Mid-term Exam

Answer the following questions (30 Marks)

Question No. 1: Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the first stage of the marketing research process?

a. definition of research objectives

b. writing the research brief
c. recognition of a marketing management problem
d. design of secondary research
e. design of primary research

2. What is secondary data?

a. data that has already been published

b. unreliable data
c. back-up data
d. data contained in appendices
e. extra data

3. Sound marketing decisions can only be made on the basis of good quality
information. The data must be:

a. legal, decent, honest and truthful

b. timely, accurate, reliable and valid
c. specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timed
d. quantified, accurate and specific
e. political, economic, social and technological

4. Marketing is a process that creates, communicates and delivers.

a. Services to customers
b. Products to customers
c. Value to customers
d. Materialistic benefits to the customer
5. _____ is information collected specifically for a current research problem
or opportunity.

A. Primary data
B. Alternate data
C. Secondary data
D. Warehouse data
E. Backup data

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Which of the following statements is true about the marketing research 6.
process?

It narrows the applicability of the research process in solving organizational A.

problems and creating opportunities.
A more appropriate name for the information research process is now the B.
traditional marketing research process.
It is a systematic approach to collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and C.
transforming data into decision-making information.
It is especially useful when costs outweigh the value of the research. D.
It serves as a written contract between the decision maker and the researcher. E.

7. Which of the following is considered to be the last step in the marketing

research process?
A) presenting findings
B) analyzing information
C) controlling the environment
D) arriving at a decision
E) drafting the report
8. after collecting the relevant information, the next step in the marketing
research process is to ________.
A) Develop the research plan
B) Define the problem and research objectives
C) Present the project report
D) Make the final decision
E) Analyze the acquired data
9. Your colleague is confused about using the marketing research process, as he
knows that something is wrong but is not sure of the specific causes to
investigate. He seems to be having problems with ________, which is often the
hardest step to take.
a) Selecting a research agency to help
b) Defining the problem and research objectives
c) Developing the research plan
d) Determining a research approach
e) C and D
10. Which form of data below can usually be obtained more quickly and at a
lower cost than the others?
a) Primary
b) Survey research
c) Experimental research
d) Secondary
e) Observational research

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11. In marketing research, the ________ phase is generally the most expensive
and most subject to error.
a) Interpreting and reporting the findings
b) Exploratory research
c) Data collection
d) Planning
e) Data validation
12. Market research is function linking the consumer customer and public to
market through
a) The media
b) Information
c) Market research
d) All of the above
13. When a firm cannot conduct an entire marketing research project in house, it
must select an external supplier for one or more phases of the project. One of
the things that the firm does not need to consider or do when selecting an
external research supplier is _____.
a. compiles a list of prospective suppliers
b. realize that the cheapest bid is not always the best bid
c. develops criteria for selecting an outside supplier
d. all of the above must be considered or done

14. Which of the following statements is true regarding the marketing research
step "defining the problem"?
a) Defining the problem is the third most important step in the research process.
b) Defining the problem should be undertaken only after the project has been
approved by top management.
c) Defining the problem is the most important step in the marketing research
process.
d) Defining the problem should be undertaken only after a sufficient number of firms
have been gathered to conduct the marketing research project.
e) Defining the problem is the eighth step in the marketing research process.

15. Which of the following is true regarding research objectives?

a) Research objectives, when achieved, will provide sufficient earnings to obtain a
reasonable return on investment.
b) Research objectives, when obtained, will ensure the viability of the marketing
research department.
c) Research objectives, when achieved, provide the information necessary to
solve the problem.
d) Research objectives are seldom achieved but should be stated as goals to be
sought.

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e) Research objectives should never be put in writing until the fourth step of the
marketing research process.
16. Which step in the four-step marketing research process has been left out of
the following list: defining the problems and research objectives, implementing
the research plan, and interpreting and reporting the findings?
a) Developing the research budget
b) Choosing the research agency
c) Choosing the research method
d) Developing the research plan
e) Comparing and contrasting primary and secondary data

17. Which of the following is true about a decision support system?

a. DSS can enhance decision-making effectiveness by using “what if” analysis.
b. DSS have been further developed to expert systems that utilize artificial
intelligence procedures to incorporate expert judgment.
c. The information provided by a DSS is rigidly structured and cannot be easily
manipulated.
d. Both a and b are correct.

18. marketing research has become _____.

a. global
b. real time
c. more integrative with marketing and product development
d. all of the above

19. Soon after the Laura Secord Museum expanded its hours and began charging
a small fee to pay for the extra help needed to keep it open longer hours,
attendance decreased. What could museum staff use to determine why this
decrease in attendance occurred?
a. secondary data
b. marketing research
c. database marketing
d. an internal marketing audit

20. A private academy for children with learning disabilities has noticed a
gradually declining enrollment in spite of the addition of several scholarships.
Before conducting any marketing research to explain the decline in enrollment,
what will the school’s staff need to do?
a. Develop a survey to find out exactly what’s wrong.
b. Define the problem to be researched.
c. Determine who will be most likely to respond to their survey.
d. Select a market sample from everyone in the population.

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Question No. 2: True or False Statements.

1. Research firms are required to maintain client confidentiality. T

2. Creating customer profiles and understanding behavioral characteristics are major
focuses of any marketing research project. T
3. Secondary data is information collected for a current research problem or
opportunity. F
4. In order to do a situation analysis, a marketing researcher must depend solely on
the information provided by a client. F

5. A primary research must always be conducted along with collecting secondary data
to address a research problem. F

6. Marketing research is best defined as a set of techniques applied by specialists in

survey design or statistical methods. F

7. The task of marketing research is to assess the information needs and provide
management with relevant, accurate, reliable, cheap, and current information. F

8. International marketing research is much simpler to conduct than domestic

research. F
9. Marketing management decisions are complicated by interactions between the
uncontrollable marketing variables and the uncontrollable environmental factors. F

10. Marketing researchers are becoming more involved in decision making, whereas
marketing managers are not becoming more involved with research. F

11. It is best to do marketing research even if the resources are not available to
conduct a quality project. F

12. Problem definition is the most important step in the marketing research project. T

13. The purpose of interviewing experts is to help define the marketing research
problem rather than to develop a conclusive solution. T

14. To understand the background of a marketing research problem, the researcher

must understand the client’s firm and industry. T

15. To properly identify the marketing research problem, it is best to state the problem
in narrow, specific terms and identify its broad concepts. F

16. Marketing research suppliers can be classified as internal or external. T

17. When conducting international research, the environment established in the

countries, cultural units, or international markets that are being researched, influences
the way of the marketing research process should be performed. T

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18. Research questions ask what general information is required with respect to the
problem components. F

19. The problem audit provides a useful framework for interacting with the researcher
and identifying the underlying causes of the problem. F

20. Marketing research is classified into two areas—problem identification and

problem-solving research. T