978-0135078228 Chapter 6 Solution Manual

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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