Question Bank - MR

8/12/2019 Question Bank - MR

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Question Bank

Questions carrying 3 marks:

You should know the explanation of all terms used in the subject for example:

(This is only an indicative list and not an exhaustive list

1. Nominal Scale:-

! discrete classification of data" in which data are neither measured nor ordered but

subjects are merely allocated to distinct categories

For example" a record of students# course choices constitutes nominal data which could

be correlated with school results$

2. Interval Scale

! scale of measurement of data according to which the differences between values can be

%uantified in absolute but not relative terms and for which any &ero is merely arbitrary:

for instance" dates are measured on an interval scale since differences can be measured in

years" but no sense can be given to a ratio of times$

3. Ratio Scale

! scale of measurement of data which permits the comparison of differences of values' a

scale having a fixed &ero value$ The distances travelled by a projectile" for instance" are

measured on a ratio scale since it makes sense to talk of one projectile travelling twice as

far as another$

4. Inepenent !aria"le

!n independent variable is the variable that is changed in a scientific experiment$

ndependent variables are the variables that the experimenter changes to test their

dependent variable$

#xamples:

! scientist is testing the effect of light and dark on the behavior of moths by turning a

light on and off$ The independent variable is the amount of light and the moth#s reaction

is the dependent variable$

! change in the independent variable directly causes a change in the dependent variable$
http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/g/Definition-Of-Dependent-Variable.htmhttp://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/g/Definition-Of-Dependent-Variable.htm


2/20

$. %epenent !aria"le

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured in an experiment$

For example" in a study on the effects of tutoring on test scores" the dependent variable

would be the participants test scores$

n a psychology experiment" researchers are looking at how changes in the independent

variable cause changes in the dependent variable$

&. Response !aria"le

n a statistical model you have two kinds of variable$ )esponse variables are the *outputs+

of your model$ ,xplanatory variables" on the other hand" are the *inputs+ of your model$

)esponse variables are dependent on the explanatory variables$ ,xplanatory variables are

independent of the response variables$ mage you were trying to formulate a statistical

model of your car-s fuel economy$ The *output+ of your model is miles per gallon$ That-s

your response variable$ *nputs+ into your model might be engine capacity" number of

cylinders" trye pressure" etc$ These are your explanatory variables$ That is" fuel economy

may be" or is" (to be determined by the modeling dependent on engine capacity and.or

number of cylinders and.or trye pressure" etc$

'. (pen-ene Question

!n open ended %uestion is a %uestion that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no" or

with only one or two words" where the person answering the %uestion has to answer it in

his" or her own words$

/any open ended %uestions begin with how" what" when" where" why etc" or ask for an

opinion$! fantastic example is this %uestion$ t is impossible to answer with a simple yes" or no$

(pen-ene )uestionsshould begin with words such as 0why0 and 0how0 or phrases

such as 01hat do you think about $ $ $0 2penended %uestions should lead student to think

analytically and critically$4ltimately" a good openended %uestion should stir discussion

and debate in the classroom sparking enthusiasm and energy in your students$


3/20

*. +lose-ene Question

! close-ene )uestionis a %uestionformat that limits respondents with a list of

answer choices from which they must choose to answer the %uestion$ 5ommonly these

type of %uestions are in the form ofmultiple choices" either with one answer or with

checkallthatapply" but also can be in scale format" where respondent should decide to

rate the situation in along the scale continuum" similar to 6ikert %uestions$

,. ilot est

! pilot test is a method that is used to test the design and.or methods and.or instrument

before carrying out the research$ t involves conducting an initial test of data collection

instruments and processes to spot and eradicate errors$

1/. 0ikert Scale

4sed mainly intrainingcourse evaluationsand marketsurveys" 6ikert scales usually

have five potentialchoices(strongly agree" agree" neutral" disagree" strongly disagree but

sometimes go up to ten or more$ The final averagescore representsoverall level of

accomplishment or attitudetoward the subject matter$ 7amed after its inventor" the

48organi&ationalbehaviorpsychologist 9r$ )ensis 6ikert (;ecause of the

extending lines" this type of graph is sometimes called a boxandwhisker plot$
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_choicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_choicehttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/training.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/evaluation.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/market.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/survey.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/choice.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/average.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/represent.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/attitude.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/inventor.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-behavior.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_choicehttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/training.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/evaluation.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/market.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/survey.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/choice.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/average.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/represent.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/attitude.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/inventor.htmlhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-behavior.html


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12. alo #ect

The halo effect is a type of cognitive bias in which our overall impression of a person

influences how we feel and think about his or her character$ ,ssentially" your overall

impression of a person (0?e is nice@0 impacts your evaluations of that person#s specifictraits (0?e is also smart@0$

