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Case 2 Attiring Situation Objectives: This case allows the student to create hypotheses and conduct statistical analyses to test them using data from an experiment. Summary: RESERV is a national placement firm specializing in putting retailers and service providers together […]

4. Is there a role for factor analysis in any of this analysis? Factor analysis is a multivariate, interdependence technique covered in Chapter 24. It statistically identifies a reduced number of factors from a larger number of measured variables. There […]

210 Part Seven: Comprehensive Cases Case 4 TABH, INC., Automotive Consulting Database: Students are instructed to download the data set for this case from the website or to request them from their instructor. Objectives: To encourage students to think about […]

Case Six: Knowing the Way 217 Case 6 Knowing the Way Objective: The purpose of this case is to allow students to analyze data. Summary: The Swamp Palace museum is an interactive museum that teaches visitors the ways of life […]

176 Part Seven: Comprehensive Cases Part Seven Comprehensive Cases with Computerized Databases Case 1 Running the Numbers: Does It Pay? Database: Students are instructed to download the data sets for this case from the book’s website or to request them […]

Case 5 The Atlanta Braves Objectives: The purpose of this case is to allow students to consider how research could have been and can be used to effectively market a professional baseball team and stadium. Summary: A visit to Turner […]

Case Three: Values and the Automobile Market 203 Case 3 Values and the Automobile Market Database: Students are instructed to download the data sets for this case from the book’s website or to request them from their instructor. Objectives: The […]

Part One Introduction Chapter 1 The Role of Business Research AT-A-GLANCE I. The Nature of Research A. Business research defined B. Applied and basic business research C. The scientific method II. Managerial Value of Business Research A. Identifying problems or […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Is it possible to make sound managerial decisions without business research? What advantages does research offer to the decision maker over seat-of-the-pants decision making? Business research attempts to supply accurate information that reduces […]

Chapter 10 Survey Research: Communicating with Respondents AT-A-GLANCE I. Interviews as Interactive Communication A. Noninteractive media II. Personal Interviews A. Advantages of personal interviews Opportunity for feedback Probing complex answers Length of interview Completeness of questionnaire Props and visual aids […]

IV.SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES No matter how self-administered questionnaires are distributed (i.e., mail, in high-traffic locations in stores), they are different from interviews because the respondent takes responsibility for reading and answering the questions. Presents a challenge to researchers because they rely […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What type of communications medium would you use to conduct the following surveys? Why? a. Survey of the buying motives of industrial engineers A personal interview conducted by a professional interviewer is probably […]

Chapter 11 Observation Methods AT-A-GLANCE I. Observation in Business Research A. What can be observed? B. The nature of observation studies II. Observation of Human Behavior A. Complementary evidence B. Direct observation Errors associated with direct observation Scientifically contrived observation […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Yogi Berra, former New York Yankee catcher, said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.” How does this fit in with the definition of scientific observation? Observation is more than just looking […]

Chapter 12 Experimental Research AT-A-GLANCE I. Creating an Experiment A. An illustration: Can a Self-Efficacy Intervention Enhance Job Attitude? Experimental subjects Independent variables Experimental outcome Independent variable main effects and interaction II. Designing an Experiment to Minimize Experimental Error A. […]

VI.PRACTICAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN ISSUES Basic Versus Factorial Experimental Designs In basic experimental designs a single independent variable is manipulated to observe its effect on a single dependent variable. Factorial experimental designs are more sophisticated than basic experimental designs and allow […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Define experimental condition, experimental treatment, and experimental group. How are these related to the implementation of a valid manipulation? An experimental condition refers to one of the possible levels of an experimental variable […]

Part Four Measurement Concepts Chapter 13 Measurement and Scaling Concepts AT-A-GLANCE I. What Do I Measure? A. Concepts B. Operational definitions Variables Constructs II. Levels of Scale Measurement A. Nominal scale B. Ordinal scale C. Interval scale D. Ratio scale […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Define measurement. How is your performance in your research class being assessed? Measurement is the process of describing some property of a phenomenon of interest usually by 2. What is the difference between […]

Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement AT-A-GLANCE I. Attitudes as Hypothetical Constructs A. Importance of measuring attitudes II. Techniques for Measuring Attitudes III. Attitude Rating Scales A. Simple attitude scales B. Category scales C. Method of Summated Ratings: The Likert scale Reverse […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is an attitude? Is there a consensus concerning its definition? For social scientists, an attitude as an enduring disposition to consistently respond in a given manner to various aspects of the world, […]

Chapter 15 Questionnaire Design AT-A-GLANCE I. Questionnaire Quality and Design: Basic Considerations A. What should be asked? B. Questionnaire relevancy C. Questionnaire accuracy II. Wording Questions A. Open-ended response versus fixed-alternative questions Using open-ended response questions Using fixed-alternative questions B. […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Evaluate and comment on the following questions, taken from several different questionnaires. Do they follow the rules discussed in the chapter? See the textbook for the actual questions. a. The fixed alternative responses […]

Part Five Sampling and Fieldwork Chapter 16 Sampling Designs and Sampling Procedures AT-A-GLANCE I. Sampling Terminology II. Why Sample? A. Pragmatic reasons B. Accurate and reliable results C. Destruction of test units III. Practical Sampling Concepts A. Defining the target […]

VI.NONPROBABILITY SAMPLING Convenience Sampling Convenience sampling refers to sampling by obtaining people or units that are conveniently available. Researchers generally use convenience samples to obtain a large number of completed questionnaires quickly and economically, or when obtaining a sample through […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. If you decide whether or not you want to see a new movie or television program on the basis of the “coming attractions” or television commercial previews, are you using a sampling technique? […]

Chapter 17 Determination of Sample Size: A Review of Statistical Theory AT-A-GLANCE I. Introductions A. Descriptive and inferential statistics B. Sample statistics and population parameters II. Making Data Usable A. Frequency distributions B. Proportions C. Measures of central tendency The […]

IV.POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION, AND SAMPLING DISTRIBUTION Three additional types of distribution must be defined: 1. population distribution 2. sample distribution 3. sampling distribution A frequency distribution of the population elements is called a population distribution. The population distribution has […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics? Information is needed to describe phenomena. When data have been collected, tabulation and 2. Speed limits for 13 countries in miles per hour are […]

Chapter 18 Fieldwork AT-A-GLANCE I. The Nature of Fieldwork II. Who Conducts Fieldwork? III. In-House Training for Inexperienced Interviewers A. Making initial contact and securing the interview Personal interviews Telephone interviews Internet surveys Gaining participation B. Asking the questions C. […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What qualities should field workers possess? Field interviewers should be personable, healthy, and well groomed. Being personable is 2. [Ethics Question] An interviewer has a rather long telephone interview. The estimate suggests that […]

Part Six Data Analysis and Presentation Chapter 19 Editing and Coding: Transforming Raw Data into Information AT-A-GLANCE I. Stages of Data Analysis II. Editing A. Field editing B. In-house editing Illustrating inconsistency – fact or fiction? Take action when response […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is the purpose of editing? Provide some examples of questions that might need editing. Editing is the process of checking and adjusting data for completeness, consistency, and legibility. The example given in […]

Chapter 2 Information Systems and Knowledge Management AT-A-GLANCE I. Information, Data, and Intelligence II. The Characteristics of Valuable Information A. Relevance B. Quality C. Timeliness D. Completeness III. Knowledge Management IV. Global Information Systems V. Decision Support Systems A. Databases […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is the difference between data, information, and intelligence? Data are simply facts or recorded measures of certain phenomena (things or events); information 2. What are the characteristics of useful information? Information can […]

Chapter 20 Basic Data Analysis: Descriptive Statistics AT-A-GLANCE I. The Nature of Descriptive Statistics II. Tabulation III. Cross Tabulation A. Contingency table B. Percentage cross-tabulations C. Elaboration and refinement D. How many cross-tabulations? E. Quadrant analysis IV. Data Transformations A. […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What are five descriptive statistics used to describe the basic properties of variables? 2. What is a histogram? What is the advantage of overlaying a normal distribution over a histogram? A histogram is […]

