Comms 417 Oral Exam

constant-sum method

a comparative-ratings scale in which an individual divides some given sum among two or more attributes on a basis such as importance or favorability Example: Dividing 100 between customer service and ideal location

snake diagram

a diagram that connects the average responses to a series of semantic-differential statements, thereby depicting the profile of the object or objects being evaluated

discontinuous panel (longitudinal)

a fixed sample of respondents who are measured repeatedly over time but on variables that change from measurement to measurement

Problem Formulation Process

1. Meet with Client 2. Clarify the Problem/Opportunity 3. State the Manager's Decision Problem 4. Develop Possible Research Problems 5. Select Research Problem(s) to Be Addressed 6. Prepare Research Request Agreement

Nominal Groups

a group interview technique that initially limits respondent interaction while attempting to maximize input from individual group members First, the moderator proposes the question or topic for discussion. Once it is clear that all participants fully understand the issue, participants are invited to think about and then record their thoughts on paper. Second, the moderator asks respondents one by one to reveal their written responses. Nominal groups limit respondent interaction initially in an effort to maximize individual input.

snowball sample

a judgment sample that relies on the researcher's ability to locate an initial set of respondents with the desired characteristics

composite measures

a measure designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of an object or phenomenon with items to assess all relevant aspects or dimensions that they provide more information for identifying strong or weak areas, particularly when aspects can be compared with one another or with measures for other entities. A global measure of satisfaction would provide an overall indication of how things are going, but a composite measure, consisting of measures of satisfaction with the location, product selection, prices, employees, and so on, would allow the managers to more easily diagnose any problem area.

global measure

a measure designed to provide an overall assessment of an object or phenomenon, typically using one or two items

self-reports

a method of assessing attitudes in which individuals are asked directly for their beliefs about or feelings toward an object or class of objects ratings of their experiences with companies such as Zappos.com and many, many more.

Mall intercepts

a method of data collection in which interviewers in a shopping mall stop or interrupt a sample of those passing by to ask them if they would be willing to participate in a research study convenient for finding consumers to answer our questions. There's a cost to this convenience, however. Non-Random, the people conducting the research typically choose which consumers to approach.

strategy-oriented decision problem

A decision problem that typically seeks to answer "how" questions about a problem/opportunity. The focus is generally on selecting alternative courses of action.

discovery-oriented decision problem

A decision problem that typically seeks to answer "what" or "why" questions about a problem/opportunityThe focus is generally on generating useful information. common with unplanned changes in the marketing environment.

area sample

A form of cluster sampling in which areas (e.g., census tracts, blocks) serve as the primary sampling units. Using maps, the population is divided into mutually exclusive and exhaustive areas, and a random sample of areas is selected.

Online Surveys

A method of administration that relies on the Web for completing the survey.

What are continuous and discontinuous panels and what are their advantages and disadvantages?

Advantage of continuous you can see how specific attitudes change over time a convenience for discontinuous

randomized response model

An interviewing technique in which potentially embarrassing and relatively innocuous questions are paired, and the question the respondent answers is randomly determined but is unknown to the interviewer.

Disguised Communication

Attempts to hide the purpose or sponsor of the study Used to help create a more natural environment in which to collect data If Ford wants more objective data, it might go without the letterhead, or go through an outside marketing research agency, or ask its drivers about Ford, GM, and Honda cars. In this scenario, the target of the research is less clear, and we'd expect customers to answer more truthfully.

Avoid Ambiguous Words and Questions

Avoid "problem words" like: occasionally, often, rarely, sometimes, and usually as they can be imprecise and/or ambiguous

quota sample

a nonprobability sample chosen so that the proportion of sample elements with certain characteristics is about the same as the proportion of the elements with the characteristics in the target population

research proposal

a plan that specifies what information will be obtained and how

systematic sample

a probability sample in which elements are selected from a list at predetermined intervals

stratified sample

a probability sample in which elements sharing one or more characteristics are grouped and elements are selected from each group in proportion to the group's representation in the total population

simple random sample

a probability sampling plan in which each unit included in the population has a known and equal chance of being selected for the sample

assumed consequences

a problem that occurs when a question is not framed so as to clearly state the consequences, and thus it generates different responses from individuals who assume different consequences

