king fahd university of petroleum & minerals department of management and marketing mkt 345...

King Fahd University of Petroleum & MineralsDepartment of Management and Marketing

MKT 345 Marketing ResearchDr. Alhassan G. Abdul-Muhmin

Communication Methods in Survey Research

Reference: Chapter 9

Dr. Alhassan G. Abdul-MuhminKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

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Learning Objectives

At the end of this discussion you should be able to:1. list the different communication methods available

for data gathering in survey research2. identify and explain the key characteristics of each

communication method3. compare the advantages and disadvantages of the

different communication methods4. identify key issues in the choice of survey

communication method5. explain the concept of “response rate” in surveys

and list the approaches to increasing survey response rates


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Broad Classification of Communication Methods in Survey Research

a) Interviewer-administered survey methods1. Personal Interviews.2. Telephone Interviews.

b) (Respondent) Self-administered survey methods.

1. Paper-based 2. Electronic

c) Mixed-mode surveys.


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PERSONAL INTERVIEWS

Personal Interview – A form of direct communication in which an interviewer asks respondents questions face-to-face.

a) Door-to-Door Interviews – Interviews conducted at respondents’ doorsteps (in their homes)

b) Mall Intercept Interviews (Shopping Center Sampling) – Interviews conducted by intercepting respondents at a central location in a shopping mall

c) Pre-arranged Meetings – Interviewing respondents at other mutually agreed upon places


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Advantages of Personal Interviews

1. Opportunity for feedback.

2. Opportunity to probe complex questions.

3. Willingness of respondents to spend longer time on interview.

4. Reduction in rate of item nonresponse (completeness of questionnaire).

5. Possibility of using visual aids & props.

6. High response rate / willingness of respondents to participate.


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Disadvantages of Personal Interviews

1. Interviewer influence.

2. Respondent cannot be anonymous.

3. There may be a need for several callbacks (attempts to re-contact individuals who have been selected for a sample but who were not available during the earlier visit)

4. High cost.


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TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS

• Interviewer-administered interviews that are conducted over the telephone.

• Telephone interviews are the most widely used method in commercial survey research

Telephone Interviewing Systemsa) Central Location Interviewing.b) Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview.c) Computerized Voice-Activated Telephone

Interviewing.


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Telephone Interviewing Systems

1. Central Location Interviewing:

Conducting telephone interviews from a single central location from which all interviewers work

Usually through WATS (Wide Area Telecommunications Service) contracts that provide fixed long-distance rates, and allow unlimited calls within a specific geographic area

Allows Supervision and control.


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Telephone Interviewing Systems2. Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing

(CATI):Telephone interviewing system in which the interviewer reads questions from a computer screen and enters the answers directly into the computer

• Usually incorporate telephone management systems that handle:

a) Phone number selection.b) Automatic dialing.c) Sample selection.d) Automatic callback scheduling.e) Reporting on number of completed interviews.


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Telephone Interviewing Systems

3. Computerized Voice-Activated Telephone Interviews

• Computer assumes responsibility for all aspects of the interview administration

• It dials the respondent, asks the questions, and records the responses.

– Used mainly for short, simple questionnaires.


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Advantages of Telephone Interviews

1. Relatively high speed of data collection.

2. Inexpensive compared to personal interviews.

3. Better respondent anonymity than personal interviews.

4. Relatively higher respondent cooperation lower nonresponse compared to personal interviews.


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Disadvantages of Telephone Interviews

1. Problems in getting representative samples; unlisted phone numbers; random digit dialing as solution.

2. Problem of answering machines & faxes.

3. Need for callbacks.

4. Respondent can easily hang up.

5. Inability to use visual aids.

6. Need for shorter forms of questioning.


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[RESPONDENT] SELF-ADMINISTERED SURVEYS

• Surveys in which respondents take the responsibility for reading and answering the questions.

• Present a special challenge in questionnaire design because self-administered surveys rely on the efficiency of the written word rather than the skill of the interviewer.

• Self-administered questionnaires can be classified into paper-based (printed) or electronic (non-printed)


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EXHIBIT 9.1 Self-Administered Questionnaires Can Be Either Printed or Electronic


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Paper (Printed) Self-Administered Questionnaires

Distribution Methods

1. Mail (or Postal) Surveys – using regular mail system (now usually called “Snail Mail Surveys”).

2. Drop-off / Pick-up method.

3. Fax surveys

4. Inserts – e.g. in product packages, magazines, etc.

5. Direct distribution to customers – e.g. in restaurants, airplanes, banks.

6. Warranty / Owner registration cards.


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Advantages of Postal and Other Printed Self-Administered Surveys

1. Geographic flexibility.

2. Lower cost.

3. Respondent convenience– Respondent can take time to think about

response.– Respondent has chance to check records for

information.

