Business Research Ch 5

In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to evaluate the age of the data and its comprehensiveness on the topic. A. Purpose B. Scope C. Authority D. Audience E. Format

B. Scope

The process of stating the basic dilemma and then developing other questions by progressively breaking down the original question into more specific ones is called the _____. A. research question B. management-research-question hierarchy C. management dilemma D. management question E. investigative question

B. management-research-question hierarchy

In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to evaluate degree to which the data might suit your necessary level of knowledge or expertise. A. Purpose B. Scope C. Authority D. Audience E. Format

D. Audience

Which of the following is the first step in an exploratory study? A. Identifying the target population B. Choosing a sample C. Interviewing experts D. Conducting a literature search E. Writing interview questions

D. Conducting a literature search

All of the following are examples of primary sources of information except _____. A. memos B. letters C. transcripts of speeches D. Google searches E. economic data

D. Google searches

All of the following questions address the authority of a source except _____. A. What are the credentials of the author or institution? B. What is the reputation of the sponsoring organization? C. Does the source give you a means of contacting anyone for further information? D. How old is the information? E. If facts are supplied, where do they come from?

D. How old is the information?

Data on a university's enrollments are available in all university departments through a client server network. This data availability is best referred to as information available ____ A. Online B. Internet-based C. Data warehoused D. Intranet-based (LAN)

D. Intranet-based (LAN)

Which of the following is not included in a good handbook? A. Statistics B. Directory information C. A glossary of terms D. Lists of consultants in the field E. References

D. Lists of consultants in the field

Which of the following is a reason researchers use encyclopedias? A. To verify spelling B. To find authors and titles of prior works C. To locate articles from a large set D. To find historical information E. All of the above

D. To find historical information

Which of the following questions is considered when discussing the management dilemma? A. How can management eliminate negative symptoms? B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of action? C. What is the recommended course of action? D. What symptoms cause management concern? E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?

D. What symptoms cause management concern?

Southwest Airlines applied mathematical models to determine which customers in its database were currently responsible for most of its profitability and which customers were not currently profitable but had similar characteristics to the most profitable customers. Southwest Airlines utilized _____ to identify these customers. A. computer programming B. data warehousing C. customer relationships management D. data mining E. intervention

D. data mining

The actual questions that researchers use to collect data in a study are called _____ questions. A. management B. dilemma C. investigative D. measurement E. survey

D. measurement

An analysis of past sales data shows that the average household purchases a new vacuum cleaner approximately every seven years. This data process is known as _____. A. process analysis B. data mining C. obtrusive measures D. record analysis E. trace evidence

D. record analysis

Measurement questions are questions posed to _____. A. managers B. researchers C. field workers D. study participants E. pollsters

D. study participants

Which of the following is an example of a primary source of information? A. Census data B. Newspaper articles C. Encyclopedias D. Google searches E. Internal sales reports

A. Census data

What is the first step in conducting a literature search? A. Define the management dilemma or question B. Identify key terms, people, or events C. Search indexes, bibliographies, and the Web D. Locate and review secondary sources E. Evaluate the value and credibility of secondary sources

A. Define the management dilemma or question

In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to identify any hidden agenda that might bias the information in that source. A. Purpose B. Scope C. Authority D. Audience E. Format

A. Purpose

Which of the following is a concern with data mining? A. The database was created for a reason that may not be compatible with the management question B. It is secondary data C. It provides the potential for extracting meaningful information D. It is a starting point for decision-based research E. It offers readily-available data

A. The database was created for a reason that may not be compatible with the management question

Maurice is beginning a new research project. As he begins the first phase of the process, Maurice will most likely begin by _____. A. conducting a literature search B. interviewing experts C. designing a survey D. preparing measurement questions E. brainstorming

A. conducting a literature search

Timothy wants to identify and locate books and journal articles from a large set. What type of information source should he use? A. index B. Bibliography C. Encyclopedia D. Handbook E. Dictionary

