Business Research Session 6 Observation

8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation

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Observation

Any form of behaviour can be observed

Uninvolved observation is the purestform of research

It is the only methodology for certaingroups of respondents (children, animals)

Observation may be participative (in which

the observer is in an assumed or openrole) or may be through mechanicalmeans


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The problems with observation!

Getting people to admit what they do

(particularly if it is socially undesirable!)

Interpreting what they do

Translating findings into managerial

actions

Getting people to accept changes in theirpattern of behaviour.


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An ethical issue

Is it ethical to observe a person mechanicallywhen they do not know they are being observedor have given their consent? (As via a video)

Even worse when you go into a situation in anassumed role (It might be called spying!)

However if you tell them they are to be observedwill they still behave in the same normal way?

(The Hawthorne Effect).


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Some forms of observation

Monitoring of web site traffic

Content analysis of advertisements, etc

Garbage analysis Physical inventories (A.C.Neilson)

Monitoring physiological reactions

(psychogalvanometers, voice pitchanalysers, pupilometers, eye trackers)

Bar code scanners


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Some of the problems with

experimentation

Keeping all other variables constant while

you manipulate one only

Interaction between variables

Unexpected competitive reactions (price

reduction might be matched!)

Selection of test beds (same reactivity?) Effect is very often not equal to simple

economics (advertising for example)


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Some alternative forms of

experimental design In parallel experiment: Two test beds used

simultaneously to get rid of the problem of timedifference

In sequence experiment: Use of only one testbed to get rid of the problems of differentialreactivity of test beds (but has the alternativeproblem of time difference!)

Double Blind trial: Where neither subject noradministrator knows which alternative is beingused


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Experimental Validity

Internal validity: Are the observedchanges solely due to the dependentvariable or are there other factors which

might be causing the observed effect

External validity: To what extent can theresults of the experiment be generalised

outside the experiment to a wider set ofsituations


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Different authors, different

emphases

Read Zikmund: Chapter 12. This author is

a far bigger fan of business experimentsthan I am!

Personal experience has taught me thereare so many possible errors, and thingswhich can go wrong, that they are far too

risky to consider, and questionable interms of the results they generate!


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Surveys: A problem of

communication Idea I wish to get information about encoding

into words communication via speechreceived via hearing decoded by recipientsomething is understood

(On the basis of this)

A response is formulated within the brain it isencoded into words communicated via speech

received via hearing recorded by theinterviewer something is understood !!!

12 stages to ask one question!


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Surveys: The Metrics

With whom: Definition of target market,sample size and selection.

How: Methods of contact

With what: Questionnaires and schedules

Medium: Electronic or printed

Time and Cost: What is the budget?


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Errors in survey design

Random sample design / Self selection

bias

(Readers of the Bangkok Post say .)

Respondent error: Non response error /

refusals / leading to substitution?

Response bias (telling lies / semanticsmisunderstanding / fading memory)


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Response Bias

The yes respondent says yes to everything!A desire to please

Extremity / central tendency in responses

Interviewer bias (through age, dress, bodylanguage, voice, etc)

Auspices (the credibility and stated position ofthe survey sponsors)

Social desirability / status / image bias(responding to maintain a social position and / ornon admission of social problems)


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Different types of survey

Cross sectional survey: A snapshot ofcustomer behaviour at one particularinstant in time. May be repeating similar

studies done at different times Longitudinal surveys: May use totally the

same sample of respondents (a panel) ora rotating panel (NRS / TGI) or a totallydifferent sample on each occasion. Thelatter has the problem with comparability!


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Different forms of contact

Electronically / Telecommunications (SMS,

Internet, voice activation telephone, callcentre (CAT) research, interactive TV,

mobile telephone, fax, e-mail, etc)

Mail contacts

Personal interviewing

(See excellent summary on Page 228:Zikmund)


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Evaluation of electronic methods

Positives: Fast, cheap, geographically flexible,high respondent anonymity, often goodcooperation, adaptable to IT technology

Negatives: Precise and simple wording, limitedareas for discussion, limited times for contact,allows cheating, certain groups difficult tocontact, limited length, sample self selecting


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Evaluation of mail surveys

Positives: Can be cheap, sensitive areas canbe addressed (nobody present), all familymember completion, time period (diary)

research, geographical flexibility, time toconsider replies, question precision, can be upto 6 / 8 pages long

Negatives: Cheating, misunderstanding, slow,

low response rate, biased response rate, notversatile, no interviewer available forclarification,


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Response rates: Incentives or not?

Do incentives increase response? YES

Group or individual incentive? DEPENDS

Pre or post completion? Related / unrelated to survey?

Value? THANK YOU OR BRIBE!

Hygiene factors which will improveresponse without incentives!


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Hygiene factors to increase

response (mainly mail surveys!)

High quality presentation in all aspects of

survey design (paper, layout, interviewerappearance, etc)

Covering letter with assurances ofanonymity, contact number for queries,clearly stated objectives, sharing of results

Reply paid envelope (stamp not Freepost)

Follow up for late respondents


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Personal Interviews

Very flexible

Only as good as the interviewer!

Can gather a large volume of information

Can probe and go into difficult areas

Expensive or very expensive!

Lack of respondent anonymity

Less chance of respondent lying

Location / timing can influence response


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What makes a good interviewer?

The person has to accept they are simplya pipe in the flow of information

They should, in all aspects ,be neutral

(dress, manner, attitude, ethnicity, etc) They should be (a) trained in interviewing

techniques and (b) trained in this particular

survey Remember there is always interviewer

bias people like people like themselves!


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Different types of survey instrument

Must be suited to the survey methodology

Questionnaires / Schedules.

Self completion / Monitored completion /

recorded completion Length and organisation is vital to improve

response.

Level of structure determined by questiontypology Remember you have to analyseit subsequently, so keep it simple!


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Schedules

Very loose type of questionnaire wherethere is little or no structure

Used by TV interviewers, who make up

the questions based on a series of topicsto be covered

Best use when dealing with executives,

where informality is the key. No sequence/ structure to contact

Difficult to analyse, other than as narrative.

Business Research Session 6 Observation

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