2ne great example of the halo effect in action is our overall impression of celebrities$8ince we perceive them as attractive" successful" and often likeable" we also tend to see

them as intelligent" kind" and funny$

13. Qualitative Researc

Qualitative research is designed to reveal a target audience-s range of behavior and theperceptions that drive it with reference to specific topics or issues$ t uses indepth studies

of small groups of people to guide and support the construction of hypotheses$ The

results of %ualitative research are descriptive rather than predictive$

Qualitative research methods originated in the social and behavioral sciences: sociology"

anthropology and psychology$ Today" %ualitative methods in the field of marketingresearch include indepth interviews with individuals" group discussions (from two to ten

participants is typical' diary and journal exercises' and incontext observations$ 8essionsmay be conducted in person" by telephone" via videoconferencing and via the nternet$


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14. Quantitative Researc

Quantitative research A including surveys and customer %uestionnaires A can help

small firms to improve their products and services by enabling them to make informed

decisions

Quantitative research is about asking people for their opinions in a structured way so that

you can produce hard facts and statistics to guide you$ To get reliable statistical results"

it-s important to survey people in fairly large numbers and to make sure they are a

representative sample of your target market$


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Questions carrin5 ' marks:

$ ,xplain the difference between Qualitative and Quantitative research$

Qualitative Methods Quantitative Methods

Methods include focus groups, in-depthinterviews, and reviews of documents

for types of themes

Surveys, structured interviews &observations, and reviews of records or

documents for numeric information

Primarily inductive process used to

formulate theory or hypotheses

Primarily deductive process used to

test pre-specified concepts, constructs,and hypotheses that make up a theory

More subjective: describes a problemor condition from the point of view of

those eperiencing it

More objective: provides observedeffects !interpreted by researchers" of

a program on a problem or condition

#et-based $umber-based

More in-depth information on a fewcases

%ess in-depth but more breadth ofinformation across a large number of

cases

nstructured or semi-structured

response options

'ied response options

$o statistical tests Statistical tests are used for analysis

(an be valid and reliable: largelydepends on skill and rigor of the

researcher

(an be valid and reliable: largelydepends on the measurement device

or instrument used

#ime ependiture lighter on theplanning end and heavier during the

analysis phase

#ime ependiture heavier on theplanning phase and lighter on the

analysis phase

%ess generali)able More generali)able


7/20

B$ ,xplain different types of /easurement 8cales$

pes o %ata 6 7easurement Scales: Nominal8 (rinal8 Interval an Ratio

There are four measurement scales (or types of data: nominal" ordinal" interval and

ratio$ These are simply ways to categori&e different types of variables$ This topic is

usually discussed in the context of academic teaching and less often in the *real world$+

f you are brushing up on this concept for a statistics test" thank a psychologist

researcher named8tanley 8tevensfor coming up with these terms$ These four

measurement scales (nominal" ordinal" interval" and ratio are best understood with

example" as you-ll see below$
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Smith_Stevenshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Smith_Stevenshttp://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/types-of-data-measurement-scales.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Smith_Stevens


8/20

Nominal

6et-s start with the easiest one to understand$ 7ominal scales are used for labeling

variables" without any%uantitativevalue$ +7ominal+ scales could simply be called

*labels$+ ?ere are some examples" below$ 7otice that all of these scales are mutually

exclusive (no overlap and none of them have any numerical significance$ ! good way

to remember all of this is that *nominal+ sounds a lot like *name+ and nominal scales are

kind of like *names+ or labels$

,xamples of 7ominal 8cales

Note: a subtype of nominal scale with only two categories (e$g$ male.female is called

*icotomous$+ f you are a student" you can use that to impress your teacher$

5ontinue reading about types of data and measurement scales: nominal" ordinal" interval"

and ratioC
http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/quantitative-vs-qualitative-research-whats-the-difference/http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/example-of-nominal-scales.pnghttp://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/quantitative-vs-qualitative-research-whats-the-difference/


9/20

(rinal

1ith ordinal scales" it is the order of the values is what-s important and significant" but

the differences between each one is not really known$ Take a look at the example below$

n each case" we know that a DE is better than a D3 or DB" but we don-t knowFand cannot

%uantifyFhow much better it is$ Gor example" is the difference between *2H+ and

*4nhappy+ the same as the difference between *Iery ?appy+ and *?appyJ+ 1e can-t

say$

2rdinal scales are typically measures of nonnumeric concepts like satisfaction"

happiness" discomfort" etc$

*2rdinal+ is easy to remember because is sounds like *order+ and that-s the key to

remember with *ordinal scales+Fit is the order that matters" but that-s all you really get

from these$

!dvanced note: The best way to determine central tendency on a set of ordinal data is to

use the mode or median' the mean cannot be defined from an ordinal set$

,xample of 2rdinal 8cales
http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ordinal-scales.png


