BRM

Type of Data: Primary Data

Collection: Survey Research

PT-MBA –2015-2016
Lecture 5
 Survey Research

• People who verbally answer an

Respondents interviewer’s questions or provide
answers to written questions.

• A survey that emphasizes contacting

Sample respondents who are a
Survey representative sample of the target
population.
 Using Surveys
Survey Objectives
• Surveys attempt to describe what is happening, what people
believe, what they are like, or to learn the reasons for a
particular business activity.

Survey research is descriptive research

• Identifying characteristics of target markets
• Measuring consumer attitudes
• Identifying information regarding activities that the research
wants to measure

Surveys can be both quantitative and qualitative.

Advantages of Surveys

Gathering • Quick
information • Inexpensive
via surveys • Efficient
is: • Accurate
Selecting the Appropriate Survey Approach
Questions to be answered before selecting the
survey approach

Is the assistance of an interviewer necessary?

Are respondents interested in the issues being

investigated?

Will cooperation be easily attained?

How quickly is the information needed?

Will the study require a long and complex questionnaire?

How large is the budget?

Pretesting Survey Instruments

Pretesting
Screening procedure that involves a trial run with a group
of respondents to iron out fundamental problems in the
survey design.

Basic Ways to Pretest:

Screen the questionnaire with other research professionals.
Have the client or the research manager review the
finalized questionnaire.
Collect data from a small number of respondents.
Categories of Survey Errors
Errors in Survey Research
Random Sampling Error
• A statistical fluctuation that occurs because of
chance variation in the elements selected for a
sample.

Systematic Error
• Error resulting from some imperfect aspect of
the research design that causes respondent error
or from a mistake in the execution of the
research.

Sample Bias
• A persistent tendency for the results of a sample
to deviate in one direction from the true value
of the population parameter.
 Respondent Error
Respondent Error
• A category of sample bias
resulting from some respondent
action or inaction such as
nonresponse or response bias
Nonresponse Error
• The statistical differences
between a survey that includes
only those who responded and a
perfect survey that would also
include those who failed to
respond.
 Respondent Error

Non respondents
• People who are not contacted or who refuse to cooperate in the
research.
• No contacts: people who are not at home or who are
otherwise inaccessible on the first and second contact.
• Refusals: People who are unwilling to participate in a
research project.

Self-Selection Bias
• A bias that occurs because people who feel strongly about a
subject are more likely to respond to survey questions than
people who feel indifferent about it.
 Response Bias

Deliberate Falsification
Occasionally people deliberately give false answers.
Misrepresent answers to appear intelligent
Conceal personal information
Avoid embarrassment
Average-person hypothesis:
Individuals may prefer to be viewed as average, so they alter their
responses to conform more closely to their perception of the average
person.
 Response Bias

Unconscious Misrepresentation
When a respondent is consciously trying to be truthful and
cooperative, response bias can arise from the question format, the
question content, or some other stimulus that affects their response to a
question.
Sources of misrepresentation:
Misunderstanding the question
Unable to recall details
Unprepared response to an unexpected question
Inability to translate feelings into words
After-event underreporting
 Types of Response Bias

• A tendency to agree with all or most questions.

Acquiescence
Bias

• The tendency of some Individuals to use extremes when

Extremity responding to questions.
Bias

• The presence of the interviewer influences respondents’ answers.

Interviewer
Bias

• Bias in responses caused by respondents’ desire, either conscious

Social or unconscious, to gain prestige or appear in a different social
Desirability role.
Bias
 Administrative Error
An error caused by the improper administration or execution of the research task.

Data-processing
error: incorrect Interviewer
Sample selection Interviewer
data entry, error: mistakes
error: improper cheating: filling
incorrect made by
sample design or in fake answers or
computer interviewers
sampling falsifying
programming, or failing to record
procedure questionnaires by
other procedural survey responses
execution. an interviewer
errors during data correctly.
analysis.
 Classifying Survey Research Methods

Structured/Unstructured Questionnaires
Structured question: imposes a limit on the number of
allowable responses.
Unstructured question: does not restrict respondents’ answers.
Disguised/Undisguised Questionnaires
Undisguised questions: assume the respondent is willing to
answer.
Disguised questions: assume the purpose of the study must be
hidden from the respondent.
Method of survey
data collection :
Questionnaires
Types of Self-Administered Questionnaires
 Interviews as Interactive Communication

Interactive Survey Approaches

Those that allow spontaneous two-way interaction between the
interviewer and the respondent.
Can be either personal or electronic.

Noninteractive Media
Those that do not facilitate two-way communication and are
largely a vehicle by which respondents give answers to static
questions.
Tradition forms with less flexibility
Self-administered mail and Internet surveys
 Personal Interviews
A personal interview is a form of direct
communication in which an interviewer asks
respondents questions face-to-face.
Versatile and flexible
Truly interactive
 Advantages of Personal
Interviews
Opportunity
for Feedback
High Probing Complex
Participation Answers

Personal
Personal
Props and Interviews
Interviews Length of
Visual Aids Interview

Completeness of
Questionnaire
Disadvantages of Personal Interviews
Lack
Lackof
of
Interviewer
Interviewer Anonymity
Anonymityofof
Influence
Influence Respondent
Respondent

Personal
Personal
Interviews
Interviews

Cost
Cost
 Door-to-Door Interviews
Personal interviews conducted at respondents’
doorsteps in an effort to increase the participation rate
in the survey.

