88. Mika is the marketing research manager for a company that sells skis and other sporting equipment.
His company currently has a profitable brand and a good share of the traditional ski market, but would
like to enter the “extreme” category of winter sports. Mika needs to obtain information about
consumer attitudes of the company’s current products as well as attitudes of potential customers in the
“extreme” consumer market. He does not have constraints on time, but he does have a modest budget
for research. Mika should probably use _____ to obtain the data about the company’s current
products, and _____ to obtain information about the extreme consumers’ attitudes.
a.
Mail surveys; online surveys
b.
Online surveys; focus groups
c.
Telephone surveys; focus groups
d.
Personal interview surveys; online surveys
e.
Focus groups; mail surveys
89. Low response rate and privacy are both issues of concern related to
a.
personal interview surveys.
b.
telephone surveys.
c.
shopping mall intercept interviews.
d.
e-mail surveys.
e.
online experimentation.
90. Marketing researchers typically favor ____ because they are extremely flexible.
a.
mail surveys
b.
direct observation
c.
experiments
d.
personal interviews
e.
telephone surveys
91. Participants in ____ frequently get to see pictures, products, advertising samples, and diagrams.
a.
online surveys
b.
personal interview surveys
c.
mail surveys
d.
telephone surveys
e.
probability samples
92. If a marketing researcher is interested in observing group interaction during an informal, unstructured,
and open-ended data collection process, he or she should use
a.
observation.
b.
a focus-group interview.
c.
an on-site computer interview.
d.
a shopping mall intercept interview.
e.
a telephone survey.
93. A research method in which a number of people are exposed to an idea or concept and the interaction
of the people is observed is called a(n)
a.
in-home interview.
b.
mail-group survey.
c.
focus-group interview.
d.
shopping mall intercept interview.
e.
chat room interview.
94. Emily Dawson and seven other people were paid to get together and discuss a new product idea
proposed by Johnson & Johnson. Researchers observed the interaction of the group. During the
discussion, Emily was annoyed that Jack, another participant, seemed to “hog” the discussion and
didn’t give others a chance to speak. This is an example of a problem when using ________.
a.
focus-group interviews.
b.
group surveys.
c.
personal interview surveys.
d.
sampling teams.
e.
group think.
95. Kelsey thinks she will be able to get the highest quality of responses concerning the product features
most sought by consumers through personal interviews. She decides to conduct her interviews at ____
because this is the most common location for personal interviews.
a.
a shopping mall
b.
the respondent’s home
c.
the interviewer’s home
d.
the company’s offices
e.
a city park
96. A survey question that requires a yes or no answer is called a
a.
qualifier.
b.
multiple-choice question.
c.
50-50 question.
d.
dichotomous question.
e.
bimodal question.
97. An item on the University Book Store’s survey asks respondents to tell the store, in their own words,
what they like least about textbook shopping. This item would be an example of a(n) ____ question.
a.
open-ended
b.
dichotomous
c.
forced-sum-choice
d.
multiple-choice
e.
limited-choice
98. When Pepsi Max implemented a telephone survey to determine the effectiveness of a recent
advertising campaign. One of the questions the interviewer asked was, “Have you ever heard of a cola
with twice the caffeine of regular colas?” This is an example of which of the following kinds of
questions?
a.
Open-ended
b.
Dichotomous
c.
Multiple-choice
d.
Imperative
e.
Declarative
99. An online survey conducted before students could register for their fall semester classes asked, “Do
you think online professor evaluation forms would be better than paper and pencil forms administered
during class?” This is an example of a(n) ____ question.
a.
close-ended
b.
short answer
c.
multiple-choice
d.
open-ended
e.
dichotomous
100. For demographic purposes, a mail survey sent out by the American Cancer Society asks each
respondent to identify their race by choosing among a list of possibilities. This common type of
question is called a(n) ____ question.
a.
dichotomous
b.
multiple-choice
c.
categorized
d.
open-ended
e.
optional response
101. Carmen has been hired by a market research company to collect data about the drinking habits of 25 to
35–year old urban professionals. Carmen is to go to “happy hour” with a group of individuals and
observe what type of alcoholic beverages they order, how often, and what brands. The data that
Carmen will obtain is ______ and she will use ______ in its collection.
a.
secondary; observation.
b.
primary; personal interviews
c.
primary; ethnographic
d.
secondary; ethnographic.
e.
primary; focus groups.