Role Playing

a projective method in which a researcher will introduce a scenario or context and ask respondents to play the role of a person in the scenario

Storytelling

a projective method of data collection relying on a picture stimulus such as a cartoon, photograph, or drawing, about which the subject is asked to tell a story

sentence completion

a projective technique in which respondents are presented with a number of incomplete sentences and asked to complete them

Leading Questions

a question framed so as to give the respondent a clue as to how he or she should answer

double-barreled questions

a question that calls for two responses and creates confusion for the respondent

probability sample

a sample in which every element in the population has a known statistical likelihood of being selected

nonprobability sampling

a sampling technique in which there is no way to calculate the likelihood that a specific element of the population being studied will be chosen

Graphic-Ratings Scales

a scale in which individuals indicate their ratings of an attribute typically by placing a check at the appropriate point on a line that runs from one extreme of the attribute to the other Instead of a limited set of response categories, there are a large number of possible response categories

Discuss the marketing concept/orientation and the characteristics of those that follow this orientation.

Marketing research is the process of gathering and interpreting data for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring the firm's marketing plans. Marketing research is involved with all phases of the information management process, including: (1) the specification of what information is needed, (2) the collection and analysis of the information, and (3) the interpretation of that information with respect to the objectives that motivated the study in the first place.

word association

Method of assessing somebody's mental state or personality by asking the person to respond with the first word that comes to mind when a given word is heard

Use simple words

Most researchers are more highly educated than the typical questionnaire respondent, and sometimes they use words that they are familiar with but that are not understood by many respondents.

Including a "Don't Know" or "Not Applicable" Response Category

This may be a good idea if a fairly sizable percentage of respondents are likely not to have encountered or thought about the object or issue being addressed in the study. Otherwise, any answers that they provide will probably have little meaning and, as a result, will simply add error to the study.

itemized-ratings scales

a scale on which individuals must indicate their ratings of an attribute or object by selecting the response category that best describes their position on the attribute or object the respondent selects from a limited number of response categories that typically reflect increasing amounts of the attribute (e.g., attitudes, satisfaction) being measured. So, if you wanted to measure an attitude toward a brand, you might develop a rating scale 1 through 7 interval scale where 1 equals "extremely unfavorable" and 7 equals "extremely favorable."

Comparative-Ratings Scale

a scale requiring subjects to make their ratings as a series of relative judgments or comparisons rather than as independent assessments

Summated-Ratings (Likert) Scale

a self-report technique for attitude measurement in which respondents indicate their degree of agreement or disagreement with each of a number of statements

longitudinal study

a study that observes the same participants on many occasions over a long period of time

Random-digit dialing

a technique used in studies using telephone interviews in which the numbers to be called are randomly generated One advantage of RDD is that the system can reach respondents regardless of whether they use a traditional home telephone or use only a cell phone. The respondent also has to answer the call, agree to participate, and then actually do so. response rates have begun to plummet.

split-ballot technique

a technique used to combat response order bias, in which response options are reordered or randomized to create different versions of the survey

branching question

a technique used to direct respondents to different places in a questionnaire, based on their response to the question at hand

What is reliability?

ability of a measure to obtain similar scores for the same object, trait, or construct across time, across different evaluators, or across the items forming the measure. Consistency is the hallmark of reliability; improving reliability requires decreasing random error.

unstated alternative

an alternative answer that is not expressed in a question's options

funnel approach

an approach to question sequencing that gets its name from its shape, starting with broad questions and progressively narrowing down the scope

What is a hypothesis?

an educated guess about how two or more variables are related.

