Anda di halaman 1dari 15

UNIT II THE PROCESS OF DEFINING THE PROBLEM & DEVELOPING AN APPROACH

Tasks Included
Discussions with Decision Makers Interviews with Experts Secondary Data Analysis Qualitative Research

Environmental Context of the problem

Problem Definition
Management Decision Problem

Marketing Research Problem

Approach to the Problem

Objective/ Theoretical Foundations

Analytical Model: Verbal, Graphical, Mathematical

Research Questions

Hypothesis

Specification of Information Needed

Research Design
Factors to be considered in the environmental context of the problem There are following: Past Information & Forecasts Recourses & Constraints Objectives Buyers behaviour legal Environment Economic Environment Marketing & Technological Skills Management decision problems Vs marketing Decision problems Management Decision problem Marketing Decision Problem Should be new product is introduced? To determine consumer preferences and purchase intentions for the proposed new Product Should be Advertising campaign be changed? To determine the effectiveness of the current advertising campaign Should the price of the brand be changed? To determine the price elasticity of demand and the impact on the sales and profits of various levels of price changes RESEARCH DESIGN

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

A Research Design is purely and simply the framework or plan for a study that guides the collection and analysis of the data. "A research design is the heart of marketing research project. It outline how the marketing research programme will be conducted, guide, data collection analysis and report preparation" " A research design is a framework for conducting the marketing research project. It specifies the details of the procedure necessary for obtaining information needed to solve marketing research problems" RESEARCH DESIGN: CLASSIFICATION

Research Design

A. Exploratory Research Design One type of research design which has its primary objectives the primary insights & understanding the problem

B. Conclusive Research Design Research design to assist the decision maker in determining, evaluating & selecting the best course of action to taken in a given solution

a. Descriptive Research

b. Causal Research

1. Cross-Sectional Design

2. Longitudinal Design

i. Single Cross-Sectional Design

ii. Multi Cross-Sectional Design

A. EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN In general Exploratory research is meaningful in any situation where the researcher does not have enough understanding to proceed with the research project. Usually conducted during the initial stage of the research process Purposes To narrow the scope of the research topic, and To transform ambiguous problems into well-defined ones Alternates courses of action Establish priorities for further research Secondary Data Analysis in a qualitative way Secondary data are data previously collected & assembled for some projects. Pilot Studies A collective term for any small-scale exploratory research technique that uses sampling but does not apply rigorous standards Includes Focus Group Interviews Unstructured, free-flowing interview with a small group of people Projective Techniques Indirect means of questioning that enables a respondent to project beliefs and feelings onto a third party Word association tests, sentence completion tests, role playing Case Studies Intensively investigate one or a few situations similar to the problem situation

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

Experience Surveys Individuals who are knowledge about a particular research problem are questioned

B. CONCLUSIVE RESEARCH DESIGN Research design to assist the decision maker in determining, evaluating & selecting the best course of action to taken in a given solution Provide specific information that aids the decision maker in evaluating alternative courses of action Sound statistical methods & formal research methodologies are used to increase the reliability of the information Data sought tends to be specific & decisive Also more structured & formal than exploratory data

Conclusive Research is further segmented into two parts. There are

a. Descriptive Research Descriptive research is used to obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomena to describe "what exists" with respect to variables or conditions in a situation. The methods involved range from the survey which describes the status quo, the correlation study which investigates the relationship between variables, to developmental studies which seek to determine changes over time. Exploratory research should be conducted first when followed by descriptive research. A Descriptive Design requires a clear specification of Who, When, what, where, why & way of the research. The six Ws of a descriptive research design might be: i. Who -- Who should be considered a iv. What -- What information should be consumer of mixed chocolate pineapple obtained from the respondents? Some cookies? Some possibilities are: possibilities are: Anyone who buys cookies Demographics Anyone who buys premium priced Psychographics and Lifestyles cookies Attitude toward the chocolate Anyone who buys chocolate cookies pineapple cookies Anyone who has bought Sweet Attitude toward the premium price Brand cookies v. Why -- Why are we obtaining information ii. Where -- Where should the respondents be from the respondents? Some possibilities are: contacted to obtain the required information? Determine consumer attitudinal Some possibilities are: reaction to the new cookie In the grocery store Determine the market size At home vi Way -- The possible ways in which we are In the parking lot going to obtain information from the iii. When -- When should the information be respondents. Some possibilities are: obtained from the respondents? Some Observational techniques possibilities are: Scanner Data Before purchasing their groceries Personal interview While purchasing their groceries Mail interview Immediately after purchasing their Telephone interview groceries Electronic interview Within 2 weeks of purchasing their groceries Examples: Market Studies: Which describe the size of market, buying power of customers, availability of distributors, and consumer profiles. Market share studies: Which determine the proportion of total sales received by a company and its competitors. Sales Analysis Studies: Which describe the sales by geographic region, product line, type and size of the account. Image Studies: Which determine the consumer preventions of the firm and its products Product usage studies: Which describe consumption patterns. Pricing Studies: Which describe the range and frequency of the price change and probable consumer response to proposed price change. Advertising Studies: Which describe media consumption habits and audience profiles for specific television programmes and magazines Descriptive research Design divide into two parts further. There are 1. Cross-Sectional Design Cross Sectional design involve the collection of information from the given sample of population elements only once. Cross-sectional studies provide a 'snapshot' of the outcome and the characteristics associated with it, at a specific point in time.

