Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation, 6e (Malhotra)

Chapter 13 Fieldwork

1) Fieldwork is the sixth step in the marketing research process.

Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 401
LO : 1

2) The persons who design the research frequently collect marketing research data.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 402
LO : 1

3) All fieldwork involves the selection, training, and supervision of persons who collect data.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 402
LO : 1

4) Researchers generally agree that the more characteristics the interviewer and the respondent
have in common, the smaller the probability of a successful interview.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 403
LO : 1

5) The typical interviewer is a married woman age 25 to 34, with an above-average education
and an above-average household income.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 404
LO : 1

6) Training of field workers can be conducted by video conferencing or using the Internet.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 404
LO : 2

7) Training ensures that all interviewers administer the questionnaire in the same manner so that
the data can be collected uniformly.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 404
LO : 2

8) A slight change in the wording, sequence, or manner in which a question is asked does not
distort its meaning or bias the response.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 404
LO : 2

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9) (AO?) stands for the probing comment "any other reason."
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 405
LO : 2

10) Interviewers should record responses after the interview.

Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 405
LO : 2

11) The general rule for recording answers to unstructured questions is to check the box that
reflects the respondent's answer.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 405
LO : 2

12) When recording respondents' answers, interviewers should include all probes and comments.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 405
LO : 2

13) As a part of central office control, supervisors should keep a record of hours worked and
expenses.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 407
LO : 3

14) Cheating involves falsifying part of a question or the entire questionnaire.

Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 407
LO : 3

15) To validate the study, the supervisors call 25 to 30 percent of the respondents to inquire
whether the field workers actually conducted the interviews.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407
LO : 3

16) The evaluation of field workers should be based on the criteria of cost and time, response
rates, quality of interviewing, and quality of data.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407-408
LO : 4

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17) If interviewer costs differ by city size, comparisons should be made only among field
workers working in comparable cities.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407-408
LO : 4

18) Supervisors can help interviewers with an inordinate number of refusals by listening to the
introductions they use and providing immediate feedback.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 407-408
LO : 4

19) The quality of interviewing should be evaluated in terms of the appropriateness of the
introduction.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 407-408
LO : 4

20) In their guidelines on interviewing, the Council of American Survey Research Organizations
suggests that interviewers do not reveal the identity of the ultimate client unless instructed to do
so.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 408
LO : 4

21) In their guidelines on interviewing, the Council of American Survey Research Organizations
suggests that interviewers have unnecessary side conversations with the respondent in an effort
to make the respondent more comfortable.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 408
LO : 4

22) In their guidelines on interviewing, the Council of American Survey Research Organizations
suggests that interviewers keep a tally on each terminated interview and the reason for each
termination.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 408
LO : 4

23) Marketing research is being given a negative image because of the misperception that
marketing researchers misuse information they collect.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 410-411
AACSB: Ethical Reasoning
LO : 7

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24) To make the respondents more comfortable and informed, some marketing research firms
and fieldwork agencies provide potential respondents with toll free numbers to verify the
information given by the field workers and to take the survey over the phone.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 410-411
AACSB: Ethical Reasoning
LO : 7

25) Which of the following activities is not fieldwork?

A) a worker mailing questionnaires from an office
B) an observer counting customers in a particular section of a store
C) a statistician analyzing the results of a survey
D) a telephone interviewer calling from a central location
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 401
LO : 1

26) The Council for Marketing and Opinion Research offered several guidelines for reducing
refusal rates related to fieldwork. Which of the following is not one of those guidelines?
A) The subject matter should always be disclosed to the respondents.
B) Courtesy should be exercised when deciding what hours of the day to call respondents.
Calling between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. is recommended.
C) If mall respondents indicate the time is not convenient, an appointment should be made to
conduct the interview later.
D) Interviewer training programs should be routinely administered so that field workers will be
effective at their jobs.
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 401-402
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
LO : 1

27) Which of the following is not one of the general qualifications of fieldworkers?
A) healthy
B) outgoing
C) experienced and middle-aged
D) pleasant appearance
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 402-403
LO : 1

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28) The training of field workers is critical. Which of the following statements is not true
regarding making the initial contact?
A) Interviewers should be trained to make opening remarks that will convince potential
respondents that their participation is important.
B) The interviewer should specifically ask the respondent's permission.
C) The interviewer should be instructed on handling objections and refusals.
D) The initial contact can result in cooperation or the loss of potential respondents.
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 404-405
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
LO : 2

29) Which of the following initial contact statements should be avoided?

A) May I have some of your valuable time?
B) We highly value your opinion and would like to ask you a few questions.
C) Would you like to answer a few questions?
D) Both A and C should be avoided.
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 404-405
LO : 2

30) If you are receiving field worker training and you are being told to "Ask questions in the
order in which they appear in the questionnaire;" and to "Repeat questions that are not
understood," then you are learning about which aspect of field worker training?
A) probing
B) making initial contact
C) asking questions
D) recording the answer
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 404-405
LO : 2

31) If you are receiving field worker training and are told to use an expectant pause or to reassure
the respondent with comments like, "There are no right or wrong answers. We are just trying to
get your opinions." then you are learning about which aspect of field worker training?
A) probing
B) making initial contact
C) asking questions
D) recording the answer
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 404-405
LO : 2

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32) Which statement is not true about probing?
A) Probing is intended to motivate respondents to enlarge on, clarify, or explain their answers.
B) Probing helps respondents focus on the specific content of the interview and provide only
relevant information.
C) Changing the phrasing or order of questions during the interview can make significant
differences in the response obtained.
D) Probing should not introduce any bias.
Answer: C
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 404-405
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
LO : 2

33) All of the following are commonly used probing techniques except ________.
A) using objective/neutral questions or comments
B) ask each applicable question
C) boosting or reassuring the respondent
D) eliciting clarification
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 404-405
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
LO : 2

34) "Do not summarize or paraphrase the respondent's answers." would be instructions included
in the ________ aspect of field worker training?
A) terminating the interview
B) probing
C) recording the answer
D) asking questions
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 404-405
LO : 2

35) Which statement is correct about terminating the interview?