Chapter 21 Univariate Statistical Analysis AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction II. Hypothesis Testing A. The hypothesis-testing procedure Process Significance levels and p-values B. An example of hypothesis testing C. Type I and Type II errors Type I error Type II error III. […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is the purpose of a statistical hypothesis? Hypotheses were defined in Chapter 3 as formal statements of explanations stated in a testable form. Generally, hypotheses should be stated in concrete fashion so […]

Chapter 22 Bivariate Statistical Analysis: Differences Between Two Variables AT-A-GLANCE I. What Is the Appropriate Test of Difference? II. Cross-Tabulation Tables: The 2 Test for Goodness of Fit III. The t-Test for Comparing Two Means A. Independent samples t-Test Independent […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What tests of difference are appropriate in the following situations? a. Average campaign contributions (in $) to a marketing campaign for healthy living for men and women are to be compared. b. Average […]

Chapter 23 Bivariate Statistical Analysis: Measures of Association AT-A-GLANCE I. The Basics II. Simple Correlation Coefficient A. An example B. Correlation, covariance and causation C. Coefficient of determination D. Correlation matrix III. Regression Analysis A. The regression equation B. Parameter […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is covariance? 2. How are covariance and correlation different? Correlation can be thought of as a standardized covariance. 3. How does a researcher determine if a correlation coefficient is significant? The procedure […]

Chapter 24 Multivariate Statistical Analysis AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction A. What is multivariate data analysis? B. The “variate” in multivariate II. Classifying Multivariate Techniques A. Dependence techniques B. Interdependence techniques C. Influence of measurement scales III. Analysis of Dependence A. Multiple […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Define multivariate statistical analysis. Research that involves three or more variables, or that is concerned with underlying dimensions 2. What is the variate in multivariate? What is an example of a variate in […]

Chapter 25 Communicating Research Results: Report Generation, Oral Presentation, and Follow-Up AT-A-GLANCE I. Insights from the Communications Model II. The Report in Context III. Report Format A. Tailoring the format to the project B. The parts of the report Title […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Why is it important to think of the research report from a communications perspective? It is important to be concerned with the communication aspects (both written and oral) of a 2. As a […]

Chapter 3 Theory Building AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction A. What is a theory? B. What are the goals of theory? II. Research Concepts, Constructs, Propositions, Variables, and Hypotheses A. Research concepts and constructs B. Research propositions and hypotheses III. Understanding Theory […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What are some theories offered to explain aspects of your field of business? Students’ responses will vary depending on their major. Some management theories include 2. Reflect on your own social network. How […]

Chapter 4 The Business Research Process: An Overview AT-A-GLANCE I. Decision Making A. Certainty B. Uncertainty C. Ambiguity Problems and opportunities II. Types of Business Research A. Exploratory research B. Descriptive research C. Causal research Causality Temporal sequence Concomitant variance […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. List five ways that business research can contribute to effective business decision making. Researchers contribute to decision makers in several key ways. These include: (1) Helping to better define the current situation. 2. […]

Chapter 5 The Human Side of Business Research: Organizational and Ethical Issues AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction II. Organizational Structure of Business Research A. Business research jobs Small firms Mid-sized firms Large research firms B. The director of research as a manager […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What are the conditions that make in-house research preferable? What are the conditions that make outside research preferable? Conditions that make in-house research more attractive include: a. The research project needs to be […]

Part Two Beginning Stages of the Research Process Chapter 6 Problem Definition: The Foundation of Business Research AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction A. Importance of starting with a good problem definition B. Problem complexity Situation frequency Dramatic changes How widespread are the […]

Chapter 7 Qualitative Research Tools AT-A-GLANCE I. What Is Qualitative Research? A. Uses of qualitative research II. Qualitative “versus” Quantitative Research A. Contrasting qualitative and quantitative methods B. Contrasting exploratory and confirmatory research III. Orientations to Qualitative Research A. Phenomenology […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Define qualitative and quantitative research. Compare and contrast the two approaches. Qualitative research is research that addresses research objectives through techniques that allow the researcher to provide elaborate interpretations of business phenomena without […]