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

For example, if a researcher observes the buyer behaviour of randomly picked people in a mall and then analyzes the data gathered, then such a study will be called a cross-sectional study. i. Single Cross-Sectional Design A cross-sectional design in which one sample of respondents is drawn from the target population and information is obtained from this sample size. ii. Multi Cross-Sectional Design A multi Cross-sectional design consisting of a series of surveys conducted at appropriate time intervals. The cohort refers to the group of respondents who experience the same event within the same time interval. 2. Longitudinal Design A type of research design involving a fixed sample of population elements that is measured repeatedly on the same variables. The sample remain the same over time, thus proved a series of pictures which, when view together and change that are taking place over time. A basic type of research method in which subjects are tested one or more times after initial testing. Typically, subjects are assigned randomly to an experimental group (e.g. a group that performs a specific type of training) and a control group after the initial testing. Both the experimental and the control groups are tested again simultaneously one or more times during the period of the study. In this way, the effects of an experimental procedure can be measured over a period of time For example, if a researcher observes the buyer behaviour of randomly picked people in a mall and then analyzes the data gathered, then such a study will be called a cross-sectional study. On the other hand, longitudinal design involves collecting data periodically from a fixed sample of respondents. Thus, a longitudinal study provides a series of pictures which, when viewed together, portray a vivid illustration of the situation and the changes that are taking place. Compared to cross-sectional design, longitudinal design is more effective in detecting change, more accurate, and provides a larger amount of data. b. Causal Research A causal research design allows you to understand cause-and-effect relationships. It is intended to answer specific marketing research questions to assist management decision making. Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs Basis Detecting change Amount of data collected Accuracy Representativeness Response bias Cross-Sectional Worse Worse Worse Better Better Longitudinal Better Better Better Worse Worse

Comparison of Research Designs Basis Exploratory Purpose Assumed background knowledge Degree of structure Flexibility Sample Research environment Cost Findings ID problems, gain insights Minimal

Descriptive Describe things Considerable

Causal Determine cause-andeffect relationships Considerable

Very little High Non-representative Relaxed Low Preliminary

High Some Representative Formal Medium Conclusive

High Little Representative Highly controlled High Conclusive

Experimental research Design

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

Experimental Research - An attempt by the researcher to maintain control over all factors that may affect the result of an experiment. In doing this, the researcher attempts to determine or predict what may occur. Experimental Design - A blueprint of the procedure that enables the researcher to test his hypothesis by reaching valid conclusions about relationships between independent and dependent variables. It refers to the conceptual framework within which the experiment is conducted. Steps involved in conducting an experimental study Identify and define the problem. Formulate hypotheses and deduce their consequences. Construct an experimental design that represents all the elements, conditions, and relations of the consequences. 1. Select sample of subjects. 2. Group or pair subjects. 3. Identify and control non experimental factors. 4. Select or construct, and validate instruments to measure outcomes. 5. Conduct pilot study. 6. Determine place, time, and duration of the experiment. 7.Conduct the experiment. 8.Compile raw data and reduce to usable form. 9.Apply an appropriate test of significance.