Response order bias

an error that occurs when the response to a question is influenced by the order in which the alternatives are presented

focus group

an interview conducted among a small number of individuals simultaneously; the interview relies more on group discussion than on directed questions to generate data

sample survey

cross-sectional study in which the sample is selected to be representative of the target population and in which the emphasis is on the generation of summary statistics such as averages and percentages

personal interview

direct, face-to-face conversation between an interviewer and the respondent Personal interviews can take place just about anywhere.

response bias

error that enters a study through the responses obtained from people. can happen through undisguised communication

Case Analyses

intensive study of selected examples of the phenomenon of interest examine existing records, observe the phenomenon as it occurs, conduct unstructured interviews, or use any of a variety of other approaches to analyze what is happening in a given situation.

Depth interviews

interviews with people knowledgeable about the general subject being investigated the point of a depth interview is to encourage the respondent to offer as much information as possible.

Judgment Samples

nonprobability samples in which the selection criteria are based on the researcher's personal judgment about representativeness of the population under study

telephone interview

telephone conversation between an interviewer and a respondent it still involves a social interaction between individuals. very popular means of gathering communication-based descriptive data, although that's changing rapidly

sampling control

the ability of a particular method to identify and obtain responses from a sample of respondents from the target population using personal interviews for data collection developing a list of population members for personal interviews tends to be a little more difficult than for most other methods.

total sampling elements (TSE)

the number of population elements that must be drawn from the population and included in the initial sample pool in order to end up with the desired sample size

sampling interval

the number of population elements to count (k) when selecting the sample members in a systematic sample

Decision Problem

the problem facing the decision maker for which the research is intended to provide answers takes the form of a question.

question order bias

the tendency for earlier questions on a questionnaire to influence respondents' answers to later questions

data mining

the use of powerful analytic technologies to quickly and throughly explore mountains of data to obtain useful information Costco people that buy eggs also buy meat (may have been by easter which could've altered)

Ask for classification information last

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If provided survey questions, be able to identify the levels of measurement

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Place Difficult or Sensitive Questions Late in the Questionnaire

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METHODS OF ADMINISTERING QUESTIONNAIRES

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Six-Step Procedure for Drawing a Sample

1. Define the target population 2. Identify the sampling frame 3. Select a sampling procedure 4. Determine the sample size 5. Select the sample elements 6. Collect the data from the designated elements

Procedure for Developing a Questionnaire

1. Specify what information will be sought 2. Determine method of administration 3. Determine content of individual questions 4. Determine form of response to each question 5. Determine wording of each question 6. Prepare dummy tables 7. Determine question sequence 8. Determine appearance of questionnaire 9. Develop recruiting message or script 10. Reexamine steps 1-8 and revise if necessary, pretest questionnaire and revise if necessary

in-bound surveys

A method of data collection in which respondents access a survey by telephone or on the Web to respond to survey items. respondents contact the researcher rather than the other way around (thus, the response is "in-bound"). can be completed at any time by the respondent, At the conclusion, respondents typically receive a code number that allows them to obtain a discount or free gift from the survey sponsor. In-bound surveys make sense for businesses that cater to a unique clientele or that want to measure service quality or satisfaction while the experience is fresh in the consumer's mind.

cluster samples

A probability sampling plan in which (1) the parent population is divided into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subsets, and (2) a random sample of one or more subsets (clusters) is selected.

filter question

A question used to determine if a respondent is likely to possess the knowledge being sought; also used to determine if an individual qualifies as a member of the defined population.

Semantic-Differential Scale

A self-report technique for attitude measurement in which the subjects are asked to check which cell between a set of bipolar adjectives or phrases best describes their feelings toward the object. Example: Pick a point between Extremely gay and Extremely straight

Statistic vs. Parameter

A statistic is a numerical characteristic of a sample. A parameter is a numerical characteristic of a population.

cross-sectional study

A study in which a representative cross section of the population is tested or surveyed at one specific time.

dummy table

A table (or figure) used to show how the results of an analysis will be presented.

recall loss

A type of error caused by a respondent's forgetting that an event happened at all.

telescoping error

A type of error resulting from the fact that most people remember an event as having occurred more recently than it did.