4. Respondent anonymity.


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Disadvantages of Postal and Other Printed Self-Administered Surveys

1. Absence of interviewer means:– Loss of control over the data collection.

– Respondent can misinterpret questions.

– Visual props cannot be used.

2. Questions have to be standardized.

3. Takes long time to receive response.

4. Questionnaire has to be short.

5. Low response rates.

6. No assurance that intended subject actually completed the questionnaire.


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RESPONSE RATE ISSUES IN (POSTAL) SURVEYS

• Response rate: – Number of completed and returned

questionnaires divided by number of eligible people contacted.

Methods for increasing response rate:


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EXHIBIT 9.2

Example of Cover Letter

for Household Survey

Source: Reprinted with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


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Methods for Increasing Response Rate1. Cover letter explaining:

• Study importance.• Request for help.• Importance of respondent.• Sampling method.• Description of reward.• Promise of confidentiality.• Etc.

2. Rewards (monetary & non-monetary).3. Advance notification.4. Follow-ups.5. Prestige of sponsoring institution.6. Color of questionnaire paper.7. Type of postage8. Interesting questions.


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Effects of Different Methods for Increasing Response Rates in Mail Surveys

Method

Increase in response rate over control group

Prior telephone calls 19%

Monetary incentives:

$ 0.10 17%

$ 0.25 19%

$ 1 26%

$ 0.20 15%


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Effects of Different Methods for Increasing Response Rates in Mail Surveys

Method

Increase in response rate over control group

Non-monetary:

Pen 12%

Pocket knife 15%

Stamp vs. business reply 7 %

Anonymity (in-company) 20%

Anonymity (external) 10%

Follow-ups 12%


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Electronic Self-Administered Questionnaires

Distribution Methods1. E-mail

a) Textb) HTMLc) File attachments

2. Internet a) Bulletin boardsb) Web HTMLc) Downloadable surveys

3. Kiosk Interactive Surveys4. On-site computers5. Disk-by-mail (CD-ROM by mail)


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Advantages of E-mail Questionnaires

1. Speed of distribution

2. Lower distribution costs

3. Faster turnaround (response) time

4. Greater flexibility

5. Less handling of paper


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Disadvantages of E-mail Questionnaires

1. Lack of security (Eavesdropping by administrators)

2. Lack of anonymity

3. Differences in capabilities of respondent’s computers and e-mail software

4. Difficulties for e-mail novices


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Advantages of Internet Surveys

1. Speed 2. Cost-effectiveness

– Eliminate cost of paper, postage, and data entry– Larger samples can be obtained

3. Visual appeal and interactivity– More sophisticated lines of questioning– Can use color, sound, animation, and visual materials

4. Accurate real-time data capture5. Easy callback capabilities6. Personalized and flexible questioning7. Respondent anonymity


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Disadvantages of Internet Surveys

1. Non-widespread use of internet in the general population

2. Differences in capabilities of respondent’s computers and connection speeds

3. Differences in computer skills

4. Lack of security for personal information


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Advantages and Disadvantages of Typical Survey Methods


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Advantages and Disadvantages of Typical Survey Methods


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ISSUES IN CHOICE OF COMMUNICATION METHOD

• Is the assistance of an interviewer necessary?

• Are respondents interested in the issues being investigated?

• Will cooperation be easily attained?

• How quickly is the information needed?

• Will the study require a long and complex questionnaire?

• How large is the budget?


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Ethical Issues in Survey Research

• The American Marketing Association’s code of ethics expresses researchers’ obligation to:– Protect the public from misrepresentation and

exploitation under the guise of marketing research– Protect respondents’ right to privacy– Avoid the use of deception– Inform respondents about the purpose of the

research– Maintain confidentiality and honesty in collecting

data– Maintain objectivity in reporting data

king fahd university of petroleum & minerals department of management and marketing mkt 345...

Documents

door interviews interviews

survey research reference

survey response rates

respondents questions

marketing research

respondents doorsteps

intercepting respondents

form of direct communication