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Interval

nterval scales are numeric scales in which we know not only the order" but also the exact

differences between the values$ The classic example of an interval scale

is 5elsius temperature because the difference between each value is the same$ Gor

example" the difference between K< and L< degrees is a measurable < degrees" as is the

difference between =< and M< degrees$ Time is another good example of an interval scale

in which the increments are known" consistent" and measurable$

nterval scales are nice because the realm of statistical analysis on these datasets opens

up$ Gor example" central tendency can be measured by mode" median" or mean' standard

deviation can also be calculated$

6ike the others" you can remember the key points of an *interval scale+ pretty easily$

+nterval+ itself means *space in between"+ which is the important thing to rememberF

interval scales not only tell us about order" but also about the value between each item$

?ere-s the problem with interval scales: they don-t have a *true &ero$+ Gor example"

there is no such thing as *no temperature$+ 1ithout a true &ero" it is impossible to

compute ratios$ 1ith interval data" we can add and subtract" but cannot multiply or

divide$ 5onfusedJ 2k" consider this: < degrees N < degrees O B< degrees$ 7o problem

there$ B< degrees is not twice as hot as < degrees" however" because there is no such

thing as *no temperature+ when it comes to the 5elsius scale$ hope that makes sense$

>ottom line" interval scales are great" but we cannot calculate ratios" which brings us to

our last measurement scaleC

,xample of nterval 8cale
http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/example-of-interval-scale.jpeg


11/20

Ratio

)atio scales are the ultimate nirvana when it comes to measurement scales because they

tell us about the order" they tell us the exact value between units" !79 they also have an

absolute &eroFwhich allows for a wide range of bothdescriptive and inferential

statisticsto be applied$ !t the risk of repeating myself" everything above about interval

data applies to ratio scales N ratio scales have a clear definition of &ero$ Pood examples

of ratio variables include height and weight$

)atio scales provide a wealth of possibilities when it comes to statistical analysis$ These

variables can be meaningfully added" subtracted" multiplied" divided (ratios$ 5entraltendency can be measured by mode" median" or mean' measures of dispersion" such as

standard deviation and coefficient of variation can also be calculated from ratio scales$

!ds by Iideo layer!d 2ptions

This 9evice rovides Two ,xamples of )atio 8cales (height and weight
http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/descriptive-inferential-statistics-difference/http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/descriptive-inferential-statistics-difference/http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/descriptive-inferential-statistics-difference/http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/descriptive-inferential-statistics-difference/http://rvzr-a.akamaihd.net/sd/apps/adinfo-1.0-p/index.html?bj1WaWRlbyBQbGF5ZXImaD1ydnpyLWEuYWthbWFpaGQubmV0JmM9Z3JlZW4mbz13c2FyJmQ9JnQ9MTsyOzM7NDs1OzY7Nzs4Ozk7MTA7MTE7MTI7MTM7MTQmYT00MzAwJnM9MTAwOSZ3PXd3dy5teW1hcmtldHJlc2VhcmNobWV0aG9kcy5jb20mYj1iZDImcmQ9JnJpPQ==http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/example-of-ratio-scale.jpeghttp://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/descriptive-inferential-statistics-difference/http://www.mymarketresearchmethods.com/descriptive-inferential-statistics-difference/http://rvzr-a.akamaihd.net/sd/apps/adinfo-1.0-p/index.html?bj1WaWRlbyBQbGF5ZXImaD1ydnpyLWEuYWthbWFpaGQubmV0JmM9Z3JlZW4mbz13c2FyJmQ9JnQ9MTsyOzM7NDs1OzY7Nzs4Ozk7MTA7MTE7MTI7MTM7MTQmYT00MzAwJnM9MTAwOSZ3PXd3dy5teW1hcmtldHJlc2VhcmNobWV0aG9kcy5jb20mYj1iZDImcmQ9JnJpPQ==


12/20

3$ ,xplain with example conversion of a management %uestion to a research %uestion

E$ ,xplain the advantages and disadvantages of primary and secondary data$

9%!9N9#S (F RI79R; R#S#9R+

ar5ete Issues are aresse

The organi&ation asking for the research has the complete control on the process and the

research is streamlines as far as its objectives and scope is concerned$ )esearching

company can be asked to concentrate their efforts to find data regarding specific market

rather than concentration on mass market$

%ata interpretation is "etter

The collected data can be examined and interpreted by the marketers depending on their

needs rather than relying on the interpretation made by collectors of secondary data$

