Marketing Research Exam 1 Practice Problems

If a company is going to consider and evaluate multiple research providers and select to work with, a request-for-proposal will often be issued to interested or qualified providers. a. True b. False

a. True

If data can be captured in the rows and columns of a spreadsheet or database, it can be structured. a. True b. False

a. True

Managers should study marketing research so they can understand what they are asking of researchers when requesting marketing research. a. True b. False

a. True

One important measure of a focus group's success is whether the participants talk to each other rather than the moderator doing all the talking. a. True b. False

a. True

Problem formulation involves more art than science. a. True b. False

a. True

Projective methods help researchers overcome subjects' reluctance to discuss their feelings and/or provide truthful answers. a. True b. False

a. True

Secondary data make up most of the data held in data systems used in marketing research. a. True b. False

a. True

Social media data is useful for Voice of the Customer (VOC) research to understand customer experience, likes, and dislikes. a. True b. False

a. True

The ability to interact with the system to create customized information is the true value of a decision support system (DSS). a. True b. False

a. True

The basic function of marketing research is to gather information that is needed to help managers make better decisions. a. True b. False

a. True

The research request agreement helps ensure that the client and the researcher agree about the research problems to be addressed. a. True b. False

a. True

Trying to sell products after telling respondents you are conducting marketing research is an unethical approach known as "sugging." a. True b. False

a. True

Unlike the research request agreement, the research proposal specifies the techniques to be used in implementing research. a. True b. False

a. True

When meeting with the client, it is important to keep the broader issue in mind to keep from going down a very specific and possibly incorrect path. a. True b. False

a. True

Big data is multidimensional and can be described by the four Vs. Which of the following is NOT one of the four Vs? a. Visibility b. Velocity c. Veracity d. Volume

a. Visibility

Descriptive research is a less common means of gathering primary data. a. True b. False

b. False

Exploratory research is inappropriate for any problem about which little is known. a. True b. False

b. False

If an action is legal, then it is ethical. a. True b. False

b. False

Much of the data that marketing managers need to make routine decisions do not exist inside a company's databases. a. True b. False

b. False

Successful marketing researchers tend to be reactive rather than proactive. a. True b. False

b. False

The element of a DSS that clearly separates it from an MIS is its model system. a. True b. False

b. False

The prescriptive technique of big data analysis uses data mining to extract patterns from large data sets. a. True b. False

b. False

The primary function of focus groups is to validate a seller's beliefs about its own product. a. True b. False

b. False

The usefulness of a knowledge management system depends on the willingness of customers to share information. a. True b. False

b. False

Understanding the source of a problem rarely provides clues about the type of research that is needed. a. True b. False

b. False

With a known decision problem, a researcher's primary task is to develop a partial range of research problems. a. True b. False

b. False

The first key step in problem formulation: a. Meet with the client b. Select research problem(s) to be addressed c. Clarify the problem/opportunity d. Prepare and submit a research request agreement

a. Meet with the client

Which of the following are key characteristics of exploratory studies? a. They are typically small scale and flexible. b. They are typically small scale and rigid. c. They are typically large scale and rigid. d. They are typically large scale and flexible.

a. They are typically small scale and flexible.

Because the time from data collection to data dissemination is often long, secondary data are often out of date. a. True b. False

a. True

Big data is ultimately about establishing processes to yield insightful outcomes from analyzing large and varied data sets. a. True b. False

a. True

Discovery-oriented research rarely solves a problem in the sense of providing actionable results. a. True b. False

a. True

Even the best marketing research projects contain error of one kind or another. a. True b. False

a. True

Exploratory studies are very flexible and rarely use detailed questionnaires. a. True b. False

a. True

Advertising agencies are most likely to do marketing research that estimates market needs for products and services. a. True b. False

b. False

The type of exploratory research to use when a researcher hopes that ideas will drop "out of the blue" or be fully developed because of the "snowball" effect is a. focus groups. b. literature search. c. depth interviews. d. data mining.

a. focus groups

Researchers should be actively involved in problem formulation by a. listening carefully as managers provide their perspective on the problem. b. accepting managers preexisting assumptions. c. allowing managers to perform their own diagnosis and prescribe treatment for a problem. d. All of the above are ways in which researchers can be actively involved in problem formulation

a. listening carefully as managers provide their perspective on the problem.

The two basic sources of change in the marketing environment are a. planned and unplanned. b. complex and simple. c. helpful and harmful. d. internal and external.

a. planned and unplanned.