Classification of Experimental Design

Experimental Designs

A. Preexperimental 1. One-Shot Case Study 2. One-Group pretestposttest 3. Static Group

B. True Experimental 1. Pretest-Posttest Control Group 2. Posttest-only control group 3. Solomon Fourgroup

C. QuasiExperimental 1. Time Series 2. Multiple Time Series

D. Statistical 1. Randomized Blocks 2. Latin Square 3. Factorial

A. Preexperimental Design: Design that don't control for extraneous factors by randomization. Examples of these design include the One-shot case study, One-Group pretest-posttest, & Static Group. 1. One-Shot Case Study One-shot Case Study symbolically represented as X O1 A single group of test units is exposed to treatment X, and than a single measurement on the dependent variable is taken (O1). There are no random assignment of test units. Note that the symbol R is not used, because the test units are self selected or select arbitrarily by the researcher. One shot Case Study is more appropriate for exploratory than conclusive research. 2. One-Group pretest-posttest The one-group pretest-posttest design may be symbolized as O1 X O2 In this design, a group of test units is measured twice. There is no control group. First, a pre-treatment measure is taken (O1), then the group is exposed to treatment (X). Finally, a posttreatment measure is taken(O2). The treatment effect is computed as O2-O1. 3. Static Group The Static Group design may be symbolized as EG: X O1 CG: O2 The Static Group a two-group experimental design. The experimental group (EG) is exposed to the treatment, and the control group (CG ) is not Measurements on both groups are made only after the treatment Test units are not assigned at random. The treatment effect would be measured as

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

O1-O2 B. True Experimental Design Experimental Research design distinguished by the fact that the researcher can randomly assign test units to experimental groups and also randomly assign treatments to experimental. In true experimental design, the researcher randomly assigns test units to experimental groups and treatments to experimental groups. 1. Pretest-Posttest Control Group This design symbolized as EG: R O1 X O2 CG: R O3 O4 In this design, test units are randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group, and a pre-treatment measure is taken on each group. Only the experimental group is exposed to the treatment, but posttest measures are taken on both groups. The treatment effect(TE) is measured as (O1-O1)-(O4-O3) 2. Posttest-only control group This design symbolized as EG: R X O1 CG: R O2 The treatment effect is obtained by TE= O1-O2 This design is fairly simple to implement. Because there is no premeasurement, the testing effects are eliminated, but this design is sensitive to selection bias and morality. It is assumed that the two groups are similar in terms of pretreatment measures on the dependent variable, because of the random assignment of the test units to groups. However there is no pretreatment measurement, this assumption cannot be checked. 3. Solomon Four-group This design is also called the four group six study design. This test overcomes the limitations of pretest - post test control group designs.
`

This design is infect a combination of Before After with one control group' and `After only with one control Group' designs. The design is symbolically presented as: Experimental Groups : Control Groups : Experimental Groups : R R R O1 O3 X O2 O4 O6

Control Groups R O6 You may note that the experimental group 2 and control group 2 do not receive any pretest measurements. The results of group 2 help us in measuring and eliminating the sensitizing testing - effect since this type of sensitizing cannot occur in measurement 05. The results of the difference of various pretest and post test measurements give us the following effects.

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

C. Quasi-Experimental A Quasi-experimental design results under the following conditions. First, the researcher can control when measurements are taken and on whom they are taken. Second, the researcher lacks control over the scheduling of the treatments and also is unable to expose test units to the treatment randomly. There are two types 1. Time Series The time series design involves a series of periodic measurements on the dependent variable for a group of test units. A time Series experiment may be symbolized as O1 O2 O3 O4 X O5 O6 O7 O8 2. Multiple Time Series A Multiple-time Series experiment may be symbolized as EG: O1 O2 O3 O4 X O5 CG: O9 O10 O11 O12 O13

O6 O14

O7 O15

O8 O16

D. Statistical Design Consist of a series of basic experiments that allow for statistical control and analysis of external variables and offer the following advantages: 1. 2. 3. The effects of more than one independent variable can be measured Specific extraneous variables can be statistically controlled Economical designs can be formulated when each test unit is measured more than once

1. Randomized Blocks The randomized block design is an extension of completely randomized design. In the completely randomized design it was assumed that all the extraneous factors have the same impact on all the test units. This may not be true. In the examples used in the completely randomized design, we had three price levels tested in various shops. We did not take into consideration the fact that the differences in the result could be due to the differences in the size of the shops. One could classify various shops on the basis of their size as: Small size shops Medium size shops Large size shops In the randomized block design it is possible to separate out the effect of one extraneous factor from the results thereby providing a clearer picture of the impact of treatment on sales. In this experiment, we may for example, randomly assign nine small size shops to the three price level in a way that there are three shops for each price level. Similarly one could assign randomly nine medium size shops to the three price levels and nine large size shops to the three price levels. Having done this, one could use analysis of variance technique to separate out the effect of extraneous variable (size of shops) from the total experimental error and also analyse the effect of treatment (price level) on sales (dependent variable) 2. Latin Square This design allows the researches to control and measure the effect of two extraneous variables on the dependent variable. Here the two extraneous variables need to be divided into as many categories as the number of levels of the independent variable (treatment). The below illustrates the layout of Latin Square Design. Interest in the Store Store patronage High Medium Low High B A C Medium C B A Low A C B

