international marketing research v. kumar chapter 11 questionnaire design

International Marketing Research V. Kumar

Chapter 11

Questionnaire Design


Opinions

Four men, a Saudi, a Russian, a North Korean, and a New Yorker are walking down the street. A marketing researcher says to them, “Excuse me, what is your opinion on the meat shortage?” The Saudi says, “What’s a shortage?” The Russian says, “What’s meat?” The Korean says, “What’s an opinion?” and the New Yorker says, “Excuse me? What’s an excuse?”


Questionnaire

• Questionnaire is the vehicle of communication between researcher and survey respondents

• Questionnaires make it possible to quantify various aspects of the research that are being studied.

• Researchers follow a specific sequence of steps to design a questionnaire


Designing the Questionnaire

Q u es tion n a ire in m u lt ip le lan g u ag es

P re tes tin g an d correc tin g p rob lem s

S eq u en c in g an d layou t d ec is ion s

M easu rem en t an d con s tru c t eq u iva len cy a ) F u n c tion a l eq u iva len cy

b ) C on cep tu a l eq u iva len cyc ) C a teg ory eq u iva len cy

Tran s la tiona) Tran s la te from E n g lish to fo re ig n lan g u ag e

b ) R e tran s la te b ack to E n g lish to en su re eq u iva len cy

Q u es tion n a ire w ord in g

F orm attin g th e q u es tion n a ire

P lan n in g w h at to m easu re


Designing the Questionnaire

Questionnaire building

is an art!

A questionnaireis always custom-built!


Designing the Questionnaire (Contd.)

Formatting the Question Decision to be made regarding the degree of freedom

to be given to the respondents in answering the questions

Alternatives Open ended with no classification Open ended where the interviewer uses precoded

classifications to record the response Close ended or structured format in which a question or a

supplementary card presents the responses to be considered


Factors that need to be considered when developing a questionnaire

• Respondent should understand the question

• Respondent must have adequate knowledge to answer the question

• Respondent should be willing to participate without any external coercion


Information collected by questionnaire

• Demographic data:

Respondent information based on age, sex, income, education, etc.

• Psychographic data:

Based on VALS (Values, Attitude, and Lifestyle)

Eg: Attitude of people towards credit

• Behavioral data:

Tracks the actual action taken by the consumer in terms of buying the product and the different ways in which the product is put to use


Organization of a Typical QuestionnaireLocation Type Function Example

Starting questions Broad, generalquestions

To break the ice andestablish a report withthe respondent

Do you own apersonal computer?

Next few questions Simple and directquestions

To reassure therespondent that thesurvey is simple andeasy to answer

What brands ofpersonal computersdid you considerwhen you bought it?

Questions up to athird of thequestionnaire

Focused questions Relate more to theresearch objectivesand convey to therespondent the area ofresearch

What attributes didyou consider whenyou purchased youpersonal computer?

Major portion of thequestionnaire

Focused questions;some may be difficultand complicated

To obtain most of theinformation requiredfor the research

Rank the followingattributes of apersonal computerbased on theirimportance to you

Last few questions Personal questionsthat may be perceivedby the respondent assensitive

To get classificationand demographicinformation about therespondent

What is the highestlevel of educationyou have attained?


Question Format

Open Vs Close ended:

Close-ended questions offer a set of choices, while open-

ended questions give the respondent the freedom to provide

his/her response.

• Close ended questions have the advantage

of easy analysis,

• They also have a drawback in the sense that a thorough

research has to be conducted and all possible options

must be included in the response set.


Question Format (contd)

Direct vs. Indirect:

Direct questions avoid ambiguity regarding the question

content and meaning while indirect questions probe the

respondent by asking them to list choices of their friends

or peers rather than their own.

Examples: It is common to discuss sexual preferences in

the United States, but this is taboo in a lot of Asian

cultures.


Question Format (contd)

Verbal vs. Non-verbal:

Most questionnaires are designed such that questions can be read

out to respondents. E.g.: Interviews, Mail Surveys Sometimes

non-verbal cues become necessary. For E.g.: Target sample

consists of children or in countries where literacy levels are low.

Examples of non verbals are Picture cards and other visual

aids

Note: Visual aids can also be used in countries where literacy levels are high. This is

usually done to ensure that the translation of the questionnaire has been done correctly.


Types of Questions1. Open-response question:

People look for different things in a job. What would you prefer most in a job?

2. Close-response question:People look for different things in a job. What would you prefer most in a job?

Work that pays well Work that gives a sense of

accomplishment Work where you make most decisions

by yourself Work that is steady with little chance of

being laid off.


Closed-response Questions

What type of fast-food restaurant do you visit most often?

Burger MexicanChicken PizzaSeafood ChineseDon’t know Other (please specify)


Issues in Questionnaire Design

Ideally, the multiple choices should be mutually exclusive.

How many long-distance calls do make in a week?

less than 5 5-10 More than 10.


Number of Response Categories

Generally five to seven categories

Ideally the multiple choices should be mutually exclusive


Order of Response Categories Responses are likely to be affected by the

order in which they are presented.What factor influences your fast-food

restaurant choice most ? Convenient location Quality of food Menu selection Fast service Reasonable prices Brand name Cleanliness


Order of Response Categories

To prevent order bias, place the average or expected response at various positions in the sequence of categories


Range of Response Categories Respondents who do not know the answer

might take categories as cues.

How many long-distance calls do make in a week?

less than 5 less than 10 5-10 or 10-20 More than 10. More than

20.


Handling uncertainty

Should respondents be provided with aDon’t know or No opinion option?

Sometimes this is an easy way out Sometimes it is the true fact Error is introduced either way!