102. Cameras, counting machines, and scanners are used most often in
a.
surveys.
b.
secondary data gathering.
c.
field settings.
d.
observation.
e.
experimentation.
103. Having recording biases and collecting only descriptive information are two of the primary drawbacks
to
a.
statistical interpretation.
b.
mail surveys.
c.
observation.
d.
personal interviews.
e.
experimentation.
104. If Procter & Gamble, the maker of Dawn dishwashing liquid, wants to know what percentage of
customers examine product labels before making a product selection in the grocery store, it can best
gain this information through
a.
focus groups.
b.
mail surveys.
c.
personal interviews.
d.
observation.
e.
mall intercepts.
105. Nathan, a marketing manager for Casual Express, a retail clothing store chain, wants to use
observation methods to gather information about shopping behavior. Which of the following should
Nathan know about observation methods of data collection?
a.
Observation uses secondary sources of data.
b.
Observation depends on mall interviews.
c.
Observation can tell Nathan what is being done, but not why.
d.
Observation focuses on open-ended questions.
e.
Observation works best for telephone surveys.
106. Jamal has just finished collecting data about the texting habits of students during their lunch hour. He
used both online surveys to ask the students about their texting behavior, as well as observational
techniques in the cafeteria. What is the next step in the marketing research process for Jamal to begin?
a.
Reporting research results
b.
Selecting the research method
c.
Interpreting research findings
d.
Designing the research project
e.
Refining the research issue
107. Carlos was given the task of conducting a research project for his firm and proceeds with the following
steps: he asks questions to determine the research topic, conducts a telephone survey, writes a report
describing the survey results, and gives that report to his boss. Which step of the marketing research
process has Carlos omitted?
a.
Collecting data
b.
Defining and locating problems
c.
Interpreting research
d.
Designing the research project
e.
Reporting research findings
108. In the process of conducting marketing research, marketers should allow for
a.
periodic review of data during the collection period.
b.
continual evaluation of the data during the entire collection period.
c.
no data review during collection; instead, they should wait for later interpretation of
research findings.
d.
descriptive research to solve general problems.
e.
statistical analysis during the collection period.
109. Which step in the marketing research process involves the use of data analysis and statistical
techniques to help draw conclusions?
a.
Locating and defining problems or research issues
b.
Developing hypotheses
c.
Collecting data
d.
Interpreting research findings
e.
Reporting research findings
110. According to the text, ____ interpretation focuses on what is typical or what deviates from the average.
a.
statistical
b.
descriptive
c.
exploratory
d.
secondary
e.
primary
111. Darren uses Microsoft Excel to determine how much the responses to his survey about household
decision making for toilet paper vary. Darren is in the ____ step of the marketing research process.
a.
interpreting research findings
b.
reporting research findings
c.
collecting data
d.
designing the research project
e.
developing a hypothesis
112. Suppose that a retail store conducts a mail survey of its customers and finds that 50 percent of the
customers believe store personnel are “courteous.” Which benchmark or comparison would be most
useful for interpreting this result?
a.
The annual dollars spent at the store by those customers who believe store personnel are
courteous
b.
How the 50 percent figure compares with that for competitors
c.
The percentage of store personnel who have completed training in customer service and
public relations
d.
How the 50 percent figure compares with industrial or wholesale institutions and stores
e.
The percentage of store personnel who feel they are courteous to customers
113. The final step in the marketing research process is
a.
interpreting research findings.
b.
making sure the marketing research was conducted in an ethical manner.
c.
putting the results into a written document that is technical and written in formal language.
d.
reporting the research findings.
e.
deciding what the next research project should investigate.
114. Corporate executives often prefer marketing research findings to be put into a report
a.
full of statistical analysis with details on methods employed by the researchers.
b.
examining the ethical implications of implementing results from the research report.
c.
that exposes no deficiencies or limitations of the research process.
d.
that is clear, short, and simply expressed.
e.
expressing the views and beliefs of top management about the research problem.
115. In reporting marketing research findings, the researcher should
a.
provide explanations in language that those who use the report to make decisions can
understand.
b.
write the report in an extremely technical and statistical style.
c.
fit the problem to a favored statistical technique.
d.
not acknowledge any limitations associated with the study.
e.
give management the answers it wants.
116. There is some concern that marketing research has been used incorrectly by some firms. The major
problem comes from ____ because the researcher wants to obtain favorable results.
a.
using an inappropriate sample
b.
bias and distortion
c.
trying to be objective about views and opinions
d.
using in-house research departments
e.
employing large research firms, such as Gallup
117. A framework for gathering and managing information from sources both inside and outside an
organization is referred to as
a.
marketing research agencies.
b.
a marketing information system.
c.
the marketing mix.
d.
a marketing research system.
e.
a secondary data system.