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

3. Factorial Factorial Design Is used to measure the effects of two or more independent variables at various levels. In a two-factor design, each level of one variable represents a row and each level of another variable represents a column. Research study for finding out whether the effect of training provided to students in a class differs depending on whether training is provided in-class or outside, as well as the duration of training per week. A factorial design may also be conceptualized as a table.

Limitations of Experimentation 1. 2. 3. 4. Experiments can be time consuming, particularly if the researcher is interested in measuring the long-term effects. Experiments are often expensive. The requirements of experimental group, control group, and multiple measurements significantly add to the cost of research. Experiments can be difficult to administer. It may be impossible to control for the effects of the extraneous variables, particularly in a field environment. Competitors may deliberately contaminate the results of a field experiment

Data Collection Sources (Find the attached document ref. 8.1)

Primary and Secondary Data: Primary Data- Primary data is the data which is collected first hand specially for the purpose of study. It is collected for addressing the problem at hand. Thus, primary data is original data collected by researcher first hand. Secondary data- Secondary data is the data that have been already collected by and readily available from other sources. Such data are cheaper and more quickly obtainable than the primary data and also may be available when primary data can not be obtained at all. Data which are originally collected by the investigators are called primary data, while the secondary data are collected through some other sources. For example, information collected by an investigator from a. student regarding his class, caste, family background, etc., is called primary data. There are various types of quantitative primary data gathering tools, but the important ones among them are 1. The Questionnaire 2. The Interview Schedule The questionnaire can be broadly categorized into two types: i) structured questionnaire ji) unstructured questionnaire. i) Structured questionnaires are prepared in advance. They contain definite and concrete questions. The structured questionnaire may contain close ended questions and open ended responses. In the close ended questionnaire, the question setter gives alternative options for which the respondent has to give definite response. The best example of the close ended questionnaire format is the one that leads respondents to the "Yes" or "No"/ "True" or "False" answers.

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

ii) Unstructured questionnaires are those that are not structured in advance, and the investigators may adjust questions according to their needs during an interview. 1. Questionnaire A questionnaire is a series of questions asked to individuals to obtain statistically useful information about a given topic. Questionnaires are frequently used in quantitative marketing research and social research. 1. Open ended questionnaire a) Respondent is free to express his views and the ideas. Types of questionnaire b) Used in making intensive studies of the limited number of 1. Structured questionnaire the cases. a) Have definite and concrete questions. c) Merely an issue is raised by such a questionnaire. b) Is prepared well in advance. d) Do not provide any structure for the respondents reply. c) Initiates a formal inquiry. e) The questions and their orders are pre determined in the d) Supplements and checks the data, previously accumulated. nature. e) Used in studies of the economics and the social problems, 2. Close ended questionnaire studies of the administrative policies and changes etc. a) Responses are limited to the stated alternatives. b) One of the alternatives is simply YES or NO. 2. Unstructured questionnaire c) Respondent cannot express his own judgment. a) Used at the time of the interview. 3. Mixed questionnaire b) Acts as the guide for the interviewer. a) Questions are both close and open ended. c) Is very flexible in working. b) Used in field of social research. d) Used in studies related to the group of families or those 4. Pictorial questionnaire relating to the personal experiences, beliefs etc. a) Used very rarely. A questionnaire can also be divided as the follows depending b) Pictures are used to promote the interest in answering the on the nature of the questions therein questions. c) Used in studies related to the social attitudes and the pre judices in the children . Questionnaire Process Specify the information needed

Specify the type of interviewing method

Determine the content of individual questions

Design the questions to overcome the respondent's

Decide on the question

Determine the question wording

Arrange the question in

Identity the form & layout

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

Reproduce the questionnaire

Pretest the questionnaire

Advantages of the Questionnaire 1. Requires less skill. 2. Less training is needed. 3. Cheaper in nature. 4. Also impersonal in nature. 5. Pressure is less. 6. Anonymity.

