Page 240 - [Uma_Sekaran]_Research_methods_for_business__a_sk(BookZZ.org)

224 DATA COLLECTION METHODS

DETAILS OF STUDY MEASUREMENT

Purpose of the Types of Extent of researcher Measurement
Study setting
study investigation interference and measures
DATA
Operational ANALYSIS
Establishing: definition
Exploration – Causal relationships Minimal: Studying events Contrived
as they normally occur
Description – Correlations Items (measure) 1. Feel for
Hypothesis testing – Group differences, Manipulation and/or Noncontrived Scaling data
control and/or simulation
Categorizing
ranks, etc. Coding
PROBLEM STATEMENT 2. Goodness of
data

Unit of analysis
Sampling Time Data-collection
(population to
design horizon method
be studied)
3. Hypotheses
Individuals Probability/ One-shot Interviewing testing
nonprobability
Dyads (cross sectional) Questionnaire
Groups Sample Longitudinal
size (n) Observation
Organizations
Unobtrusive
Machines methods
etc.
Although interviewing has the advantage of flexibility in terms of adapting,
adopting, and changing the questions as the researcher proceeds with the inter-
views, questionnaires have the advantage of obtaining data more efficiently in
terms of researcher time, energy, and costs. Unobtrusive methods of data col-
lection such as its extraction from company records have the advantage of accu-
racy. For instance, attendance records will probably give a truer and more
reliable picture of the absenteeism of employees than information elicited
directly from the respondents. Projective tests are usually administered by
researchers who have had training in administering them and interpreting the
results. Though some management research has been done using projective tech-
niques, they are more frequently used in marketing research.
Modern technology is increasingly playing a key role in shaping data collec-
tion methods. Computer-assisted surveys, which help both interviewing as well
as preparing and administering questionnaires electronically, are on the increase.
Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), interactive electronic tele-
phonic surveys, as well as administering questionnaires through electronic mail
(e-mail), are now being used to facilitate data gathering.
Some of the software available for questionnaire design, response data entry,
data analysis, and web and e-mail surveys are SumQuest or SQ Survey Software,
Professional Quest, and Perseus.
The choice of data collection methods depends on the facilities available,
the degree of accuracy required, the expertise of the researcher, the time span
of the study, and other costs and resources associated with and available for
data gathering.