Continuous Panel Studies (longitudinal)

Collect a series of measurements on the same sample of test units over an extended period of time

Ratio

Comparison of absolute magnitudes Examples: Units sold, income Average: Geometric Mean, Harmonic Mean Level of Measurement: Highest

Interval

Comparison of intervals Examples: Customer satisfaction, brand attitude Average: Mean Level of Measurement: High

Types of Primary Data

Demographic/socioeconomic characteristics Personality/lifestyle characteristics Attitudes Awareness/knowledge Intentions Motivation Behavior

Nominal

Identity Examples: Gender, brand purchase (yes/no) Average: Mode Level of Measurement: Lowest

STRUCTURED VERSUS UNSTRUCTURED COMMUNICATION

In a highly structured questionnaire, the questions to be asked and the response categories provided to respondents are completely standardized. That is, everyone receives the same questions, and everyone responds by choosing from among the same set of possible answers. These are known as fixed-alternative questions or closed-ended questions. Unstructured: open-ended question, a type of question in which respondents are free to reply using their own words and are not limited to a fixed set of possible answers. Most open-ended questions used for collecting primary data for descriptive research have a standardized question that everyone receives, but people get to answer in any way that they choose. Questionnaires used for depth interviews, an exploratory research technique, usually have even less structure because the questions and the way they are posed to respondents can change based on answers to previous questions.

Administrative Control

Interviewers are expensive and consume a lot of time. As the number of interviewers increases, so do problems of interviewer-related bias and costs of training.

Ordinal

Order Examples: Brand performance, income (in categories) Average: Median Level of Measurement: Low

information control

Personal interviews can be conducted using questionnaires with any degree of structure, from purely open-ended questions to purely fixed- alternative questions or any combination in between. One of the huge advantages of this method is the ability to explain or rephrase questions and to have respondents explain their answers. In addition, the personal nature of the interaction allows the interviewer to show the respondent pictures, examples of advertisements, lists of words, scales, and so on, as needed. And there's no better approach for gaining a respondent's trust. personal interviews are subject to several kinds of error that can bias the results away from the truth in a situation. For example, open- ended responses can be influenced by the biases of the researcher.

Provide examples of companies that conducted research correctly

P&G found new uses for some of their existing brands. Ambi Pur/Frebreeze deodorant for motorbike helmets in Nam. Mountain Dew used an online "DEWmocracy" allowed consumers to provide key input in the design of new product packaging and even new flavors. John Deere tractor interviewed growers from around the world. After introducing the new line, the company began interviewing its customers as it began to work on the next new line of tractors. Microsoft used a team of 300 researchers to personally observe and video record computer users at home and at work. The idea was to move beyond surveys and focus groups to get personal-level research in the context of the product's use. lams, a P&G pet food brand, noticed that some consumers were supplementing dry pet food with some form of treat, particularly to get older pets with dental problems to eat it. lams then conducted quantitative research to determine if this practice was common among consumers, finding that 40% of pet owners use such methods. In response, lams launched Savory Sauce, a more convenient and nutritious alternative to table scraps. McDonalds UK adjusted its ad campaigns to use softer messages depicting McDonald's at the center of U.K. family life.

Discuss the 3 major categories of firms that conduct marketing research.

Producers and sellers of products and services often have marketing research departments that gather information relevant to the particular products and services sold and the industry in which they operate. Advertising agencies often conduct research, primarily to test advertising and measure its effectiveness. Marketing research companies are in business to conduct research; some focus on very specific topics or aspects of the research process, while others are more general in focus.

Why is exploratory research typically small scale and flexible?

Researchers simply can't afford to devote the bulk of the research budget to exploratory research. Because so much is often unknown at the beginning of the marketing research process, exploratory studies are very flexible with regard to the methods used for gaining insight and developing hypotheses. Basically, anything goes!

sampling control

Several companies generate and sell lists of consumer or business telephone numbers from which to draw a random sample. These lists can often be narrowed based on particular geographic or demographic variables or even on variables representing consumer interests, occupations, lifestyles, hobbies, and so on. Phone books can also be used to develop samples of businesses and organizations, but they just aren't very good at all for sampling households due to unlisted numbers and the growing number of cell-phone-only homes.

Number of Scale Positions

Should you include an even or an odd number of response categories? An odd number allows for a center position, usually interpreted as "neutral" by respondents.

