Data Collection Forms: Part II

Chris Totten has just begun a summer internship at Caldera Industries, a national supplier of electronics components. Caldera’s clients include OEM (original equipment manufacturers) firms that market televisions, home stereo and audio, and computer products to the general public. Returning from lunch, Chris finds a memo and questionnaire in her mailbox (see Exhibits 1 and 2).

Questions

• Evaluate the questionnaire in relation to the issues raised by Manuel Ortega.
• How would you recommend the instrument be pretested?

E x h i b i t 1

Caldera Industries

Serving our Customers’ Electronics Needs for over 22 Years

Internal Memorandum

TO: Chris Totten

Marketing Analyst Intern

cc: Caren Menlo Marketing Manager

From: Manuel Ortega

Vice President for Sales and Marketing

Date: May 23, 2003

Regarding: Evaluation of Market Research Questionnaire

In three weeks, I will be meeting with executives from a number of our client companies. One of the items on the agenda is the research project our company has agreed to undertake on their behalf. At that meeting, the final version of our questionnaire will be distributed and approved.

On the attached pages is an initial draft of the Consumer Electronics Questionnaire we plan on using for the study. As the newly hired marketing intern, and because of your marketing research coursework experience, I suggested to our marketing manager, Caren Menlo, that reviewing the questionnaire would make an ideal first assignment for you. She agreed.

Please examine the attached questionnaire and provide me with a written memo of your analysis, comments, and suggestions for improvement (if you believe any are warranted) within two (2) weeks. More specifically, I am interested in your comments on the following issues:

• The type and amount of information being sought
• Appropriateness of the type of questionnaire designed and its method of administration
• The content of questions in the draft document
• Response formats used for the various questions
• Question wording
• Question sequencing
• Physical characteristics and layout of the instrument

I am also interested in any comments or suggestions you have on pretesting the questionn aire. I look forward to reading your memo.

1This case was prepared by Michael R. Luthy, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing, W. Fielding Rubel School of Business, Bellarmine University, 2001 Newburg Road, Louisville, KY 40205. Reprinted with permission. © Cengage Learning

E x h i b i t 2 Consumer Electronics Research Questionnaire

Directions: This questionnaire has been developed for a consortium of computer and home entertainment companies (who wish to remain anonymous). Complete all questions and mail this questionnaire to us today.

Quality Research Associates 5716 N. Woodlawn Court Champaign, IL 61820

• Name:
• Sex:
• How old are you:

Mr. Mrs.

• Intelligence: Only completed college degree (Bachelor’s)

Completed some graduate work

Completed graduate degree

Completed graduate degree beyond masters

• Ethnic Status: White Asian

Black Indian

Asian Other What?

• Political Party Support: Democrat

Republican

Independent

Other

• Your Occupation:
• Spouse’s Name and Age:
• Number of Children: (if children, go to question 61)
• Your Company:
• Your Work Fax Number: ( ) -
• How Long Have You Been Married: Never married

Less than a year

Between 1 and 5 years

Over 5 but less than 10 years

Over 15 years but less than 20 years

More than 20 years

• Your Annual Income: $
• Social Security Number: - -
• The sponsors of this research are constantly introducing new products that they believe you (and your loved one, if any) will be interested in. In order to better make you aware of these offerings, please provide your telephone number below.

( ) -

• Do you own a computer at home or at work?

Yes No

• During an average week, how much time do you spend on it?

Hours Minutes

• Doing what mostly?

For each of the products listed below, please indicate the extent of your satisfaction with it, ceteris paribus, by either circling or placing an “X” on the line to the right of each statement.

• Apple Computers and Peripherals.
• Gateway Computers and Peripherals.
• Dell Computers and Peripherals.
• IBM Computers and Peripherals.
• Samsung Computers and Peripherals.
• Hewlett-Packard Computers and Peripherals.
• MacIntosh Computers and Peripherals.
• Hitachi, Ltd. Computers and Peripherals.
• Unisys Computers and Peripherals.
• Tandy Computers and Peripherals.

Mild Satisfaction Extremely Satis fi ed

(Continued)

case 10 539

E x h i b i t 2

Consumer Electronics Research Questionnaire (Continued)

29. Without being too loquacious, what emerging trends or technologies do you see as important to you that computer manufacturers

(both hardware and software) should consider in developing new products?

30. How many different computer chatrooms have you visited in the last month?

1–2

2–3

3–4

more than four

Below is a listing of ways in which people interact with consumer electronics on a quasi regular basis. What percentage of your time do

you typically spend with each?

On A verage,

Check Below Number of

If Yo u Do Do “Others” Present

Not Use Use During Y our Usage

31. % Work related computer activities

32. % Entertainment related computer activities

33. % Watching Network Television

34. % Watching Cable Television

35. % Watching Premium Cable Services

36. % Watching Rented Movies on VCR

37. % Watching Rented Movies on DVD

38. % Listening to Music on Radio or on CD’s

39. % Other (specify)

Referencing the music you listen to, vis à vis your response to question 38 above (see question 38 if needed), which are your favorite

musical periods or types? Please indicate your first 10 choices in numerical order.

40. Earlier than Renaissance

41. Renaissance

42. Baroque

43. Classical

44. Romantic

45. Impressionistic

46. Neo-Classical

47. Contemporary

48. Contemporary Christian

49. Rock

50. Hard Rock

51. Grunge Rock

52. Jazz

53. Easy Listening

54. Jazz/Rock Fusion

55. Bluegrass

56. Contemporary

57. Folk Music

58. Country

59. Western

60. Other

540 case 10

E x h i b i t 2 Consumer Electronics Research Questionnaire (Continued)

• Chart your child’s usage of the following computer-related activities in 2002: (A never, B once to twice a per month, C once to twice a week, D every week, E twice or more per week, F daily, G multiple times a day). If you have more than one child, use the computer usage of the oldest.

Word Processing

EXCEL

Database Programs

E-Mail

Internet “Surfing”

Internet Chatrooms

Games

Jan 1–Jan 15

Jan 16–Jan 31

Feb 1–Feb 15

Feb 16–Feb 28

Mar 1–Mar 15

Mar 16–Mar 31

Apr 1–Apr 15

Apr 16–Apr 30

May 1–May 15

May 16–May 31

Jun 1–Jun 15

Jun 16–Jun 30

Jul 1–Jul 15

Jul 16–Jul 31

Aug 1–Aug 15

Aug 16–Aug 31

Sep 1–Sep 15

Sep 16–Sep 30

Oct 1–Oct 15

Oct 16–Oct 31

Nov 1–Nov 15

Nov 16–Nov 30

After completing, return to question 23

What is the most you would be willing to spend to purchase the following consumer electronic products if you were going to purchase them within the next year? and why?

• $ DVD player
• $ External Zip drive
• $ Big Screen Television
• $ Portable Stereo or Television
• $ Digital Camera

Why?

• To what degree do you believe that access to the Internet A E is important to your family’s entertainment needs?
• What emerging trends or technologies do you see as important to you that computer manufacturers (both hardware and software ) should consider in developing new products?

• On a separate sheet of paper, please provide the names and addresses of at least three (3) friends or relatives that have r ecently (within the last two years) purchased an advanced consumer electronics product so that we may contact them.

Mail your completed questionnaire in a standard business size envelope to:

Quality Research Associates 4518 North Trails End Cleveland, OH 34454

(a first-class stamp will be needed)