118. Which one of the following best characterizes a marketing information system (MIS)?
a.
An MIS is an orderly gathering of information that is not supplied through routine
reporting systems such as sales reports and accounting data.
b.
An MIS provides a continuous flow of information about such things as distribution costs,
prices, sales, and advertising expenses.
c.
An MIS is conducted on a special-project basis when needed.
d.
An MIS requires adjustments to its techniques to adapt to environmental circumstances
and is in reality part of the accounting system.
e.
An MIS involves internal information collection about employees and customers.
119. The main focus of a marketing information system is on
a.
the coordination of external information sources.
b.
classifying data into the proper information categories.
c.
data storage and retrieval.
d.
the accurate maintenance of inventory levels.
e.
gathering information on competitive activity.
120. American Flooring sells all types of floor coverings to contractors and other businesses. It keeps a
collection of information about all of its clients that can be easily accessed on the company’s computer
system. This collection of information is called a
a.
marketing information system.
b.
database.
c.
management information system.
d.
single-source data.
e.
marketing decision support system.
121. Bart’s Appliance Center owner Ron Bart feels that his organization has access to a great deal of
information generated both inside and outside the firm, but much of this information is presently going
to waste. Apparently, Bart needs to develop a
a.
marketing research focus.
b.
marketing knowledge bank.
c.
marketing information system.
d.
marketing strategy.
e.
data-gathering system.
122. A(n) ____ is a collection of information arranged for easy access and retrieval.
a.
database
b.
marketing information system
c.
marketing decision support system
d.
online information service
e.
e-mail system
123. Information provided by a single firm on household demographics, consumer purchases, television
viewing behavior, and responses to promotions is called ____ data.
a.
single-source
b.
census
c.
consumer demographic
d.
multi-point
e.
single-point
124. Behavior Scan, a research company, provides information on household demographics, television
viewing habits, and purchases tracked with Hotline cards. This is
a.
a marketing information system.
b.
a business software database.
c.
online information.
d.
U.S. Census data.
e.
single-source data.
125. Max is the product manager for a new type of lumbar supports used in the production of office chairs.
His company sells the lumbar supports to approximately 70 different chair manufacturers. The price
for this new product still needs to be finalized. Max has decided to take the data recently collected in a
marketing research study and apply it to different pricing scenarios in order to set the best price for his
company. He will be utilizing computer software to obtain results from the various scenarios. Max is
most likely using a
a.
database.
b.
marketing research system.
c.
marketing information system.
d.
marketing decision support system.
e.
single-source system.
126. Marketing information systems and marketing research have changed rapidly because customers and
companies around the world have been linked by
a.
the computer.
b.
the super database.
c.
the Interactive network.
d.
electronic online services.
e.
evolving telecommunications.
127. The following are all guidelines for questionnaire construction that support ethical marketing research
except to
a.
allow the interviewer to introduce him/herself by name.
b.
indicate that this is a marketing research project.
c.
explain that no sales will be involved.
d.
state the likely duration of the interview.
e.
keep the name of the research company confidential.
128. Which of the following statements about conducting marketing research internationally is false?
a.
The marketing research process may need to be modified to allow for regional differences.
b.
A detailed search for and analysis of secondary data can help researchers gain a greater
understanding of a particular marketing environment and pinpoint issues that must be
taken into account in gathering primary research data.
c.
Primary data gathering may have a greater chance of success if the firm employs local
researchers who better understand how to approach potential respondents and can do so in
their own language.
d.
Specific differences among countries can have a profound influence in data gathering.
e.
Specific differences among countries have no affect on data gathering or the marketing
research process.
Scenario 5.1
Use the following to answer the questions.
Because of the development of optical scanners and cable television, marketing researchers can now
test the effectiveness of advertising more precisely. Volunteers in a minimum of six cities are offered
food discounts in return for allowing marketing research firms to monitor grocery purchases and send
trial commercials to their homes through cable television.
The research subjects shop only at stores equipped with UPC scanners, and their purchases are
identified by a special card. Respondents are also told that some of the commercials they see on cable
television may differ from those seen by their neighbors. Buying patterns are then compared. For
example, Kashi cereals tested a Crunchy Wheat promotion using this system. Half of the 5,000
participating homes in one city saw a commercial announcing the promotion; the other half saw a
commercial that did not mention the promotion. Kashi used scanner data to evaluate the promotion’s
success and offered the commercials nationwide.
