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ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is a survey?
2. What factors are affecting how marketing researchers conduct surveys?
3. What are the four basic survey modes?
There are four major modes of collecting survey information from respondents:
Person-administered surveys—have a person ask the questions, either face to
Computer-assisted surveys—have a computer assist or direct the questioning
Self-administered surveys—allow respondents to fill out the questionnaire
4. What are the advantages of person-administered surveys over computer-administered
ones?
A person-administered survey is one in which an interviewer reads questions, either
A computer-administered survey is one in which computer technology plays an
essential role in the interview work. Here either the computer assists an interview or it
5. What is interview evaluation, and which survey mode is most likely to produce it?
The presence of another person may create apprehension, called “interview
6. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of self-administered surveys.
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7. Discuss why a researcher would or would not use a mixed-mode survey. Give an
example to illustrate your points.
Mixed-mode surveys, sometimes referred to as “hybrid” surveys, use multiple data
collection methods. A researcher would use a mixed-mode survey approach to gain
the benefits of the various survey methods. For example, a researcher would use an
8. Indicate the differences among (a) in-home interviews, (b) mall-intercept interviews,
and (c) in-office interviews. What do they share in common?
An in-home interview is conducted in the home of the respondent. The
mall-intercept interview is one in which the respondent is encountered and
questioned while he or she is visiting a shopping mall. In-office interviews take place
9. Why are telephone surveys popular?
Telephone interview are popular because practically everyone has a telephone, and
10. What controls are possible with central location telephone interviewing?
With central location telephone interviewing, a field data collection company
installs several telephone lines at one location, and the interviewers make calls from
11. What does CATI stand for? What does CATS stand for?
Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews, or CATI, is a case of computerized central
location telephone interviewing. CATS, which stands for Completely Automated
12. What advantages do online surveys have?
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Internet-based online surveys are fast, easy, and questionnaires are fast, easy, and
13. What are the major disadvantages of a mail survey?
The mail survey is plagued by two major problems. The first is nonresponse, which
refers to questionnaires that are not returned. The second is self-selection bias, which
means that those who do respond are probably different from those who do not fill
14. How does a drop-off survey differ from a mail survey?
With a drop-off survey, the representative approaches a prospective respondent,
introduces the general purpose of the survey to the prospect, and leaves it with the
respondent to fill out on his or her own. A mail survey is one in which the questions
15. What are the major factors to be considered in the choice of the survey method?
The major factors are:
16. What is the “best” data collection method?
The “best” data collection method is determined by answering the question, “What
ANSWERS TO APPLICATION QUESTIONS
17. Is a telephone interview inappropriate for a survey that has as one of its objectives a
complete listing of all possible advertising media a person was exposed to in the last
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week? Why or why not?
This question can be answered by applying the survey time horizon and budget
constraints. Phone survey can be executed very quickly and inexpensively, so there
are no reasons to object to a telephone interview on these criteria. With regard to
18. NAPA Car Parts is a retail chain that specializes in stocking and selling automobile
parts. It is interested in learning about its customers, so 100 questionnaires are sent
to each of the 2,000 store managers with instructions that they are to give them to
“the next” 100 customers. The customer is instructed to answer the questions and to
place the completed questionnaire in the mail in a self-addressed envelope. There is a
$500 NAPA coupon random drawing for a lucky respondent who returns the
completed survey. What data collection method is being used, and what are its pros
and cons in this situation?
This is a variation of a “drop-off” survey research, but instead of dropping the
questionnaire, the store manager hands it to customers during the checkout.
A major “pro” is that this data collection approach is inexpensive; in addition there is
the possibility of a personal appeal to the prospective respondent to take part in the
19. Discuss the feasibility of each of the types of survey modes for each of the following
cases:
b. Kelly Services needs to determine how many businesses expect to hire tem-
c. The Encyclopedia Britannica requires information on the degree to which
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d. AT&T Wireless is considering a television screen wireless phone application
a. Lime Brut
b. Kelly Services
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c. Encyclopedia Britannica
d. AT&T
Mall-Intercept Interview— appropriate assuming mall intercept company has
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In-Office Interview— inappropriate due to set-up time unless target market
20. With a telephone survey, when a potential respondent refuses to take part or is found
to have changed his or her telephone number or moved away, it is customary to
simply try another prospect until a completion is secured. It is not standard practice
to report the number of refusals or noncontacts. What are the implications of this
policy for the reporting of nonresponse?