Disadvantages of the Questionnaire 1. Returns are low if compared to the other methods used for the collection of the data. 2. Response is also less. 3. Less flexible in working. 4. Occurrence of errors. 5. Less reliable. 6. Sometimes answers obtained can be wrong. 7. Not efficient in the depth problems.

Precautions in Preparation of Questionnaire Know how (and whether) you will use the results of your research before you start. If, for example, the results won't influence your decision or you can't afford to implement the findings or the cost of the research outweighs its usefulness, then save your time and money; don't bother doing the research. The research objectives and frame of reference should be defined beforehand, including the questionnaire's context of time, budget, manpower, intrusion and privacy. How (randomly or not) and from where (your sampling frame) you select the respondents will determine whether you will be able to generalize your findings to the larger population. The nature of the expected responses should be defined and retained for interpretation of the responses, be it preferences (of products or services), facts, beliefs, feelings, descriptions of past behavior, or standards of action. Unneeded questions are an expense to the researcher and an unwelcome imposition on the respondents. All questions should contribute to the objective(s) of the research. If you "research backwards" and determine what you want to say in the report (i.e., Package A is more/less preferred by X% of the sample vs. Package B, and y% compared to Package C) then even though you don't know the exact answers yet, you will be certain to ask all the questions you need - and only the ones you need - in such a way (metrics) to write your report. The topics should fit the respondents frame of reference. Their background may affect their interpretation of the questions. Respondents should have enough information or expertise to answer the questions truthfully. The type of scale, index, or typology to be used shall be determined. The level of measurement you use will determine what you can do with and conclude from the data. If the response option is yes/no then you will only know how many or what percent of your sample answered yes/no. You cannot, however, conclude what the average respondent answered. The types of questions (closed, multiple-choice, open) should fit the statistical data analysis techniques available and your goals. Questions and prepared responses to choose from should be neutral as to intended outcome. A biased question or questionnaire encourages respondents to answer one way rather than another. Even questions without bias may leave respondents with expectations. The order or "natural" grouping of questions is often relevant. Prior previous questions may bias later questions. The wording should be kept simple: no technical or specialized words. The meaning should be clear. Ambiguous words, equivocal sentence structures and negatives may cause misunderstanding, possibly invalidating questionnaire results. Double negatives should be reworded as positives. If a survey question actually contains more than one issue, the researcher will not know which one the respondent is answering. Care should be taken to ask one question at a time. The list of possible responses should be collectively exhaustive. Respondents should not find themselves with no category that fits their situation. One solution is to use a final category for "other ________". The possible responses should also be mutually exclusive. Categories should not overlap. Respondents should not find themselves in more than one category, for example in both the "married" category and the "single" category - there may be need for separate questions on marital status and living situation. Writing style should be conversational, yet concise and accurate and appropriate to the target audience. Many people will not answer personal or intimate questions. For this reason, questions about age, income, marital status, etc. are generally placed at the end of the survey. This way, even if the respondent refuses to answer these "personal" questions, he/she will have already answered the research questions. "Loaded" questions evoke emotional responses and may skew results. Presentation of the questions on the page (or computer screen) and use of white space, colors, pictures, charts, or other graphics may affect respondent's interest or distract from the questions.

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

10

Numbering of questions may be helpful. Questionnaires can be administered by research staff, by volunteers or self-administered by the respondents. Clear, detailed instructions are needed in either case, matching the needs of each audience.

2. Interview Method An interview is a conversation between two people (the interviewer and the interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee. According to Vivien Palmar, the interview constitutes a social situation between the two persons, the psychological process involved requiring both the individuals mutually respond through the social research. The purpose of the interview calls for a varied response from the two parties concerned.

