525 Ch. 3 Pt. 1

Which of the following statements about focus groups is FALSE?

Firms like to have groups in which some of the participants are friends.

Using different ads in different geographic areas and investigating which ad generated the highest sales is an example of _____ research design.

casual

A dummy table is used to:

catalog the data to be collected.

A marketing professor uses his students as subjects in a blind taste test in order to test the hypotheses that there is a significant difference between three brands of gourmet coffee. He is trying to enhance and extend an existing academic model of consumer choice that is widely used in consumer behavior. This is an example of _____ research.

causal

Which of the following is a limitation of individual depth interviews?

-They are typically much more expensive than groups. -They generally do not get the same degree of client involvement as focus groups. -They are physically exhausting for the moderator, so it is difficult to cover as much ground in one day as it is with groups.

Dummy tables:

-are a statement of how the analysis will be structured. -provide guidance on which questions to ask. -are complete tables except for filling in the actual numbers.

Prior to beginning a formal research project, Jane Doe is interviewing a few knowledgeable people to gain a better understanding of the nature of the problem her team faces and the characteristics of the environment in which it exists. Jane is conducting a(n):

-depth interview. -exploratory research.

In general, the first step in conducting exploratory research should be:

conducting a literature search.

Which of the following is FALSE?

Exploratory research investigates hypotheses.

Exploratory studies:

are characterized by flexibility.

Benefits of focus groups include:

-ideas that can drop "out of the blue." -snowballing of ideas. -more spontaneous responses than in one-on-one interviews. (A,B & C)

Which of the following statements about dummy tables is FALSE?

A researcher should specify variables and categories in a dummy table after the data have been collected.

Which of the following is most likely to provide convincing evidence of causal relationships?

An experiment

Which of the following is FALSE?

Benchmarking is more useful for learning about new products than existing products.

Burger King recently experienced a decline in burger sales after E-coli bacteria were discovered in one of their restaurants. The marketing managers reviewed published information about a similar situation that had occurred at a Jack-in-the Box restaurant a few years ago. Which of the following type of exploratory research is this?

Case analysis

Which research design(s) is (are) typically guided by an initial hypothesis?

Descriptive and causal

Which statement best describes the potential uses of descriptive research?

Descriptive research can be used to estimate proportions, describe characteristics, and make specific predictions.

A Mexican Restaurant owner often visits competitor's restaurants in order to gather visual information about menu selections, prices, ambiance, and service quality to benchmark against. What type of research is the owner performing?

Exploratory

Small groups of individuals brought together simultaneously and guided by a moderator through an unstructured, spontaneous discussion format for the purpose of gaining information through group discussion can be categorized under which type of research design?

Exploratory

The "analysis of selected cases" technique is an example of which type of research design?

Exploratory

Which of the following best represents the objective of the moderator in conducting a focus group?

Striking a balance between stimulating, natural discussions while ensuring the group does not wander too far from the topic.

One of the quickest and most economical ways to discover hypotheses is through:

a literature search.

The primary purpose of a literature search is to:

derive hypotheses.

You would like to determine the demographic characteristics of owners of recreational vehicles. The appropriate research strategy would be:

descriptive research.

You are a senior analyst in the marketing research department of a major steel producer. You have been requested to make a forecast of domestic automobile production for the forthcoming calendar year and, for this forecast, to make a forecast of the total tonnage of steel that will be used by the automobile manufacturers. This is primarily a(n):

descriptive study.

You have been called in as a consultant for the purpose of advising what sales volume quotas for Brand A mouthwash should be established for each of ten sales districts that collectively cover the continental United States. The quotas are to be set for the next calendar year. This is primarily a(n):

descriptive study.

Focus groups have proven productive for all of the following, EXCEPT:

determining the feelings of the general population.

A literature search is a type of _____.

exploratory research

The manager of Capitol Brewing Inc. states that he is very concerned with the continuing decline in sales of the company's major product, a dark lager. The manager has asked for your assistance in finding the reasons for the sales decline. The most appropriate way to begin would be with:

exploratory research.

The manager of the Golden Orange Drink Company states that he is very concerned with the continuing decline in sales of the company's major product, a concentrated orange drink. The manager has asked for your assistance in identifying the reasons for the sales decline. The most appropriate way to begin would be with:

exploratory research.

A small group of people brought together to discuss a topic of interest to researchers is known as a(n):

focus group.

Analysis of selected cases refers to:

intensive study of selected examples of the phenomenon of interest.

A hypothesis:

is a conjectural statement about the relationship between two variables that are measurable or potentially measurable.

The descriptive study:

is concerned with determining the frequency with which something occurs.

A focus group:

is not useful for testing hypotheses.

A difficulty inherent in the focus group research technique is:

results are often hard to interpret.

A claimed advantage of the focus group interview is an interaction effect where a comment by one individual often triggers a chain of responses from the other participants. This is known as

snowballing

A causal research design is typically concerned with:

the determination of cause-and-effect relationships.

The major emphasis in exploratory research is on:

the discovery of ideas and insights.

The key to an effective focus group is:

the skills of the moderator.