Chapter 8 Secondary Data Research in a Digital Age AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction A. Advantages of secondary data B. Disadvantages of secondary data II. Typical Objectives for Secondary-Data Research Designs A. Fact-finding Identification of consumer behavior for a product category Trend […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Secondary data have been called the first line of attack for business researchers. Discuss this description. Secondary data can be obtained quickly and at a relatively low cost. Thus, the first place to […]

Part Three Research Methods for Collecting Primary Data Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction II. Using Surveys A. Advantages of surveys III. Errors in Survey Research A. Random sampling error B. Systematic error C. Respondent error Nonresponse […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Name several nonbusiness applications of survey research. Students should be able to provide numerous examples. Many not-for-profit organizations such 2. What is self-selection bias? How might we avoid this? Self-selection bias is a […]

Yahoo! and Google are examples of _____. A.home pages B.search engines C.ISPs D.CRMs Any measure of attitudes that asks respondents about a single concept in isolation is referred to as a(n) _____ rating scale. A.monadic B.unidimensional C.primary D.singular Answer: A. […]

The goals that researchers intend to achieve by conducting research as referred to as _____. A.results B.causal inferences C.research outcomes D.research objectives Kodetra is interpreting consumers’ blog postings on the Internet. Which of the following best describes the type of […]

A manager is considering purchasing data from an outside vendor to get a better understanding of the target market for his firm’s services. What factors should the manager consider when evaluating the data’s usefulness for his needs? Measure of association […]

A research supplier that specializes in gathering data is called a _____. A.syndicated research service B.field interviewing service C.compliance company D.briefing service The formula below is used to calculate the ______ . (ZS/E)2 A.sample standard deviation B.population standard deviation C.sample […]

Relevant data are facts about things that cannot be changed. Open-ended response questions are valuable at the beginning of personal interview sessions. Answer: TRUE Quantitative research address research objectives through empirical assessments that involve numerical measurement and analytical approaches. Answer: […]

Fortunately, there is a step-by-step process for ensuring accuracy in the wording of questions in surveys. Trade associations gather data to help the organizations in a specific industry. Answer: TRUE The three major criteria for evaluating measurements are reliability, validity, […]

A question that screens out respondents who are not qualified to answer a second question is called a _____ question. A.preliminary B.filter C.qualifying D.sequencing When sample size (n) is larger than _____, the t-distribution and Z-distribution are almost identical. A.10 […]

An experimental treatment is the term referring to the way an experimental variable is manipulated. In the communication process, the medium is the receiver or destination of the message. Answer: FALSE The cost of administering open-ended questions is much lower […]

Diary panel data are data gathered by households that have agreed to record their consumption behavior over an extended period of time. A sampling procedure ensuring that each element in the population will have an equal chance of being included […]

All of the following are flaws with using click-through rate as a measure of the amount of interest or attention a website is receiving EXCEPT _____. A.does not differentiate between a lot of activity by a few visitors and a […]

Which of the following is a nonprobability sampling technique in which an experienced individual selects the sample based on his or her judgment about some appropriate characteristics required of the sample member? A.area sample B.subjective sample C.stratified sample D.judgment sample […]

Rushing into a research project may result in conducting a study that is not needed. A Spearman correlation is more appropriate for interval and ratio data than is the Pearson product-moment correlation. Answer: FALSE The basic calculation for obtaining a […]

Which of the following refers to a fieldworker who is employed by the company conducting the research? A.primary interviewer B.personal interviewer C.in-house interviewer D.interview specialist The arithmetic average of a set of numbers is referred to as the _____. A.proportion […]

Field experiments tend to have less external validity than laboratory experiments. The variate is a mathematical way in which a set of variables can be represented with one equation. Answer: TRUE In cluster analysis, each cluster should have low internal […]

An attribute is a single characteristic or fundamental feature of an object, person, situation, or issue. While mechanical observation is useful, it is never used as the only means of observation. Answer: FALSE Developing and implementing a business strategy involves […]