Wording

• Respondent base should decide wording

• Questions should be short and precise

• Break questions into smaller topics

• Keep questions free of bias and ambiguity


Question Wording

Avoid ambiguous words

How many times per month do you visit a fast-food restaurant?

Never Occasionally Sometimes Often


Question Wording

Are any questions "double-barreled”?

Are you satisfied with the price and the service of Taco Bell?


Question Wording

Is the question applicable to all respondents?

Why do you like fast-food?

Assumes that respondent likes fast-food.


Pretesting and Correcting Problems

Pretest Design Pretesting Specific Questions For

Variation Meaning Task difficulty Respondent interest and attention

Pretesting the Questionnaire Flow of the questionnaire Skip patterns Length

Respondent Interest and Attention


Tips on Questionnaire Design Designing a questionnaire for international marketing research

involves a lot of preparation by the researcher. Following are some of the pitfalls to avoid when designing questionnaires:

– Avoid using complicated words and long, complex sentences.

– Do not use words or phrases that are specific to one country or culture. They may not be understood by all respondents. This is particularly true of diverse cultures where the people speak many languages and dialects.

– Do not use double-barreled questions. A double-barreled question is one that combines two questions into one and creates ambiguity for the respondent. An example would be to ask respondents if they are satisfied with the price and quality of a product. Respondents who are satisfied with one but not the other will not be able to answer this question.


Tips on Questionnaire Design (cont..)

– Do not use questions that are leading or loaded. These questions convey the opinion of the researcher and force the respondent to answer one way or another. Consider the question, “Don’t you agree that the Internet is a good source of information?” This is a leading question that forces the respondent to answer in a manner that is acceptable to the researcher. A loaded question introduces a very subtle bias. “What do you think is a good source of information---the Internet or some other medium?” Is an example of a loaded question. Avoid using words and phrases that convey strong emotions to the respondent.


Tips on Questionnaire Design (cont.)

– Instructions should not confuse the respondents. Keep the instructions short and precise.

– Avoid asking questions that are not applicable to respondents. Asking college students about desktop or laptop computer ownership in the United States is relevant. Asking the same question to college students in many developing countries may induce bias in the results


Translation

• Important for both verbal and non-verbal stimuli

• Translation-back-translation useful

• May not be possible to translate all words and phrases

• Pretesting helps ensure quality of translation


Cultural Issues

• Pay attention to social, psychological and

ethnic aspects of society

• Concept should be familiar to the respondent


Construct Equivalence

•Functional equivalence:

Involves establishing that given concept of behavior serves the same purpose or

function from country to country.

Example: In the United States bicycles are primarily used for recreation, but in several developing countries they serve as a mode of transportation. Hence in the U.S., the relevant competing products would be other recreational sports items. In other countries, the competing products could be other modes of transportation.



– Conceptual equivalence:

Deals with individual interpretation of objects and stimuli. The focus is on individual variations in attitudes and behavior rather than societal norms and behavior.( as was the case with functional equivalence)

People from different cultures exhibit personality traits, such as aggression, authoritanism, or need for affiliation.

Example: In the U.K., engagement implies commitment to marry, whereas in Italy or Spain, it merely means having a boyfriend or girlfriend.



– Category equivalence:

Relates to categories in which relevant objects or other stimuli are placed.

For Example: In many countries beer is considered a soft drink.

A lot of countries differ in the way they classify soft drinks, carbonated sodas, powdered or liquid concentrates, etc.

Occupations are placed in different categories in different countries.


What’s in a Name? Chevrolet launched its “Nova” in the Mexican market without giving

any thought to the implications of the name, which, in Spanish, translated to “does not go.” There were no takers for a car that was called “does not go.”

A sign in a zoo in Hungary had the following to say: “Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.”

Coors translated its slogan, “Turn it loose,” into Spanish, which read “Suffer from Diarrhea.”

“Nik Nak” potato chips failed dismally in the United Arabic Emirates because the word means aphrodisiac in Arabic

A restaurant in Switzerland had the following sign: “Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.”


What’s in a Name? (cont.)

Clairol introduced its “Mist Stick,” a curling iron, in Germany, only to find that “mist” is slang for manure in German.

Pepsi’s “Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation” translated into “Pepsi brings you ancestors back from the grave” in Chinese.

Dress shop in Hong Kong: “Ladies have fits upstairs.” “Cool-Piz” and “Pokari Sweat” tried to penetrate the soft drink

market in Korea and failed for obvious reasons. Online airline ticket office in Denmark proudly advertised “We

take your bags and send them in all directions.” Sign in a hotel in Romania: “The lift is being fixed for the next

day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.”


Randomized Response Technique

P[Yes] = P[Yes|S.Q] * P[S.Q] + P[Yes|I.Q] * P[I.Q]

where

S.Q = Sensitive Question

I.Q = Innocent Question


Exercises

Why did you purchase a Sony brand Walkman?

Price was lower than other alternatives Feel it represents the highest quality Availability of local service Sound is better Warranty is better Looks good


Exercises

Have you ever listened to a Long John Silvers radio commercial?

Which of the following restaurants do you visit frequently?

Burger King Pizza Hut James Coney Island


Exercises

Do you agree that, since fast-food restaurants produce a disproportionate amount of waste, they should be subject to an additional environmental tax?

Yes No


Exercises

How often do you eat fast food?

Daily Every second day Once a week Every two weeks

international marketing research v. kumar chapter 11 questionnaire design

Documents

research objectives

marketing researcher

respondent information

whats meat

questionnairedemographic

psychographic data

creditbehavioral data

demographic information