A. index

BankChoice is concerned about stagnating profits and asks, "How can profitability be improved?" This is an example of a(n) _____. A. management question B. research question C. investigative question D. measurement question E. management dilemma

A. management question

When researchers consider the explicit or hidden agenda of an information source, the source's _____ is under evaluation. A. purpose B. scope C. authority D. audience E. format

A. purpose

Micah is reviewing encyclopedia entries, textbooks, handbooks, and magazine and newspaper articles to gather information for her project. These are all examples of _____ sources of information. A. secondary B. primary C. tertiary D. statistical E. external

A. secondary

Which of the following is NOT a good reason for using secondary data? A. Data on the past cannot be collected today. B. Even if the definitions of variables being studied are not the same, research can be modified according to secondary data available. C. The time involved in primary data collection may render the study obsolete. D. Authentic data required may already have been collected by other agencies.

B. Even if the definitions of variables being studied are not the same, research can be modified according to secondary data available.

Which of the following is not a type of secondary sources used during the exploratory phase of the research process? A. Research studies B. Group discussions C. Case studies D. Books E. Information from organization's database

B. Group discussions

_____ are original works of research or raw data without interpretation that represent an official opinion or position. A. Secondary sources B. Primary sources C. Statistical sources D. Bibliographies E. Indexes

B. Primary sources

For an organization, which of the following is NOT an example of an internal source of secondary data? A. The data stored in the records of the Management Information System. B. Surveys collected by the internal sales staff, from the company's distributors. C. A market survey commissioned by the organization, completed three years ago. D. Inventory records of the materials department.

B. Surveys collected by the internal sales staff, from the company's distributors.

Which of the following questions is considered when determining investigative questions? A. How can management eliminate negative symptoms? B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of action? C. What is the recommended course of action? D. What symptoms cause management concern? E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?

B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of action?

Intermediate storage facilities that compile locally required information are called _____. A. data mines B. data marts C. decision support systems D. decision assessment systems E. data warehouses

B. data marts

Capital One is lauded in the industry for its skill in discovering knowledge from its databases of customer credit card expenditures using a technique called _____. A. process analysis B. data mining C. physical condition analysis D. record analysis E. trace evidence

B. data mining

When evaluating an information source, the time period and geographic limitations are considered as part of the _____ factor. A. purpose B. scope C. authority D. audience E. format

B. scope

Data originating from studies that are conducted by others and for a different purpose than the one for which the data are being reviewed are called _____ data. A. primary B. secondary C. quantitative D. statistical E. descriptive

B. secondary

In evaluating a secondary source, identifying the ______ allows you to verify the credibility of the author of the source. A. Purpose B. Scope C. Authority D. Audience E. Format

C. Authority

Suppose you were starting a research study based upon secondary sources about the use of computers for educational purposes in colleges. You should probably begin by: A. Checking your library's online catalog B. Search Books-in-Print for new publications on this topic C. Checking several bibliographic indexes D. Since this is a new technology area, consult the appropriate Doctoral Dissertation Abstracts bulletins. E. Consulting the government research librarian

C. Checking several bibliographic indexes

Which of the following is an example of secondary data? A. Transcripts from a series of focus groups conducted for the current research problem B. Diaries kept by panel participants who are currently evaluating their consumption of milk C. Sales records for the past 5 years D. Completed questionnaires from a mail survey E. Data file from a web survey deployed as part of the current research design

C. Sales records for the past 5 years

A Google search can be classified as which type of information source? A. Secondary B. Primary C. Tertiary D. Statistical E. External

C. Tertiary

Which information source may be interpretations of a secondary source but is generally represented by indexes, bibliographies, and Internet search engines? A. Secondary B. Primary C. Tertiary D. Statistical E. External

C. Tertiary

One of the investigative questions identified in the BankChoice project questions the perceived service quality associated with different bank branches. This is an example of a(n) _____. A. behavioral issues B. performance considerations C. attitudinal issues D. measurement issues E. managerial considerations

C. attitudinal issues

In Nicolas Perricone's first book, his affiliation with the Yale School of Dermatology was identified on the front cover of the book. This enhanced the perceived credibility of the information in the book using the _____ factor. A. purpose B. scope C. authority D. audience E. format