#icient Spenin5 or Inormation

4nlike secondary research where the marketer may spend for information that is not

needed" primary data collections- focus on issues specific to the researcher improves the

chances that research funds will be spent efficiently$

%ecenc o %ata

4sually secondary data is not so recent and it may not be specific to the place or situation

marketer is targeting$ The researcher can use the irrelevant seeming information for

knowing trends or may be able to find some relation with the current scenario$ Thus

primary data becomes a more accurate tool since we can use data which is useful for us$

roprietar Issues

nformation collected by using primary research is their own and is generally not shared

with others$ Thus" information can be kept hidden from competitors and potentially offer

an *information advantage+ to the company that undertook the primary research$ This

gives an edge over competitors replying on secondary data$


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9resses Speciic Researc Issues

5arrying out their own research allows the marketing organi&ation to address issues

specific to their own situation$ rimary research is designed to collect the information the

marketer wants to know (8tep B and report it in ways that benefit the marketer$ Gorexample" while information reported with secondary research may not fit the marketer-s

needs (e$g$" different age groupings no such problem exists with primary research since

the marketer controls the research design$

reater +ontrol

7ot only does primary research enable the marketer to focus on specific issues" it also

enables the marketer to have a higher level of control over how the information is

collected$ n this way the marketer can decide on such issues as si&e of project (e$g$" how

many responses" location of research (e$g$" geographic area and time frame for

completing the project$

%IS9%!9N9#S (F RI79R; R#S#9R+

i5 +ost

5ompared to secondary research" primary data may be very expensive since there is a

great deal of marketer involvement and the expense in preparing and carrying out

research can be high and has to design everything$

ime +onsumin5

To be done correctly primary data collection re%uires the development and execution of a

research plan$ Poing from the startpoint of deciding to undertake a research project to

the endpoint to having results is often much longer than the time it takes to ac%uire

secondary data" which can be collected in much lesser time duration$


14/20

Inaccurate Fee-"acks

n case the research involves taking feedbacks from the targeted audience" there are high

chances that feedback given is not correct$ Geedbacks by their basic nature are usually

biased or given just for the sake of it$

7ore num"er o resources is re)uire

6eaving aside cost and time" other resources like human resources and materials too are

needed in larger %uantity to do surveys and data collection$

9%!9N9#S (F S#+(N%9R; %99

#ase o 9ccess

There are many advantages to using secondary research$ This includes the relative ease of

access to many sources of secondary data$ n the past secondary data accumulation

re%uired marketers to visit libraries" or wait for reports to be shipped by mail$ 7ow with

the availability of online access" secondary research is more openly accessed$ This offers

convenience and generally standardi&ed usage methods for all sources of secondary

research$

0o< +ost to 9c)uire

The use of secondary data has allowed researchers access to valuable information for

little or no cost to ac%uire$ Therefore" this information is much less expensive than if the

researchers had to carry out the research themselves$

+lariication o Researc Question

The use of secondary research may help the researcher to clarify the research %uestion$

8econdary research is often used prior to primary research to help clarify the research

focus$

7a 9ns


15/20

the exact information they were looking to uncover is already available through

secondary sources$ This would effectively eliminate the need and expense to carry out

their own primary research$

7a So< %iiculties in +onuctin5 rimar Researc

n many cases" the originators of secondary research include details of how the

information was collected$ This may include information detailing the procedures used in

data collection and difficulties encountered in conducting the primary research$

Therefore" the detailed difficulties may persuade the researcher to decide that the

potential information obtained is not worth the potential difficulties in conducting the

research$

%IS9%!9N9#S (F S#+(N%9R; %99

Qualit o Researc

There are some disadvantages to using secondary research$ The originators of the primary

research are largely selfgoverned and controlled by the marketer$ Therefore" the

secondary research used must be scrutini&ed closely since the origins of the information

may be %uestionable$ /oreover" the researcher needs to take sufficient steps to critically

evaluate the validity and reliability of the information provided$

Not Speciic to Researcer=s Nees

n many cases" secondary data is not presented in a form that exactly meets the

researcher-s needs$ Therefore" the researcher needs to rely on secondary data that is

presented and classified in a way that is similar to their needs$

Incomplete Inormation

n many cases" researchers find information that appears valuable and promising$ The

researcher may not get the full version of the research to gain the full value of the study$

This is because many research suppliers offer free portions of their research and then

charge expensive fees for their full reports$


16/20

Not imel

1hen using secondary research" one must exercise caution when using dated information

from the past$ 1ith companies competing in fast changing industries" an outofdate

research reports many have little or no relevance to the current market situation$

