Types of surveys and their features

Individual Assignment: Week 4 QNT 561 November 1, 2010 Lee Chang Question 5 In the following situations, decide whether you would use a personalinterview, telephone survey, or self-administered questionnaire.

Give your reasons. a) A survey of the residents of a new subdivision on why they happened to select that area in which to live. You also wish to secure some information about what they like and do not like about life in the subdivision. In this situation I would use a personal interview to acquire the desired information. Many subdivisions have an interview process before with the association to fit the required profile of the neighborhood and some of the information can be obtained at the initial interview. After some time passes a follow up interview can be conducted to acquire the rest of the information. In addition minimal staff is needed to conduct the surveys and get the information which means a lower cost.

This will also lead to good cooperation from the new residents of the sub-division. b. A poll of students at Metro University on their preferences among three candidates who are running for president of the student government. For this situation I would choose a personal interview. On many campuses these types of surveys are administered by a volunteer student group. The use of the groups means less overhead costs making the personal interviews favorable and able to endure for weeks before the vote. For the participants there will be a higher level of cooperation as opposed to telephone and or self-administered survey.

In addition follow-up question can be asked leading to more in-depth analysis of the perception of the candidates. The only disadvantage in this situation would be participants unwillingness to talk to strangers on campus. b) A survey of 58 wholesale grocery companies, scattered over the eastern United States, on their personnel management policies for warehouse personnel. For surveying 58 grocery companies over the eastern seaboard I would use a telephone survey. The telephone survey could be conducted by a trained interviewer who would be able to extract the information pertaining to the personnel management policies for warehouse personnel. The telephone survey allows the company to expand the geographic coverage with minimal cost although in some situations this will increase costs in this situation all being on the east coast time can be arranged to reach all 58 wholesale companies. c) A survey of financial officers of the Fortune 500 corporations to learn their predictions for the economic outlook in their industries in the next year.

Given the nature of the survey I would use a self administered survey. With the need to reach a large geographic sample for the fortune 500 a self administered survey would be the most appropriate. Many of these surveys have been conducted in previous years and the use of the internet and email would be the best to reach all of the FOs and obtained the desired information. The Financial Officers are relatively impossible to reach so the self-administered survey is the best option. In addition this is the lowest cost option given the minimal staff needed to tabulate the predictions for the economic outlook in their respective industries for the up-coming year. Looking at the level of sophistication of the information more complex tools can be utilized for the self-administered survey. d) A study of applicant requirements, job tasks, and performance expectations as part of a job analysis of student work-study jobs on a college campus of 2, 000 students, where 1, 500 are involved in the work-study program.

This survey would be best conducted by a phone survey. To reach 2, 000 students and obtain the amount of information needed for the study a phone survey would be best. With work study there will be hard-to-reach participants using a phone survey and a computerized random dialing system will be the most efficient survey method. Although some participants may not be reached due to not working numbers and some incomplete responses the benefits out way the disadvantages. References: Cooper, D. R. & Schindler, P.

S. (2006). Business research methods (9th ed. ). Boston: McGraw Hill/Irwin.