formula N^n N=4 n =2 So the sampling size4^2=16 – [2,2], [2,3], [2,4], [2,7], [3,2], [3,3], [3,4], [3,7], [4,2],
[4,3], [4,4], [4,7], [7,2], [7,3], [7,4], [7,7]

(ii) Find the sampling distributions of means in both cases (with and without replacement). Sampling
Distribution with replacement – Ans: Sampling Distribution of means without = Sum of mean / number of
sample = (2.5 + 3 + 4.5+ 3.5+5+5.5)/6 = 24/6 =4 Sampling Distribution with replacement =
(2+2.5+3+4.5+2.5+3+3.5+5+3+3.5+4+5.5+4.5+5+5.5+7)/16 = 64/16 = 4 For sampling distribution with
replacement - As the SD of mean (4) is 4 equals to actual population size.

(iii) Demonstrate the unbiased property in both cases. Ans: , it is an unbiased property For sampling
distribution without replacement - As the SD of mean (4) is 4 equals to actual population mean (4), it is an
unbiased property

i. The target population is all the women aging between 25 to 45 years living in Block-A.
Baridhara during the first week of February.
ii. The sampling frame would be the list of all 110 households including the names of the members
and contact numbers of all the household owners. These can be taken from the household society
of Baridhara.
iii. The sample could be selected based on the number of vowels in the first name of the females of
the target population. Ones who have more than two vowels in the first name will be selected. To
further shorten the list, odd numbers can be removed from the list. This is systematic random
sampling.