Star classification

OBSERVATION METHOD:
Commonly used in behavioral sciences
It is the gathering of primary data by investigators own direct observation of relevant people,
actions and situations without asking from the respondent.e.g.
A hotel chain sends observers posing as guests into its coffee shop to check on cleanliness and
customer service.
A food service operator sends researchers into competing restaurants to learn menu items
prices, check portion sizes and consistency and observe pointof purchase merchandising.
A restaurant evaluates possible new locations by checking out locations of competing
restaurants, traffic patterns and neighborhood conditions.
!bservation can yield information which people are normally unwilling or unable to provide.e.g.
!bserving numerous plates containing uneaten portions the same menu items indicates that food
is not satisfactory.
Types of Observation:
". #tructured $ for descriptive research
%. &nstructured'for e(ploratory research
). *articipant !bservation
+. ,on participant observation
-. .isguised observation
Liitations:
/eelings, beliefs and attitudes that motivate buying behavior and infre0uent behavior cannot be
observed.
1(pensive method
2ecause of these limitations, researchers often supplement observation with survey research.
S!RVE" METHOD
Approach most suited for gathering descriptive information.
#tructured #urveys3 use formal lists of 0uestions asked of all respondents in the same way.
&nstructured #urveys3 let the interviewer probe respondents and guide the interview according to
their answers.
#urvey research may be .irect or Indirect.
.irect Approach3 4he researcher asks direct 0uestions about behaviors and thoughts. 1.g. why
dont you eat at 5ac.onalds6
Indirect Approach3 4he researcher might ask3 78hat kind of people eat at 5ac.onalds69
/rom the response, the researcher may be able to discover why the consumer avoids
5ac.onalds. It may suggest factors of which the consumer is not consciously aware.
ADVANTA#ES:
can be used to collect many different kinds of information
:uick and low cost as compared to observation and e(perimental method.
LIMITATIONS:
;espondents reluctance to answer 0uestions asked by unknown interviewers about things they
consider private.
2usy people may not want to take the time
may try to help by giving pleasant answers
unable to answer because they cannot remember or never gave a thought to what they do and
why
may answer in order to look smart or well informed.
$ONTA$T METHODS3
Information may be collected by
5ail
4elephone
*ersonal interview
Mail %&estionnaires3
Advantages3
can be used to collect large amounts of information at a low cost per respondent.
respondents may give more honest answers to personal 0uestions on a mail 0uestionnaire
no interviewer is involved to bias the respondents answers.
convenient for respondents who can answer when they have time
<ood way to reach people who often travel
=imitations3
not fle(ible
take longer to complete than telephone or personal interview
response rate is often very low
;esearcher has no control over who answers.
Telep'one Intervie(in)3
:uick method
5ore fle(ible as interviewer can e(plain 0uestions not understood by the respondent
.epending on respondents answer they can skip some :s and probe more on others
allows greater sample control
;esponse rate tends to be higher than mail
.rawbacks3
Cost per respondent higher
#ome people may not want to discuss personal :s with interviewer
Interviewers manner of speaking may affect the respondents answers
.ifferent interviewers may interpret and record response in a variety of ways
under time pressure, data may be entered without actually interviewing
*ersonal Intervie(in):
It is very fle(ible and can be used to collect large amounts of information.
4rained interviewers are can hold the respondents attention and are available to clarify difficult
0uestions.
4hey can guide interviews, e(plore issues, and probe as the situation re0uires.
*ersonal interview can be used in any type of 0uestionnaire and can be conducted fairly 0uickly.
Interviewers can also show actual products, advertisements, packages and observe and record
their reactions and behavior.
4his takes two forms
Individual Intercept interviewing
<roup /ocus <roup Interviewing
Intercept intervie(in)3
8idely used in tourism research.
allows researcher to reach known people in a short period of time.
!nly method of reaching people whose names and addresses are unknown
involves talking to people at homes, offices, on the street, or in shopping malls.
interviewer must gain the interviewees cooperation
time involved may range from a few minutes to several hours >for longer surveys compensation
may be offered?
involves the use of @udgmental sampling i.e. interviewer has guidelines as to whom to
7intercept9, such as %-A under age %B and C-A over age DB
.rawbacks3
;oom for error and bias on the part of the interviewer who may not be able to correctly @udge
age, race etc.
Interviewer may be uncomfortable talking to certain ethnic or age groups.
+oc&s #ro&p Intervie(in):
It is rapidly becoming one of the ma@or research tools to understand peoples thoughts and
feelings.
It is usually conducted by inviting si( to ten people to gather for a few hours with a trained
moderator to talk about a product, service or organization. 4he meeting is held in a pleasant
place, and refreshments are served to create a rela(ed environment.
4he moderator needs ob@ectivity, knowledge of the sub@ect and industry, and some understanding
of group and consumer behavior.
4he moderator starts with a broad 0uestion before moving to more specific issues, encouraging
open and easy discussion to bring out true feelings and thoughts.
At the same time, the interviewer focuses the discussion, hence the name focus group
interviewing.
often held to help determine the sub@ect areas on which 0uestions should be asked in a later,
largescale, structureddirect interview Comments are recorded through note taking or
videotaped and studied later to understand consumer buying process.
4his method is especially suited for managers of hotels and restaurants, who have easy access to
their customers. 1.g. some hotel managers often invite a group of hotel guests from a particular
market segment to have a free breakfast with them. 5anagers get the chance to meet the guests
and discuss what they like about the hotel and what the hotel could do to make their stay more
en@oyable and comfortable.
4he guests appreciate this recognition and the manager gets valuable information.
;estaurant managers use the same approach by holding discussion meetings over lunch or
dinner.
Dra(bac,s:
Cost3 may cost more than telephone survey
#ampling3 group interview studies keep small sample size to keep time and cost down, therefore
it may be difficult to generalize from the results.
Interviewer bias.