Business

Research Methods

William G. Zikmund

Chapter 9:
Survey Research
 Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should be able to
1. Define surveys and explain their advantages
2. Describe the type of information that may be gathered in a
survey
3. Identify sources of error in survey research
4. Distinguish among the various categories of surveys
5. Discuss the importance of survey research to total quality
management programs
WHY SURVEY!!!
 Media Phones—
The Next Wave of Communication
Technology?

In-Stat has conducted extensive survey

research to learn consumer perceptions,
attitudes, and
desires regarding media phones.

The company estimates the consumer

market for media phones could reach
nearly 50 million units and $8 billion in
worldwide revenue by 2013. In addition
to identifying the primary uses of the
media phone noted above, In-Stat
research determined the
characteristics of the product
customers desired across consumer
age groups and geographic locations.
 Surveys
Surveys ask respondents for information
using verbal or written questioning
• The purpose of survey research is to
collect primary data—data gathered and
assembled specifically for the project at
hand.
 Respondents
Respondents are a
representative
sample of people
 Using Surveys
• The type of information gathered in a survey varies
considerably depending on its objectives.
• Identifying characteristics of target markets, measuring
customer attitudes, and describing consumer purchase
patterns are all common business research objectives.
• For example, In-Stat asked questions about product use
and desirable features which can help with product
development and advertising messages. Geographic,
demographic, and media exposure information were also
collected to help plan a market segmentation strategy
 Gathering Information via
Surveys
• Quick
• Inexpensive
• Efficient
• Accurate
• Flexible
 Problems

• Poor Design
• Improper Execution
 Errors in Survey Research
• Survey error refers to mistakes made in the
construction and implementation of the
survey instrument, as well as the
interpretation of results. Survey error is
associated with completeness, interpretability of
the data, and the generalizability of the results.
• Manager who is evaluating the quality of a
survey must estimate its accuracy.
Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error
Random sampling
error

Total
error

Systematic
error (bias)
 Random Sampling Error

• A statistical fluctuation that occurs because

of change variation in the elements selected
for the sample.
• Sampling error arises when a survey
sample does not accurately represent the
population being researched due to random
sampling.
 Example-1
• Imagine you're conducting a survey about
favorite ice cream flavors in a town with 1000
residents. You randomly select 100 people to
survey, but by chance, most of the people you
selected happen to be children, and children
tend to prefer different flavors than adults.
• The results of your survey might not accurately
represent the town's overall preferences due to
this random sampling error.
 Example-2
• If a teacher wants to assess the average
test score of a school but only takes the
scores from the first 20 students who
submit their tests, this might not be
representative of the entire class's
performance due to random sampling
error.
• For example, the first 20 students might
include a higher proportion of high
achievers by chance.
 Systematic Error
• Systematic error results from some imperfect
aspect of the research design or from a mistake
in the execution of the research.
• Because systematic errors include all sources of
error other than those introduced by the random
sampling procedure, these errors or biases are also
called non-sampling errors.
• A sample bias exists when the results of a sample show a
persistent tendency to deviate in one direction from the
true value of the population parameter.
• Under coverage Bias: A TV station conducts
a survey on political opinions by calling
landline phone numbers during the day. This
method might underrepresent younger
individuals who primarily use cell phones or
work during the day, skewing the results
towards older or unemployed individuals.
Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

Administrative
error

Systematic
error (bias)

Respondent
error
 Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

Nonresponse
error

Respondent
error

Response
bias
 Respondent Error

• A classification of sample bias resulting

from some respondent action or inaction
• Nonresponse bias
• Response bias
 Nonresponse Error

• Nonrespondents - people who refuse to

cooperate
• Not-at-homes
• Self-selection bias
• Over-represents extreme positions
• Under-represents indifference
 Example-Self-selection bias

Customer Satisfaction Surveys:

•Surveys sent to customers after a
service experience can suffer from self-
selection bias. Customers who had an
exceptionally good or bad experience are
more motivated to respond.
•This can lead to an overrepresentation of
extreme opinions and not reflect the
average customer experience.
 Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

Deliberate
falsification
Response
bias

Unconscious
misrepresentation
 Response Bias

• A bias that occurs when respondents

tend to answer questions with a certain
slant that consciously or unconsciously
misrepresents the truth
Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

Acquiescence bias

Extremity bias

Interviewer bias

Auspices bias

Social desirability bias

 Acquiescence Bias

• A category of response bias that results

because some individuals tend to agree with
all questions or to concur with a particular
position.
 Example-Acquiescence Bias
Health Surveys:
•A health survey might include a
statement such as: "I am in good
health."
•Respondents prone to acquiescence
bias might agree with this statement
without considering specific health
issues they may have, leading to
overestimation of perceived health.
 Extremity Bias