At which stage can errors enter the marketing research process? a. Data capture b. At any stage c. Data analysis d. Information reporting

b. At any stage

Which of the general approaches to marketing research focuses on describing a population? a. Population research b. Descriptive research c. Exploratory research d. Causal research

b. Descriptive research

"Normal thinking" can help managers or researchers understand the true nature of a problem. a. True b. False

b. False

Which of the following is NOT one of the requirements for entering the marketing research field? a. Communication skills b. Negotiation skills c. Analytical skills d. Human relations skills

b. Negotiation skills

Which part of the research request agreement discusses the groups from whom the information must be gathered? a. Logistics b. Population and subgroups c. Background d. Decision problem

b. Population and subgroups

What is the type of big data analysis that is designed to aid both explanatory and forecasting abilities? a. Descriptive b. Predictive c. Neural d. Prescriptive

b. Predictive

The information on a product warranty card, such as serial number and contact information, is an example of which kind of data? a. Unstructured b. Structured c. Omni-channel d. Social

b. Structured

One of the challenges of accessing and retrieving data is the ability to merge unstructured and structured data. a. True b. False

b. True

The section of a formal research proposal that discusses the editing and proofreading of questionnaires, coding instructions, and type of data analysis is a. the problem definition and background. b. the analysis. c. the research design and data sources. d. the appendices

b. the analysis.

The first stage of the marketing research process is Problem Determination. What is the best course of action if the phenomenon to be investigated is broad or vague? a. Gather primary data through a survey to clarify. b. Reject the research request. c. Conduct exploratory research to clarify the issue. d. Find a new research topic that is less broad or vague.

c. Conduct exploratory research to clarify the issue.

Of the key challenges of big data integration within a firm, which one does the text suggest is the biggest challenge? a. Analytic skills b. Access to and retrieval of data c. Firm integration of big data d. Maintaining individual privacy

c. Firm integration of big data

When meeting with the client, to get as much information as possible about the problem/opportunity, how many times should you ask "why" the situation has occurred to dive deeper into possible causes? a. One b. Three c. Five d. None - the client will volunteer this information

c. Five

Who has the most important role in a focus group? a. The manager whose decision problem is being discussed b. The most vocal member of the focus group c. The focus group moderator d. The least vocal member of the focus group

c. The focus group moderator

Which of the following is a potential disadvantage of using secondary data? a. The time required to retrieve and use it b. The cost involved in using it c. The quality of the data d. None of these are potential disadvantages.

c. The quality of the data

Of the most widely acknowledged and newest sources of data, the type that allows companies to get a 360-degree view of a customer's purchasing patterns is a. mobile data. b. VoC data. c. omni-channel transactional data. d. social data.

c. omni-channel transactional data.

A well-stated decision problem a. takes the manager's perspective. b. is as simple as possible. c. takes the form of a question. d. All of the above are correct.

d. All of the above are correct.

Knowledge management is an effort to collect and make accessible what kind of information an organization's people possess? a. Customer information b. Product information c. Process information d. All of the above are correct.

d. All of the above are correct.

Marketing research should be avoided when a. the goal of the research is to support a particular position with pseudo-scientific results. b. attempting to sell products, services, or ideas under the guise of marketing research. c. when time, budget, or other resources are lacking to do the research properly. d. All of the above are correct.

d. All of the above are correct.

Which of the following are focus group outcomes to avoid? a. Using focus group data to provide final answers to the problem b. Using focus group data to intentionally support a manager's position c. Letting executive bias influence the interpretation of focus group data d. All of the above are correct.

d. All of the above are correct.

Which of the following are components of a decision support system (DSS)? a. The data system b. The model system c. The dialog system d. All of these are components of a decision support system.

d. All of these are components of a decision support system.

Among the important reasons for studying marketing research are which of the following? a. Marketing research can be rewarding and fun. b. To learn to be a smart consumer of marketing research results c. To gain an appreciation of the process, what it can and cannot do d. All of these are correct.

d. All of these are correct.

Which are the major categories of firms that conduct marketing research? a. Companies that produce or sell products and services b. Advertising agencies c. Marketing research companies d. All of these are correct.

d. All of these are correct.

Which of the following statements about marketing research is true? a. It is just for large organizations with deep pockets b. It is a non-essential activity that takes a single form. c. It is involved in some phases of the information management process. d. It is the process of gathering and interpreting data for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring a firm's marketing plans.

d. It is the process of gathering and interpreting data for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring a firm's marketing plans.

Which systems approach to providing managers with the information they need produces regular, standardized reports based on data held in a database? a. Decision support systems (DIS) b. Marketing dashboards c. Customer relationship management systems (CRM) d. Marketing information systems (MIS)

d. Marketing information systems (MIS)

What is the document that is typically used to describe the nature of the problem and ask research providers to offer proposals? a. Research request agreement b. Research proposal c. Research invoice d. Request-for-proposal

d. Request-for-proposal

Under which moral reasoning framework is it more difficult to judge an action as ethical? a. The utility approach b. The justice approach c. It is equally difficult for all approaches d. The rights approach

d. The rights approach

Which of the following is NOT one of the purposes of exploratory research? a. To clarify concepts b. To get a better understanding of the problem or situation c. To identify areas where research might be useful d. To determine a set of final answers and decisions to address the research problem

d. To determine a set of final answers and decisions to address the research problem

A manager's view of the problem or opportunity is known as the a. hypothesis. b. manager's problem. c. research problem. d. decision problem.

d. decision problem.

When data that marketers need to make decisions already exist inside or outside the organization, it is known as a. primary data. b. preexisting data. c. exploratory data. d. secondary data.

d. secondary data.