Callbacks
Attempts to recontact individuals selected for a sample
who were not available initially.
 Door-to-Door Interview Characteristics
Speed of data collection: moderate to
fast
Geographical flexibility: limited to
moderate
Respondent cooperation: excellent
Versatility of questioning: quite versatile
Questionnaire length: long
Item nonresponse: low
Possibility of respondent
misunderstanding: lowest
Degree of interviewer influence
of answer: high
Supervision of interviewers:
moderate
Anonymity of respondent: low
Ease of call back or follow-up:
difficult
Cost: highest due to travel costs
Special features: visual materials
may be shown or demonstrated;
extended probing possible
 Mall Intercept Personal
Interview
Personal interviews conducted in a shopping mall.
Interviewers typically intercept shoppers at a central
point within the shopping center or at the main
entrance.
 Mall Intercept Interview
Characteristics
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
Item nonresponse: medium
Possibility of respondent
misunderstanding: lowest
Degree of interviewer influence
of answers: highest
Supervision of interviewers:
moderate to high
Anonymity of respondent: low
Ease of call back or follow-up:
difficult
Cost: Lower than door-to-door
Special features: taste tests,
viewing of TV commercials
possible
 Mail Questionnaires

Characteristics of Mail Questionnaires

Geographical flexibility
Cost
Respondent convenience
Anonymity of respondent
Absence of interviewer
Standardized questions
Time is money
Length of mail questionnaire
 Self-Administered
Questionnaires
Response Rate
The number of questionnaires returned or completed divided by the
number of eligible people who were asked to participate in the survey.

Factors that Bias the Response Rate

Persons who will complete questionnaires versus those persons who
will not.
Person filling out survey is not the intended subject.
Increasing Response Rates for
Mail Surveys
Cover letter
Money helps
Interesting questions
Follow-ups
Advance notification
Survey sponsorship
Other techniques
Keying mail questionnaires with codes
 Fax Surveys
A survey that uses fax machines as a way for
respondents to receive and return questionnaires.

Advantages
Reduce sender’s printing and postage costs
Is quicker than traditional mail surveys

Disadvantage
Only respondents with fax machines who are willing to
exert the extra effort will return questionnaires.
 E-Mail Surveys
Surveys distributed through electronic mail.
Ways to contact respondents:
Include a questionnaire in the body of an e-mail.
Distribute questionnaire as an attachment.
Include a hyperlink within the body of an e-mail.

Advantages
Speed of distribution
Lower distribution and processing costs
Faster turnaround time
More flexibility
Less handling of paper questionnaires

Disadvantage
Not all e-mail systems have the same capacity
 Internet Surveys
A self-administered questionnaire posted on a Web
site.
Respondents provide answers to questions displayed online by
highlighting a phrase, clicking an icon, or keying in an answer.
 Internet Survey
Characteristics
Speed and cost Callbacks
effectiveness
Personalized and flexible
Visual appeal and questioning
interactivity
Respondent anonymity
Respondent participation
and cooperation Response rates

Representative samples Security concerns

Accurate real-time data

capture
 Observation
Observation
The systematic process of recording actual behavioral
patterns of people, objects, and events as they happen.
What Can Be Observed
What Cannot Be Observed?

Limitations of Observations
in General
Observation can describe the
event that occurred but cannot
explain why the event
occurred.
Observation over long periods
is expensive or even
impossible.
 The Nature of Observation
Studies
Visible Observation
Observation in which the observer’s presence is known to the
subject.

Hidden Observation
Observation in which the subject is unaware that observation is
taking place.

Advantages of Observation over Surveying

Data are free from distortions, inaccuracies, or other response biases.
Data are recorded when actual and nonverbal behavior takes place.
EXHIBIT 11.2 Observing and Interpreting Nonverbal Communication
 Observation of Human
Behavior
Complementary Evidence
Observation provides an additional source of
information that helps explain other research findings.

Response Latency
The amount of time it takes to make a choice between
two alternatives; used as a measure of the strength of
preference.
 Direct and Contrived
Observation
Direct Observation
A straightforward attempt to observe and record what
naturally occurs.

Contrived Observation
Observation in which the investigator creates an
artificial environment in order to test a hypothesis.
Environment may increase the frequency of certain
behavior patterns to be observed.
Errors Associated With Direct Observation

Observer Bias
A distortion of measurement resulting from the
cognitive behavior or actions of a witnessing
observer.
Recording events subjectively
Recording events inaccurately
Interpreting observation data incorrectly
Ethical Issues in Survey
Research
Respondents’ right to privacy
Use of deception
Respondents’ right to be informed
Need for confidentiality
Need for honesty in collecting data
Need for objectivity in reporting data