The two concepts involved are nonqualifiers and nonresponse. With a changed or
no-longer-working phone number, it is a case of nonqualification, meaning that the
potential respondent cannot be asked to take part in the survey. With low incidence in
Nonresponse is a refusal to take part, and it is related to self-selection that has caused
the composition of the respondents to differ from that of the nonrespondents, as was
Severe self-selection degrades generalizability greatly. So a judgment must be made
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21. Compu-Ask Corporation has developed a stand-alone computerized interview system
that can be adapted to almost any type of survey. It can fit on a palm-sized computer,
and the respondent directly answers questions using a stylus once the interviewer has
started up the program. Indicate the appropriateness of this interviewing system in
each of the following cases:
a. A survey of plant managers concerning a new type of hazardous-waste
disposal system
b. A survey of high school teachers to see if they are interested in a company’s
DVDs of educational public broadcast television programs
c. A survey of consumers to determine their reactions to a nonrefrigerated
variety of yogurt
22. A researcher is pondering what survey mode to use for a client who markets a home
security system for apartment dwellers. The system comprises sensors that are
pressed onto all of the windows and magnetic strips that are glued to each door. Once
plugged into an electric socket and activated with a switch box, the system emits a
loud alarm and simulates a barking guard dog when an intruder trips one of the
sensors. The client wants to know how many apartment dwellers in the United States
are aware of the system, what they think of it, and how likely they are to buy it in the
coming year. Which consideration factors are positive and which ones are negative
for each of the following survey modes: (a) in-home interview, (b) mall-intercept
survey, (c) online survey, (d) drop-off survey, and (e) CATI survey?
Survey data collection time horizon—assuming it is short, it discourages in-home
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Other considerations: Incidence rate—the incidence of apartment dwellers needing
security systems is low, so in-home interviews and mall intercepts would be
inefficient. Because the company wants to generalize to the entire United States,
CASE SOLUTIONS
Case 6.1 Steward Research Inc.
Case Objective: This case requires students to consider the circumstances and unique
aspects of three different research situations and recommend
appropriate survey data collection methods.
Answers to Case Questions
1. For each of the three clients, suggest one or more data collection methods that would
be appropriate.
2. For each data collection method you select in question 1, discuss the rationale for
your choice.
3. What disadvantages are inherent in the data collection methods you have
recommended?
Answers are provided in the tables below.
Client 1: High Precision Drill Bits
Recommended Method Rationale Disadvantage(s)
reactions of industrial
buyers
Client 2: Regional Bakery TOMA Study
Recommended Method Rationale Disadvantage(s)
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Client 3: Sanitized Toothbrush Concept Test
Recommended Method Rationale Disadvantage(s)
Case 6.2 Integrated Case: Advanced Automobile Concepts
Case Objective: Students must assess the appropriateness of various data collection
methods with the case of Advanced Automobile Concepts. The survey
should yield a respondent profile that reflects the demographic and
automobile ownership profile of the American public.
Answers to Case Questions
1. If a mail survey was used, what would be the pros, cons, and special considerations
associated with achieving the overriding objective of the survey?
Mail surveys are inexpensive and there are nationally representative mailing lists, so a
great many could be sent out to obtain a national sample. The slowness of this method
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2. There are many telephone data collection companies that offer national coverage.
Some have centralized telephone interview facilities and some offer CATI services. If
a telephone survey were used employing one of these companies, what would be the
pros, cons, and special considerations associated with achieving the overriding
objective of the survey?
This would be a quick and reasonably priced alternative. There would be controls in
place to guarantee that the survey was conducted properly. Unfortunately, telephone
3. The following data collection methods are not likely to achieve the overriding
objective. For each one, indicate why not.
4. Compare the use of an in-home method to the use of an online method for the
Advanced Automobile Concepts survey. What are the relevant pros and cons of each?
Indicate which one you would recommend and why.
In home interviews would be slow and expensive. It would require sending personal
interviewers to randomly selected homes all over the United States or hiring them in
The online survey would be fast and much less expensive. With a national e-mail list,
it could be broadcast to many thousands of potential respondents almost
instantaneously. The actual data collection cost would be minimal as it would all take
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