129. Refer to Scenario 5.1. Kashi’s testing of the Crunchy Wheat promotion is an example of
a.
the collection of secondary data used in a descriptive study
b.
information feedback used in an exploratory study.
c.
the collection of secondary data used in an exploratory study.
d.
the collection of primary data used in a descriptive study.
e.
the defining and locating problems through an observational technique.
130. Refer to Scenario 5.1. Suppose that when selecting the 5,000 homes to participate in scanner studies in
one city, the research firm first divided the city’s population into upper-, middle-, and lower-class
families, then took a probability sample within each group. This would be a(n) ____ sample.
a.
random
b.
stratified
c.
area
d.
quota
e.
population
131. Refer to Scenario 5.1. The 5,000 households that allowed their group purchases to be scanned are a
a.
focus group.
b.
quota.
c.
sample.
d.
target market.
e.
population.
132. Refer to Scenario 5.1. When the researchers compared the average sales of Crunchy Wheat for the
group that saw the promotion with the average sales for the group that did not see the promotion, in
which stage of the marketing research process were they?
a.
Defining and locating problems
b.
Reporting research findings
c.
Developing hypotheses
d.
Collecting data
e.
Interpreting research findings
Scenario 5.2
Use the following to answer the questions.
Colin Jackson recently purchased Blue Waters Adventures, a kayak and canoeing rental business near
the Chatsworth River in Arizona. Blue Waters Adventures had been in operation for five years and
was located in an ideal area. Even though the winters in the area can be cold, kayaking and canoeing
activities are generally popular year-round. After two months of operation, it became clear why the
previous owners had sold the business. While the business appeared to be ideally located, sales were
extremely disappointing.
133. Refer to Scenario 5.2. Colin decided to apply some of the things he had learned in his marketing
research class to his business. The first thing he should do is to ___________ which will help him
______
a.
develop a questionnaire; collect the necessary data.
b.
identify a sample frame; contact the appropriate respondents.
c.
define the problem to be researched; determine his data needs.
d.
conduct store exit interviews; give him an idea of the problem.
e.
collect secondary data; contact the appropriate respondents.
134. Refer to Scenario 5.2. Colin developed a research design to aid his investigation. This design included
a questionnaire that attempted to measure “outdoor activity preferences”; however, Colin’s professor
said that the questionnaire measured not “outdoor activity preferences” but something else. The
professor was questioning the research design’s
a.
reliability.
b.
significance.
c.
truthfulness.
d.
corroboration.
e.
validity.
135. Refer to Scenario 5.2. Colin went to the university library and collected everything he could find on
the kayaking and canoeing sports industries. He found a significant amount of information, but it
didn’t seem to be in the format that he could actually use in his analysis. Colin realized that he could
just use this preliminary data as a resource to help him design his plan for utilizing focus groups and
possibly for designing a survey. The preliminary data is referred to as _____, while the data from
focus groups and surveys is ______.
a.
primary data; secondary and observational
b.
secondary data; primary
c.
secondary data; observational
d.
exploratory data; primary
e.
primary data; descriptive
136. Refer to Scenario 5.2. Besides administering the questionnaire, Colin observed people who went
kayaking and canoeing on the Chatsworth River, making notes about their appearance and behavior.
The type of data he collected are ____ data.
a.
indirect
b.
mechanical
c.
secondary
d.
primary
e.
direct
137. Refer to Scenario 5.2. Before administering the questionnaire, Colin discovered through talking to
other sports rental businesses that, although retired males made up a small percentage of the area’s
population, they often rented kayaks and canoes. In light of this, Colin decided to include a minimum
of 25 percent retired males in his sample. The final choice of respondents was left up to the
interviewers. This sampling method is known as ____ sampling.
a.
quota
b.
stratified
c.
random
d.
representative
e.
area
TRUE/FALSE
138. Marketing research is a systematic and orderly gathering of information supplied through the routine
reporting system within the organization.
139. The purpose of marketing research is to inform an organization about customers’ needs and desires,
marketing opportunities for particular goods and services, and changing attitudes and purchase patterns
of customers.
140. The first sign of a problem is usually a departure from some normal function, such as a failure to attain
objectives.
