business research session 6 observation
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
1/24
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
2/24
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
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
3/24
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.
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
4/24
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).
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
5/24
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
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
6/24
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
7/24
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)
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
8/24
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
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
9/24
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
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
10/24
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!
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
11/24
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!
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
12/24
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?
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
13/24
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)
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
14/24
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)
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
15/24
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!
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
16/24
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)
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
17/24
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
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
18/24
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,
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
19/24
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!
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
20/24
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
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
21/24
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
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
22/24
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!
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
23/24
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!
-
8/14/2019 Business Research Session 6 Observation
24/24
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.