$. #xplain te ierence "et


17/20

!fter numbering each member of the population to 7" determining the population si&e

and the sample si&e" the researcher selects a starting point on the random number table$

This is done by closing one-s eyes and pointing randomly on the page$ 1hichever

number your finger is touching is the number you start with$ Then" you must choose a

direction in which to read (up to down" left to right" or right to left$ 7ext" you select the

first nnumbers (however many numbers are in your sample whose last R digits are

between < and 7$ Gor instance" if 7 is a 3 digit number" then R would be 3$ ut another

way" if your population contained 3L< people" you would use numbers from the table

whose last 3 digits were between < and 3L


18/20

stimulus inputs" hypothetical constructs" response outputs and exogenous variables$

This are the three levels of decision making:

$ Extensive problem solving early stages of decision making in which the buyer has little

information about brands and has not yet developed well defined and structured criteria by which

to choose among products$

B$ Limited problem solving this is a more advance stage" choice criteria are well defined

but the buyer is still undecided about which set of brands will best serve him$ Thus the consumer

still experiences uncertainty about which brand is best$

3. Routinized response behaviour buyers have well defined choice criteria and also have

strong predispositions toward the brand$ 6ittle confusion exists in the consumer#s mind and he is

ready to purchase a particular brand with little evaluation of alternatives$

The model then borrows from learning concepts to explain brand choice behavior over time as

learning takes place and the buyer moves from exclusive to routini&ed problem solving behavior$

?ere the four major components get involved$

The Input Variables

The input variables consist of informational cues about the attributes of a product or brand (i$e$

%uality" price" distinctiveness" service and availability$ This informational cues may

be significative if they influence the consumer directly through the brand#s attributes

orsymbolicif they derive from the same factors as they are portrayed in the mass media and by

salespeople" influencing the consumer in a indirect way$ these two sources are commercial" in

that they represent the efforts of the firm to build and project these values in the product$ ! third

set of informational cues may come from the buyer#s social environment" including the family"

reference groups and social class which are influences that are internali&ed by the consumer

before they can affect the decision process$

Hypothetical Constructs


19/20

?ypothetical constructs have been classified in two groups perceptual constructs and learning

constructs$ The first deals with the way the individual perceives and responds to the information

from the input variables" accounting for stimulus ambiguity and perceptual bias$ The second

deals with the stages from the buyer motives to his satisfaction in a buying situation$ The

purchase intention is an outcome of the interplay of buyer motives" choice criteria" brand

comprehension" resultant brand attitude and the confidence associated with the purchase

decision$ The motives are general or specific goals impelling to action" impinging upon the buyer

intention are also the attitudes about the existing brand alternatives in the buyer#s evoked set"

which result in an arrangement of an order of preference regarding brands$ >rand comprehension

and the degree of confidence that the buyer has about it" choice criteria and buying intentions"

converge upon the intention to buy$

!s a feedback component of learning" the model includes another learning constructsatisfaction

which refers to the post purchase evaluation and resultant reinforcing of brand comprehension"

attitudes etc$ (shown by broken lines in the figure$

Output Variables

The five output variables in the right hand portion of the model are buyer#s observable responses

to stimulus inputs$ They are arranged in order from !ttention to !ctual urchase$ The purchase

is the actual" overt act of buying and is the se%uential result of the attention (buyers total

response to information intake" the brand comprehension" brand attitude (referring to the

evaluation of satisfying potential of the brand and the buyer intention (a verbal statement made

in the light of the above externali&ing factors that the preferred brand will be bought the next

time the buying is necessitated$

Exogenous Variables

The model also includes some exogenous variables which are not defined but are taken asconstant$ These influence all or some of the constructs explained above and through them" the

output$ 8ome exogenous variables are importance of the purchase" time at the disposal of the

buyer" personality traits" financial status etc$


20/20

/ost scholars agree that the study of consumer behavior was advanced and given an impetus by

?oward 8heth /odel$ The major advantage and strength of the theory lied in the precision with

which a large number of variables have been linked in the working relationships to cover most

aspects of the purchase decision and the effective utili&ation of contribution from the behavioral

sciences$ The weakness stems from the fact that" there being substantial measurement error" the

theory cannot be realistically tested$ The distinction between the exogenous and endogenous

variables is not clear cut$ !nd some of these variables do not lend themselves easily to

measurement and other defy precise definition$

n spite all limitations" the model because of its comprehensive coverage of almost all aspects of

the purchase decision and operational explanation of the underlying stimuli and responses have

given a useful frame of reference for the study of buying decision over time$
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