Undisguised Communication

Subjects are aware of the purpose of the study Study is free of any form of deception if Ford Motor Company wanted to determine its customers' satisfaction with its cars and trucks, it could simply send out a survey with a cover letter printed on Ford letterhead stationery and the Ford logo appearing on the questionnaire itself. Doing so, however, means that respondents' answers are more likely to be biased toward Ford, because the survey's purpose and sponsor are clear.

Number of Items in a Scale

The answer depends on the purpose of the measure.

independent variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

dependent variable

The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

Provide examples of companies that conducted research incorrectly

Unilever had to withdraw from France cause no interest in frozen food market Cornflakes in Japan cause no interest in breakfast cereal Coca-Cola India got rid of their leading drink Thumbs Up India got mad, they had to promote it again and lost $347m North Africa cologne ad with man and dog. Muslim belief dog as bad luck or unclean New Coke

DETERMINING HOW BIG A SAMPLE YOU NEED

Use computer programs or about 400 will suffice

non-probability samples

convenience sample, judgement sample, quota sample, snowball sample

planned change

change activities that are intentional and goal oriented

unplanned change

change that is imposed on the organization and is often unforeseen P&G HPBCD had no obvious use but got rid of cigarette smell Post-it notes

sampling frame

list of population elements or members from which units to be sampled are selected

descriptive research

marketing research to better describe marketing problems, situations, or markets, such as the market potential for a product or the demographics and attitudes of consumers

Exploratory Research

marketing research to gather preliminary information that will help define problems and suggest hypotheses • Better formulating the manager's decision problem • Increasing the researcher's familiarity with the problem • Clarifying concepts

projective methods

methods that encourage respondents to reveal their own feelings, thoughts, and behaviors by shifting the focus away from the individual through the use of indirect tasks

Four levels of measurement

ratio, interval, ordinal, nominal

research request agreement

summarizes the problem formulation process and should include the following items: Background Decision problem Research problem(s) Use Population and subgroups Logistics

Mail Surveys

surveys sent to respondents using the postal service. Low response rate, but low cost Can have control on certain demographics to send to

convience sample

only members of a population who are easy to reach are selected

literature search

process in which a researcher finds out all he or she can about any earlier research through any secondary research

Advantages of High Structure

relatively simple to administer. No matter what method of administration you choose, once the questionnaire items are written, the questionnaire finalized, and data collected, the analysis is usually easy. There's no need for extensive interviewer training, even if personal interviews are used, because there are no probing or follow-up questions. Respondents respond, and that's about it. also usually associated with greater reliability, or consistency, of the answers obtained. If you asked respondents the same fixed- alternative question again, they would tend to provide the same answer again

probability samples

simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster, area

Precision

the degree of error in an estimate of a population parameter

confidence

the degree to which one can feel confident that an estimate approximates the true value

Ethnography

the detailed observation of consumers during their ordinary daily lives using direct observations, interviews, and video and audio recordings involve the detached and prolonged observation of consumers' emotional responses, cognitions, and behaviors during their ordinary daily lives.

sampling error

the difference between the results of random samples taken at the same time

Disadvantages of High Structure

they may also encourage misleading answers. may force an answer to a question on which the respondent has no opinion. Some people will answer the question because they don't want to look dumb. could include a "don't know" or "no opinion" response option, but if we do, some people are likely to choose this option as a way to hurry through the questionnaire without having to think about it.

computer-assisted interviewing

using computers with personal interviews or telephone interviews to manage the sequence of questions and to record the answers electronically Question sequencing is handled seamlessly: Depending on the answer to the current question, the appropriate next question is automatically shown on the screen for the interviewer to ask the respondent. This saves considerable time and confusion in administering the questionnaire and permits a more natural flow of the interview. In many ways, CAI could be considered the forerunner to today's online research.

Benchmarking

using organizations that excel at some function as sources of ideas for improvement L.L. Bean has long been noted for its excellent order fulfillment. Managers from Xerox once visited the company to determine why L.L. Bean was three times more efficient at fulfilling customer orders than was Xerox.