141. The key to locating and defining problems is always to probe beneath any superficial symptoms.
142. Marketing research can be used to test a hypothesis.
143. A hypothesis is a fact about the problem or topic under investigation.
144. The hypothesis being tested determines the general data-gathering approach to use.
145. Exploratory research is concerned with identifying the characteristics of markets or categorizing
market activities.
146. Conclusive research is used when marketers need more information about a problem or want to make a
tentative hypothesis more specific.
147. Descriptive research can be used to better understand the characteristics of certain phenomena to solve
a particular problem.
148. Experimental research is used to make tentative hypotheses more specific.
149. A research technique is said to be reliable if it produces almost identical results in successive repeated
trials.
150. If a research method measures what it is supposed to measure, it is said to be reliable.
151. The opportunity to obtain data via the Internet has resulted in more than half of all marketing research
coming from secondary sources.
152. Secondary data are data collected from inside the organization; primary data are those collected from
outside the organization.
153. One of the most overlooked sources of secondary data is the organization’s own accounting records.
154. Survey and observation are considered secondary data collection techniques.
155. Data regarding attitudes toward a particular product are collected. To test a hypothesis, the data are
used and then stored. If these data are used again in a future research study, they will be considered
primary data.
156. The technique of sampling in marketing research is the process of selecting representative units from a
total population (a sample) and being able to project the characteristics of the total population from the
sample considered.
157. In probability sampling, there is no way to calculate the likelihood that a specific element of the
population being studied will be chosen.
158. Stratified sampling may reduce some of the error that could occur in a simple random sample.
159. In quota sampling, all elements in a population have an equal chance of appearing in the sample.
160. The four fundamental survey methods used to obtain data in marketing research are telephone surveys,
mail surveys, online surveys, and personal interviews.
161. Results of a mail survey can be misleading if there is a high non-response rate.
162. Telephone surveys allow an interviewer to gain rapport with respondents and to ask probing questions.
163. A telephone survey is a good example of a completely random sample for the entire population.
164. The potential advantages of traditional mail surveys are quick response and lower cost than online
surveys, but this advantage has yet to be achieved.
165. The in-home (door-to-door) interview is an example of a focus-group interview.
166. Focus-group interviews are useful if the researcher is interested in observing group interaction.
167. Customer advisory boards are small groups of actual customers who serve as sounding boards for new
product ideas and offer insights into their feelings and attitudes toward a firm’s products, promotion,
pricing, and other elements of marketing strategy.
168. An on-site computer interview is a variation of the shopping mall intercept interview.
169. One common mistake in questionnaire construction is developing the questionnaire before objectives
have been established.
170. Three types of objective questions that can be designed for questionnaires are closed questions, linkage
questions, and multiple-choice questions.
171. The observation method of research systematically examines and records secondary data information
about the physical conditions, events, and overt behavior of respondents.
172. Observation may be used in combination with interviewing.
173. Marketing researchers should allow for continual evaluation of the data during the entire data
collection period.
174. The first step in drawing conclusions from most research is to rank the data according to importance.
175. Statistical interpretation focuses on what is typical or what deviates from the average.
176. The final step in the marketing research process is to assess the ethicality of the data collection phase.
177. In general, corporate executives prefer research reports that are short, clear, and simply expressed.
178. Unethical behavior in the research process is not a major problem in the reporting of research findings.
179. A marketing information system provides an irregular and unstructured flow of information from
internal sources within the organization.
180. In the MIS, the means of gathering data receive less attention than the procedures for expediting the
flow of information.
181. The main difference between marketing research and a marketing information system is that the MIS
is an information-gathering process for specific situations whereas marketing research provides
continuous data input.
182. A database is a collection of information arranged for easy access and retrieval.
183. Marketers can only use databases developed by other firms.
184. A marketing decision support system aids marketing managers in decision making by helping them to
anticipate the effects of certain decisions.
185. Ethical conflict typically occurs because the parties involved in marketing research often have
different objectives.
186. When conducting marketing research in another country, researchers should begin by using focus
groups and other survey methods to refine their understanding of customer needs and preferences.
187. Crowdsourcing refers to the process of taking tasks usually performed by a marketer or researcher and
outsourcing them to a crowd, or potential market, through an open call.
188. Callsourcing refers to the process of taking tasks usually performed by a marketer or researcher and
outsourcing them to a potential market through an open call.
189. Online focus groups gather data from large and geographically diverse groups in a less intensive
manner than focus-group interviews.
190. Online focus groups are more expensive than tradition sit down groups.