• A category of response bias that results

because response styles vary from person to
person; some individuals tend to use
extremes when responding to questions.
 Example-Extremity Bias
Employee Engagement Surveys:
•In surveys measuring employee
engagement, employees might be asked to
rate their level of engagement from "fully
engaged" to "completely disengaged".
•Extremity bias could result in a
disproportionate number of responses at
the extremes of the scale, rather than
more moderate responses.
 Example-Extremity Bias
Customer Satisfaction Surveys:
In a customer satisfaction survey,
respondents might be asked to rate their
experience on a scale from 1 to 10.
Extremity bias might lead some customers to
give either a "1" (very dissatisfied) or a "10"
(very satisfied) without considering more
moderate ratings, such as a "5" or "6".
•
 Interviewer Bias

• A response bias that occurs because the

presence of the interviewer influences
answers.
 Example-Interviewer Bias

Overemphasis on Specific
Topics:
•Interviewers may spend more time
or emphasis on certain topics they
find interesting or important,
potentially biasing the discussion.
•This can result in insufficient
exploration of other important areas.
 Auspices Bias
• Bias in the responses of subjects caused by
the respondents being influenced by the
organization conducting the study.
 Example-Auspices Bias
Tobacco Industry Research:
•Research funded by the tobacco
industry to investigate the health effects
of smoking may be biased.
•There have been instances where
studies funded by tobacco companies
downplayed the risks of smoking or
shifted focus away from tobacco-related
health concerns.
 Social Desirability Bias

• Bias in responses caused by respondents’

desire, either conscious or unconscious, to
gain prestige or appear in a different social
role.
Example-Social Desirability Bias
Academic Performance Surveys:
•Students may overstate their study
habits, academic achievements, or
extracurricular involvement to meet
perceived academic expectations.
•This can occur in surveys about
study hours, class attendance, or
academic engagement
 Administrative Error

• Improper administration of the research task

• Blunders
• Confusion
• Neglect
• Omission
Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

Data processing error

Sample selection error

Interviewer error

Interviewer cheating
 Administrative Error
• Interviewer cheating - filling in fake answers
or falsifying interviewers
• Data processing error - incorrect data entry,
computer programming, or other procedural
errors during the analysis stage.
• Sample selection error -improper sample
design or sampling procedure execution.
• Interviewer error - field mistakes
 C L A S S IF Y IN G
SURVEY
RESEARCH
M E TH O D S

M E TH O D S TR U C TU R E D TE M P O R A L
OF A N D D IS Q U IS E D C L A S S IF IC A TIO N S
C O M M U N IC A TIO N Q U E S TIO N S
 Structured/Unstructured and
Disguised/
Undisguised Questionnaires

Structured Questionnaire: A question that imposes a limit on the

number of allowable responses.
Unstructured question: A question that does not restrict the
respondents’ answers.
Disguised Questionnaires: Straightforward questions that assume
the respondent is willing to answer.

Undisguised Questionnaires: Indirect questions that assume the

purpose of the study must be hidden from the respondent.
 Time Period for Surveys

• Cross-sectional
• Longitudinal
 Cross-Sectional Study
• A study in which various segments of a
population are sampled
• Data are collected at a single moment in
time.
 Longitudinal Study
• A survey of respondents at different times,
thus allowing analysis of changes over time.
• Tracking study - compare trends and
identify changes
– consumer satisfaction
 Consumer Panel
• A longitudinal survey of the same sample of
individuals or households to record (in a
diary) their attitudes, behavior, or
purchasing habits over time.
 Total Quality Management and
Customer Satisfaction Surveys
• Total quality management - A business
philosophy that emphasizes market-driven
quality as a top organizational priority.
 Stages in Tracking Quality
Improvement

Initial Continuous
Commitment Bench-
quality Quality
and marking
improve- Improvement
Exploration
ment
 Commitment and Exploration
Stage
• Management makes a commitment to total
quality assurance
• Business researchers explore external
customers’ needs and problems.
• Business researchers explore internal
customers’ needs, beliefs, and motivations.
 Benchmarking Stage
• Research establishes quantitative measures
as benchmarks or points of comparison
• Overall satisfaction and quality ratings of
specific attributes
• Employees actual performance and
perceptions
Initial Quality Improvement Stage

• Tracking wave 1 measures trends

• Establishes a quality improvement process
within the organization.
• Translate quality issues into the internal
vocabulary of the organization.
• Establish performance standards and
expectations for improvement.
Continuous Quality Improvement
• Consists of many consecutive waves with
the same purpose—to improve over the
previous period.
• Quality improvement management
continues.
 Determinants of the Quality of
Goods
• Performance
• Features
• Conformance with specifications
• Reliability
• Durability
• Serviceability
• Aesthetic design
 Determinants of Service Quality

• Access
• Communication
• Competence
• Courtesy
• Reliability
• Credibility