Following are the types of Interview methods widely used for data collection in Research Methodology A. According to the formality (a) Formal interview Set of well defined questions are presented by the interviewer. Answers are noted down according to the given rules. (b) Information interview Full authority is with the interviewer for carrying out the needed alterations in the various questions. B. According to number (a) Personal interview Single person is interviewed. Close personal contracts between the interviewer and the interviewee can be established. Uneconomical of time and money. Intimate and the personal aspects of the individual can be obtained. (b) Group interview Two or more persons are interviewed. Helps in gathering the routine information. Economical of time and money. Information obtained is very superficial in nature. C. According to purpose (a) Diagnostic interview Helps in knowing the causes or the cause of a malady. Useful in the clinical psychology and also in the psychoanalysis. (b) Treatment interview On the diagnosis of the cause of the psychological malady further interviews are conducted. By these interviews, patient comes to know about his malady which may be due to the mental, complex or the faulty life style. (c) Research interview Helps to collect the data about a particular research problem. Questions to be asked during the interview are pre determined. (d) Interviews to fulfil curiosity Used to satisfy some of the questions that are lurking in the mind of a scientist. D. According to the period of contact (a) Short contact interview Helps in filling up the schedules, tables etc. A short duration of such an interview is sufficient. (b) Prolonged contact interview In contact with research by schedule, the case history method needs prolonged interviews. E. According to subject manner (a) Qualitative interview Involve non quantifiable subject matter. For e.g. interviews held for the case studies. (b) Quantitative interview Certain facts for a large number of persons are gathered. For e.g. census interviews. (c) Mixed interview Both routine and specialized data is sought. Some of it may be quantifiable while some of it may be non quantifiable. F. According to role (a) Non Directive interview Also called free or unstructured interview. Interviewer has no control over things in such an interview. Interviewer provides no direction. Interviewer has no predetermined set of questions for asking. The informant is free to explain or tell his experience. (b) Focused interview Focuses attention on the given experience of the respondent and its effects. Interviewer knows in advance about the aspects of the question he has to cover. Used in the development of the hypothesis. (c) Repeated interview Helps in understanding the development of the processes. Helps in knowing the aspects affecting the behaviour pattern.

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

11

Advantages of the interview method 1. Very good technique for getting the information about the complex, emotionally laden subjects. 2. Can be easily adapted to the ability of the person being interviewed. 3. Yields a good percentage of returns. 4. Yields perfect sample of the general population. 5. Data collected by this method is likely to be more correct compared to the other methods that are used for the data collection. 3. Survey Method

Disadvantages of the interview method 1. Time consuming process. 2. Involves high cost. 3. Requires highly skilled interviewer. 4. Requires more energy. 5. May sometimes involve systematic errors. 6. More confusing and a very complicated method

According to Shelly M. Harrison, social survey is a, comparative undertaking which applies scientific method to the study and the treatment of the currently related social problems and the conditions having definite geographic limit and bearing, plus such a spreading of facts, conclusions and recommendations as will make them, as far as possible, the common knowledge of the community and a force for the intelligent coordinated action. Results obtained from this small part are applied to the whole universe. Types of Surveys 11. Official Survey 1. Factual Survey Conducted by the government through its departments. Needs factual information. 12. Semi Official Survey 2. Opinion Survey Conducted by the quasi government bodies like the universities, Opinion of the person interrogated is used to make an corporations etc. evaluation on a certain method. 13. Private Survey 3. Interpretive Survey Conducted by the individuals, associations, and the institutions The person interviewed has to do more than just reporting a etc., which are non government agencies. fact. 14. Confidential Survey Acts as an interpreter. Results and the data collected are kept secret. 4. General Survey 15. Public Survey Conducted to collect the general information. Results and data collected are shared with people i.e. are Involves no particular hypothesis. available for public. E.g. census of population. Characteristics of the Social Survey 5. Specific Survey 1. Are less intensive in nature and also involve widely Conducted mainly to study some specific problems. dispersed group of people. Helps in testing of the certain theories or hypotheses. 2. Data collected in a social survey can act as a proper base for Are very much to the point. carrying out further the various social research operations. Only information directly related to the particular purpose is 3. Helps in making the assertion about the distribution of the collected. characteristics in a population. 6. Regular Survey 4. Helps in carrying out the study of specific current problems Repeated after regular time intervals. of the society only. Economic surveys are type of regular surveys. 5. Uses methods like observation, interview etc for collecting Are carried on by permanent machinery created for collecting the data. the information. 7. Ad hoc Survey Are under taken once for all. Objectives of the Survey May be sometimes conducted in phases if the area of the 1. Collecting general information. investigation is very large. 2. To provide data that later helps in the formulation of the Help in testing a hypothesis. hypothesis. Helps in supplementing the missing information relating to 3. To enable the researcher to have direct and close contact with any research problem. the process or the phenomenon, that is being studied. 4. To know the people better by knowing their opinions and 8. Preliminary Survey Also called as the pilot study. their attitudes. Occupies the place of fore running of the final survey. 5. To explain the relationship between the various variables. Helps in getting the first hand knowledge of the universe to be 6. To refine and expand the old theories in order to get the new surveyed. theories. Helps in preparing the schedule or the questionnaire. Helps in the organization of the survey on the proper lines. Advantages of Survey 9. Census Survey 1. Researcher is able to directly get involved with the people Every single unit in the universe is contacted to collect the from whom he wants to get the information. information. 2. The results obtained from this method are not based on any Is a very time consuming process. type of theory but instead are based on the actual facts of the 10. Sample Survey life. Very convenient and time saving in nature. 3. Very helpful in the testing of the validity of the theories. Small part of the universe is taken as the representative of the 4. Offers greater objectivity. whole. 5. Very less possibilities of existence of the personal bias. 6. Help in the formulation of the hypothesis.