A) Any spontaneous comments the respondent offers after the formal questions have been asked
should be recorded.
B) The interviewer should answer the respondent's questions about the project.
C) The respondent should be left with a positive feeling about the interview.
D) All of the above statements are correct.
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 404-405
LO : 2

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36) Supervision of field workers includes all of the following except ________.
A) quality control and editing
B) sampling
C) control of cheating
D) central office control
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407
LO : 3

37) Which aspect of supervising field workers requires checking to see if the field procedures are
being properly implemented?
A) quality control and editing
B) control of cheating
C) central office control
D) sampling control
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407
LO : 3

38) Supervisors involved in quality control and editing should do all of the following except
________.
A) supervisors should do some interviewing
B) supervisors should provide tabulation of important demographic characteristics
C) supervisors should collect questionnaires and other forms and edit them daily
D) supervisors should keep a record of hours worked and expenses
Answer: B
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
LO : 3

39) Which aspect of supervision ensures that the interviewers strictly follow the sampling plan
rather than select sampling units based on convenience or accessibility?
A) quality control and editing
B) control of cheating
C) central office control
D) sampling control
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 407
LO : 3

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40) Supervisors should keep daily records of the number of calls made, number of not-at-homes,
number of refusals, number of completed interviews for each interviewer, and the total for all
interviewers under their control. These daily records are a part of ________.
A) quality control and editing
B) control of cheating
C) central office control
D) sampling control
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 407
LO : 3

41) Which aspect of supervision includes tabulation of quota variables, important demographic
characteristics, and answers to key variables?
A) quality control and editing
B) control of cheating
C) central office control
D) sampling control
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407
LO : 3

42) ________ means verifying that the field workers are submitting authentic interviews.
A) Validation of fieldwork
B) Sampling control
C) Control of cheating
D) Evaluation of field workers
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407
LO : 3

43) The evaluation of field workers should be based on which of the following criteria?
A) cost and time
B) response rates
C) quality of the data
D) all of the above
Answer: D
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 407-408
LO : 4

44) Field workers should be evaluated on which of the following?

A) time spent interviewing
B) time spent on administration activities
C) time spent traveling
D) all of the above
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407-408
LO : 4

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45) The quality of interviewing should be evaluated in terms of ________.
A) interpersonal skills displayed during the interview
B) the ability to record all replies verbatim
C) the manner in which the interview is terminated
D) A and C are correct.
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407-408
LO : 4

46) The quality of interviewing should be evaluated in terms of ________.

A) the precision with which the field worker asks questions
B) the ability to ask sensitive questions
C) the ability to probe in an unbiased manner
D) All of the above are correct.
Answer: D
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407-408
LO : 4

47) Indicators of quality data include all of the following except ________.
A) providing a tally on each terminated interview and the reason for termination
B) item nonresponse occurs infrequently
C) all instructions, including skip patterns, are followed
D) the answers to unstructured questions are meaningful and complete enough to be coded
Answer: A
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 407-408
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
LO : 4

48) Which statement does not apply only to international research?

A) Local fieldwork agencies are unavailable in many countries.
B) Local field workers can create an appropriate climate for the interview and be sensitive to the
concerns of the respondents.
C) A global approach to marketing research is desired, which may require using the same
methodologies for studies conducted in the United States so that U.S. data can be compared to
other countries.
D) Interviewer cheating may be more of a problem in many foreign countries than in the United
States.
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 409-410
AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity
LO : 5

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49) Respecting the respondent's privacy, feelings, and dignity and ensuring the integrity of the
data collection process are aspects of ________.
A) ethics in marketing research
B) evaluation of field workers
C) training of field workers
D) supervision of field workers
Answer: A
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 410-411
AACSB: Ethical Reasoning
LO : 6

50) Which SPSS data entry product allows you to simply print the form after it has been
designed for a mail survey or personal interviewing?
A) SPSS DE Builder
B) SPSS Data Entry Station
C) SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server (DEES)
D) none of the above
Answer: A
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 412
AACSB: Use of IT
LO : 7

51) Which SPSS data entry product allows you to upload a copy of the questionnaire to a Web
server so that data-entry operators or respondents can log on using a password and enter their
results without having to install anything on their local machine?
A) SPSS DE Builder
B) SPSS Data Entry Station
C) SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server (DEES)
D) none of the above
Answer: C
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 412
AACSB: Use of IT
LO : 7

52) Which SPSS data entry product allows you to simulate a proper CATI system because you
can prepopulate the data with the phone number and basic details of the respondent so the
information appears as the operator moves through the list?
A) SPSS DE Builder
B) SPSS Data Entry Station
C) SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server (DEES)
D) none of the above
Answer: B
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 412
AACSB: Use of IT
LO : 7

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