NORTON UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL

Business Research Method

Lecturer: Dr. Pheak Sothea

Survey Research: Basic Methods of

Communication with Respondents

Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010

 Group Members
1. Ms. VANN Sreypao
2. Ms. MUT Soriyany
3. Mr. Run Sareom
4. Mr. RITH Chansothea
5. Mr. CHRIN Sokchi
6. Mr. TRY Veasna

2
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 Content
1. Media used to Communicate with Respondents
2. Personal Interviews
3. Telephone Interviews
4. Self-Administered Questionnaires
5. Selecting Appropriate Research Designs

3
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
Media Used to Communicate with
Respondents
a) Interviewer-administered survey
methods
1. Personal Interviews.
2. Telephone Interviews.
b) (Respondent) Self-administered survey
methods.
1. Paper-based
2. Electronic
c) Mixed-mode surveys.

4
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 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

5
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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.

6
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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.

7
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 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 Systems

a) Central Location Interviewing.
b) Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview.
c) Computerized Voice-Activated Telephone
Interviewing.
8
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 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.

9
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 Telephone Interviewing Systems
2. 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.

10
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 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.

11
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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.

12
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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.

13
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
[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)

14
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
Self-Administered Questionnaires Can Be Either Printed or Electronic

15
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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.

16
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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.

17
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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.
18
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
Electronic Self-Administered Questionnaires

Distribution Methods
1. E-mail
a) Text
b) HTML
c) File attachments
2. Internet
a) Bulletin boards
b) Web HTML
c) Downloadable surveys
3. Kiosk Interactive Surveys
4. On-site computers
5. Disk-by-mail (CD-ROM by mail)

19
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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

20
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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

21
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 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 capture
5. Easy callback capabilities
6. Personalized and flexible questioning
7. Respondent anonymity

22
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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

23
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
Advantages and Disadvantages of Typical Survey Methods

24
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
Advantages and Disadvantages of Typical Survey Methods

25
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
Methods for Increasing Response Rate
1. 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 postage
8. Interesting questions.
26
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 Example of
Cover Letter for
Household
Survey

Source: Reprinted with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 27

Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
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?

28
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 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

29
Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010
 THANKS
FOR

YOUR QUESTIONS

Norton University, MBA Student @ 2010