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

12

Disadvantages of survey. 1. Very expensive. 2. Very time consuming. 3. Wasteful method. 4. Less reliable.

5. Sometimes personal bias may vitiate the results. 6. Deals with the problems relating to the immediate importance only. 7. Occurrence of the non response errors.

B. Secondary Sources of data collection Secondary data is the data that have been already collected by and readily available from other sources. Such data are cheaper and more quickly obtainable than the primary data and also may be available when primary data can not be obtained at all. There are two major Secondary sources of data collection 1. Internal Sources of secondary data collection

Internal secondary data is usually an inexpensive information source for the company conducting research, and is the place to start for existing operations. Internally generated sales and pricing data can be used as a research source. The use of this data is to define the competitive position of the firm, an evaluation of a marketing strategy the firm has used in the past, or gaining a better understanding of the companys best customers. There are three main sources of internal data. These are: 1. Sales and marketing reports. These can include such things as: Date of purchase Type of product/service purchased Amount of purchase Type of end-user/industry segment Price Method of payment Application by product Product or product line Location of end-user Sales territory Salesperson 2. Accounting and financial records. These are often an overlooked source of internal secondary information and can be invaluable in the identification, clarification and prediction of certain problems. Accounting records can be used to evaluate the success of various marketing strategies such as revenues from a direct marketing campaign. The basis for accounting records concerned with sales is the sales invoice. The usual sales invoice has a sizable amount of information on it, which generally includes name of customer, location of customer, items ordered, quantities ordered, quantities shipped, dollar extensions, back orders, discounts allowed, date. In addition, the invoice often contains information on sales territory, sales representative, and warehouse of shipment. This information, when supplemented by data on costs and industry and product classification, as well as from sales calls, provides the basis for a comprehensive analysis of sales by product, customer, industry, geographic area, sales territory, and sales representative, as well as the profitability of each sales category. Unfortunately, most firms' accounting systems are designed primarily for tax reasons rather than for decision support.

3. Miscellaneous reports. These can include such things as inventory reports, service calls, number (qualifications and compensation) of staff, production and R&D reports. Also the companys business plan and customer calls (complaints) log can be useful sources of information.

2. External Sources of secondary data collection External Sources are sources which are outside the company in a larger environment. Collection of external data is more difficult because the data have much greater variety and the sources are much more numerous a). Published materials Sources of Published external secondary data include federal, state, and local govt., non-profit organisations, trade associations and professional marketing research firms.

Published secondary data classified further into two categories I). General Business Sources i) Guides Guide are an excellent source of standard or recurring information. Like AMA Bibliography Series, Business info sources, market Analysis and Encyclopaedia of business info sources ii) Directories

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

13

Brief descriptions of Individuals or Organisations Like: Organisation directories, The directory of MR Report, Studies & Survey etc. iii) Index It is possible to locate information on aperticular topic in several different publications by using an index. iv) Statistical data Market & Industry statics etc. II) Govt. Sources The Govt. produce large amount of secondary data i) Census The Census is the world's largest sources of statistical data. ii) Other Govt. Publications Government sources provide an extremely rich pool of data for the researchers. In addition, many of these data are available free of cost on internet websites. There are number of government agencies generating data. These are: i. Registrar General of India- It is an office which generate demographic data. It includes details of gender, age, occupation etc. Central Statistical Organization- This organization publishes the national accounts statistics. It contains estimates of national income for several years, growth rate, and rate of major economic activities. Annual survey of Industries is also published by the CSO. It gives information about the total number of workers employed, production units, material used and value added by the manufacturer. Director General of Commercial Intelligence- This office operates from Kolkata. It gives information about foreign trade i.e. import and export. These figures are provided region-wise and country-wise. Ministry of Commerce and Industries- This ministry through the office of economic advisor provides information on wholesale price index. These indices may be related to a number of sectors like food, fuel, power, food grains etc. It also generates All India Consumer Price Index numbers for industrial workers, urban, non manual employees and cultural labourers. Planning Commission- It provides the basic statistics of Indian Economy. Reserve Bank of India- This provides information on Banking Savings and investment. RBI also prepares currency and finance reports. Labour Bureau- It provides information on skilled, unskilled, white collared jobs etc. National Sample Survey- This is done by the Ministry of Planning and it provides social, economic, demographic, industrial and agricultural statistics. Department of Economic Affairs- It conducts economic survey and it also generates information on income, consumption, expenditure, investment, savings and foreign trade. State Statistical Abstract- This gives information on various types of activities related to the state like commercial activities, education, occupation etc.