The purpose of editing is to ensure that the data are complete, consistent, and readable. A good rule-of-thumb for an oral presentation of a research report is to not be redundant. Answer: FALSE A t-test is appropriate for testing hypotheses […]

All of the following are stages in the total quality management process EXCEPT _____. A.benchmarking stage B.testing and revising stage C.continuous quality improvement stage D.commitment and exploration stage When a political candidate has staff workers phone registered voters of another […]

The t-test assumes that the two population means are equal. The reference base is the number of respondents or observations (in a row or column) used as a basis for computing percentages in a cross-tabulation. Answer: FALSE Direct association means […]

A tachistoscope is often used in experiments to control the amount of time a subject is exposed to a visual image. A custom research provider specializes in only one particular research activity, such as field interviewing, data warehousing, or data […]

Descriptive research often helps describe market segments. The chi-square test requires that the expected frequency in each cell of the contingency table be at least 30. Answer: FALSE A business researcher needs to be subjective in order to provide accurate […]

A test of a hypothesis to determine if two groups differ with respect to the scores on one variable is called a(n) ______. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of mail surveys. Answer: A traditional mail survey is a self-administered questionnaire […]

The Pearson product-moment correlation requires at least ______ data. All of the following are observable phenomena EXCEPT _____. A.attitudes B.verbal behavior C.spatial relations and locations D.neurological activity Answer: A. When the on-time performance of airlines is used to predict the […]

When a test market is conducted in five retail stores in Erie, Pennsylvania, this is an example of an external experiment. An effective oral presentation of a research report is one that is consistent across all audiences. Answer: FALSE A […]

The unedited information gathered from a respondent in the exact form as provided by that respondent is called _____ data. Which of the following is an ethical issue in survey research? A.respondents’ right to privacy B.respondents’ right to be informed […]

In using the t-test to compare the means of two groups, the degrees of freedom are calculated as _____. A.n1 – n2 – 2 B.n1 + n2 – 2 C.n1 x n2 -2 D.n1 / n2 – 2 The observation […]

When a researcher makes inferences about the meaning of the data from a research study and draws conclusions about what these data mean in terms of their implications, this is an example of _____. A.data analysis B.data interpretation C.data transformation […]

A cross-tabulation is a simple way to describe the relationships between two groups. Some aspects of surveys may be qualitative. Answer: TRUE Totally exhaustive means no overlap exists among the fixed-alternative categories in a question’s response options. Answer: FALSE Data […]

Which of the following expresses the research objectives in terms of questions that can be addressed by research? A.situation analysis B.dependent variable C.research question D.independent variable _____ is the process of changing the data from their original form to a […]

_____ tabulation is a tabulation of the results of a pretest to help determine whether the questionnaire will meet the objectives of the research. The _____ is an estimate of the standard error for a t-test of independent means that […]

In factor analysis, communality is a measure of the percentage of a variable’s variation that can be explained by the factors. It is easier to define the problem in business situations that are not cyclical. Answer: FALSE In multiple regression, […]

A Type I error occurs when you fail to reject the null hypothesis when the alternative hypothesis is true. A unidimensional rating scale is any measure of attitudes that asks respondents about a single concept in isolation. Answer: FALSE The […]

The total mean is the mean of a variable over all observations. A multiple-grid question includes several questions of the same format all arranged in a grid format. Answer: TRUE The situation analysis ends once researchers have a clear idea […]

How we define a construct will affect the way we measure it. A fixed-alternative question is better than an open-ended question because it reduces the possibility of respondents giving socially-desirable answers. Answer: TRUE Business research is restricted to for-profit organizations. […]

Which of the following is an example of an interdependence analysis method? A.multidimensional scaling B.multiple regression analysis C.conjoint analysis D.all of these choices “Are you employed? ______ Yes ______ No” is an example of what type of question? A.leading B.simple-dichotomy […]

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is a decision statement? How does the focus on an irrelevant decision affect the research process? A decision statement is a written expression of the key question(s) that a research user wishes […]