C. authority

All of the following are factors useful in evaluating a source except _____. A. purpose B. scope C. cost D. authority E. audience

C. cost

The first step in the data mining process is to _____. A. identify relationships within the data B. modify or transform data C. decide between census data and sample data D. develop a model to explain the data relationships E. test the model's accuracy

C. decide between census data and sample data

Questions that the researcher must answer to satisfactorily arrive at a conclusion about the research question are called _____ questions. A. management B. research C. investigative D. measurement E. hypothetical

C. investigative

The problem or opportunity that requires a business decision is called the _____. A. research question B. management-research-question hierarchy C. management dilemma D. management question E. investigative question

C. management dilemma

Elizabeth has just been named project leader on a research project about perceptions of bar soap and body wash. To gain background information, Elizabeth searched for articles about consumer responses to body cleansing products using the InfoSearch database. In this situation, Elizabeth relied on ____ data. A. news B. reference C. secondary D. primary E. pilot

C. secondary

Which term below refers to an electronic storehouse where vast arrays of collected, integrated data are organized to facilitate retrieval and interpretation by end users? A. Data mine B. Data mart C. Decision support system D. Decision assessment system E. Data warehouse

E. Data warehouse

Which of the following is NOT an objective of exploratory research A. Expand understanding of management dilemma B. Gather information to refine the research question(s) C. Identify possible sample frames D. Gather information to formulate investigative questions E. Finalize measurement questions

E. Finalize measurement questions

Which of the following questions is considered when developing measurement questions? A. How can management eliminate negative symptoms? B. What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available sources of action? C. What is the recommended course of action? D. What symptoms cause management concern? E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?

E. What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?

A researcher uses an expert interview when he or she wants _____. A. to better understand a management dilemma or management problem B. to identify possible research questions C. to define management questions D. to finalize measurement questions E. all but D above

E. all but D above

Contact information for professional organizations and companies in a field may be located in a(n) _____. A. index B. bibliography C. handbook D. dictionary E. directory

E. directory

Explain the steps involved in the data mining process.

The data mining process involves five steps. The first step is to decide whether to use census data or sample data. The second step is to identify relationships with the data. The third step is to modify or transform the data. In the fourth step, a model is developed to explain the relationships in the data. Modeling involves the use of sophisticated tools such as neural networks and tree-based models. Finally, the model is tested for accuracy.

What are the five factors a manager should consider when evaluating an information source? Explain each one.

The five factors are purpose, scope, authority, audience, and format. Purpose refers to the explicit or hidden agenda of the information source. Scope refers to the breadth and depth of topic coverage including time period and geographic limitations. Authority refers to the level of the data and the credentials of the source author(s). Audience refers to the characteristics and background of the people or group for whom the source was created. Format refers to how the information is presented and the degree of ease of locating specific information within the source.

Explain the five steps in conducting a literature search

The five steps are as follows: 1) Define the management dilemma or question; 2) consult encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and textbooks to identify key terms, people, and events relevant to the management question; 3) apply these key terms, names of people, or events in searching indexes, bibliographies, and the Web to identify specific secondary sources; 4) locate and review specific secondary sources; and 5) evaluate the value of each source and its content.

What are the three levels of information? Provide examples for each level.

The three levels of information are primary sources, secondary sources, and tertiary sources. Examples of primary sources include any original work of research or raw data that has not been interpreted by another person such as letters, speeches, and labor data. Secondary sources are those that have been interpreted. Examples include newspaper articles and textbooks. Tertiary sources are indexes used to find secondary sources like Google.com.

The exploratory research phase of a research project allows a researcher to accomplish several objectives. Name three of the objectives common to this stage.

There are several objectives including 1) expand understanding of the management dilemma, 2) gather background information to refine the research question, 3) identify information that should be gathered to formulate investigative questions, 4) identify sources for and actual questions that might be used as measurement questions, and 5) identify sources for and actual sample frames.