ii.

CD-ROM (Telephone Directory) Internet Internet database can be accessed, search & analyzed on the internet. Like: Google a. Bibliographic Databases Composed of citations to articals in journals, Magazines, Newspapers, Market research study, Govt. Documents etc. b. Numeric Databases Numeric database containing numerical &statistical information. c. Full-Text Databases Database containing the compute text of secondary source documents comprising the database. d. Directory Databases Provide Information on individuals, organisations & Services. e. Special-Purpose Databases Database that contain information of a specific nature, e.g. Data on a specific Industry. c) Syndicate Services These services are provided by certain organizations which collect and tabulate the marketing information on a regular basis for a number of clients who are the subscribers to these services. So the services are designed in such a way that the information suits the subscriber. These services are useful in television viewing, movement of consumer goods etc. These syndicate services provide information data from both household as well as institution.

iii.

iv.

In collecting data from household they use three approaches i. ii. iii. Survey- They conduct surveys regarding - lifestyle, sociographic, general topics. Mail Diary Panel- It may be related to 2 fields Purchase and Media. Electronic Scanner Services- These are used to generate data on volume.

v. vi.

Importance of Syndicate Services Syndicate services are becoming popular since the constraints of decision making are changing and we need more of specific decision-making in the light of changing environment. Also Syndicate services are able to provide information to the industries at a low unit cost. Disadvantages of Syndicate Services The information provided is not exclusive. A number of research agencies provide customized services which suits the requirement of each individual organization. There are following types of Syndicate Services I. Household/Consumers i. Panel a. Purchase A data-gathering technique in which respondents record their purchases in a diary.

vii. viii.

ix.

x.

b) Computerised Data Online Database store in computers, which require a telecommunications network to access. Offline

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

14

b. Media A data-gathering technique that involves samples of respondents whose television viewing behaviour is automatically recorded by electronic devices, supplementing the purchase information recorded in a diary. ii Survey Interviews with the large number of respondents using with questionnaire. a. general b. Advertising Evaluation c. Psychographic & Lifestyle Identify the activities inwhic people are enganged. iii Electronic scanner service a. Scanner panel Data obtained by passing merchandise over a laser scanner that reads the UPC code from the packages. b. Scanner panel with Cable TV The combination of a scanner panel with manipulations of advertising that is being broad cast by Cable TV Companies. c. Volume Tracking Data Precautions in Collection of Data The investigator should take precautions before using the secondary data. In this connection, following precautions should be taken into account. 1. Suitable Purpose of Investigation: The investigator must ensure that the data are suitable for the purpose of enquiry. 2. Inadequate Data: Adequacy of the data is to be judged in the light of the requirements of the survey as well as the geographical area covered by the available data. 3. Definition of Units: The investigator must ensure that the definitions of units which are used by him are the same as in the earlier investigation. 4. Degree of Accuracy:

Scanner data that provide information on purchases by brand, size, price, and flavour or formulation. II. Institutions a. Wholesaler b. Retailer c. Industrial Firms i. Direct Inquiry ii. Clipping Service iii. Corporate Reports

The investigator should keep in mind the degree accuracy maintained by each investigator. 5. Time and Condition of Collection of Facts: It should be ascertained before making use of available data to which period and conditions, the data was collected. 6. Comparison: Investigator should keep in mind whether the secondary data' reasonable, consistent and comparable. 7. Test Checking: The use of the secondary data must do test checking and see that totals and rates have been correctly calculated. 8. Homogeneous Conditions: It is not safe to take published statistics at their face value without knowing their means, values and limitations.

Prof. Amit Kumar

MBA MK02 UNIT II

15

Anda mungkin juga menyukai