Design and Analysis of a Questionnaire

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

List of Abbreviations

List of Figures

1 Introduction

2 Main Part
2.1 General Description of the Questionnaire
2.2 Goals of the Questionnaire
2.3 Analysis of the Questionnaire
2.3.1 Structure and Layout
2.3.2 Questions
2.3.3 Scaling.
2.3.4 Research Target and Topic Consistence

3 Results

4 Conclusion

Appendices

Bibliography.

Executive Summary

In this assignment a reference questionnaire based on the research topic of how “to prove the market opportunities for a new, non-alcoholic fruit juice drink among younger consumers”^[1] is first described and then analyzed in detail. As a questionnaire is one of the most famous methods to gain primary data the author uses the approach to make the examination from general to detail: Within the first superficial description, the simplicity and timelessness of the regarded object of investigation “fruit juice drink” is proven and some general questionnaire criteria with their corresponding characteristic values like standardized interview strategy, written method of data collection, university students as target group and missing indication on pre-codification are presented. The first 21 questions are clearly focused on content specification, likings of the target group and identification of prevailing interrelations between product preferences as well as buying and consuming behaviour. In contrast to the last question No. 22 which aims at collecting general personal (socio demographic) data of the respondents. The author then splits the core part of the real analysis in four sub chapters, describes and evaluates layout and structure of the questionnaire: five content parts with partly inconsistent alignment of tick boxes and response options. A detailed analysis of nearly all the questions follows then, question No. 8 for e.g. is very laborious created - the respondent has to evaluate six counter parts of attributes in order to classify her or his favourite non-alcoholic drink. Furthermore dichotomous questions are found but sadly no multiple-choice ones. Whereas in the area of scaling, the questionnaire really convinces as it has a mixture of 5% nominal, 75% ordinal and 10% ratio scaling amount of questions, leaving only 10% of unstructured, open-ended questions with no scaling. Finally, by using “a small checklist to avoid frequent mistakes”^[2] the author sums up, that all of the implemented questions are necessary, covering the research area, capable for the target group to answer, so that the company should definitely conduct the pilot study on the basis of this questionnaire.

List of Abbreviations

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List of Figures

Figure 1 - General questionnaire criteria and characteristic value

Figure 2 - Reference example "Questionnaire for a pilot study among students"

1 Introduction

With regard to the broad field of “market research”, the expression itself is often used synonymously with marketing research and on the contrary the corresponding literature then separates between quantitative and qualitative market research, depending on the precise survey target: The quantitative market research looks for numeric values, whereas the qualitative market research tries to cover up motives for particular attitudes.^[3] Another differentiation is made among the types of market surveys by distinguishing between primary or field research and secondary research, each of them implementing different methods to generate market data. Consequently, “the interview in general and the questionnaire in particular which is the key topic of this assignment are the most famous methods to gain primary data in the area of market research.”^[4] Nevertheless this does not mean that developing a questionnaire is “an easy thing to do”^[5] but a very complex case instead. Therefore the following chapters describe, analyze and evaluate a questionnaire draft focused to evaluate “the opportunities of a FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) product launch” and thereby try to clarify about the most important aspects, common mistakes to avoid and relevant guidelines for questions, layout and structure useful to keep in mind when developing a questionnaire. Finally even Sherlock Homes was already aware of how difficult interviews are: “You only get the right answer my dear Watson, if you ask the right question.”

2 Main Part

The title of this assignment already formulates the crucial tasks of the main part, namely description of the chosen design of the reference questionnaire including certain formal aspects and afterwards analysis with regards to content including questions and scaling followed by a final assessment of the actual research targets. The author would like to add that the original (draft) version of the questionnaire has been developed in German language and was published in a marketing compendium in 2001 for business administration studies. For the research task of this assignment the author has translated but not modified or shortened the question content of the original version, and the English version can be found in the appendix. (cp. figure 2)

2.1 General Description of the Questionnaire

This reference questionnaire has been developed due to an “initial position and product marketing research order” which is found very often in classical FMCG companies: The specific business problem, building the base of the research target is to “prove the market opportunities for a new, non-alcoholic fruit juice drink among younger consumers.”^[6] Consequently this questionnaire draft for a pilot study among students consists of 21 content-focused questions, implementing a variety of different types of questions, one last ticketed question No. 22 named “questions to personal data” and has the function of a “test interview”.^[7] Additionally the author would like to emphasize the timelessness and simplicity of the regarded object of investigation “fruit juice drink” combined with the research target, providing the following advantages:

- low risk misunderstanding questions
- no supervision of an interviewer needed
- less cost intensive due to broad and easily accessible target group
- different question styles are possible due to high educated target group
- no permission from a work council is required
- low risk of “item Nonresponse” due to uncritical, clubbable topic

Furthermore the figure given below provides a quick overview about further general characteristics of the pilot study reference questionnaire.

illustration not visible in this excerpt

Figure 1: General questionnaire criteria and characteristic value

Source: Author’s own design, based on the research of Hüttner (1999)

2.2 Goals of the Questionnaire

Normally “the objective and the task of any kind of questionnaire are to assign selected persons who have to provide information or comment on given circumstances.”^[8] In order to design a targeted questionnaire it is recommended to make some considerations upfront. Kirchhoff et al. suggest answering the following questions, which is made below for the reference questionnaire and does already reveal some primary goals:

Q: Which persons should receive a questionnaire to fill in?

A: Younger consumers, studying at universities

Q: Which questions should be integrated in the questionnaire?

A: Open and closed questions revealing general and particular preferences of the target group for non-alcoholic drinks with regards to flavour, colour, consistence, packaging, buying and consuming behaviour.

Q: What does happen to the duly completed questionnaires?^[9]

A: Data preparation and internal presentation by market research department of the FMCG company.

Moreover, there are further (linked up content) goals of the questionnaire, as the identification of prevailing interrelations between gender, flavour preference and buying habits, or between age, preference of packaging and field of study etc. To sum up these 21 questions should provide a lot of significant consumer information through a mixture between quantitative (questions No. 4, 16) and qualitative (question No. 8) data collection techniques, whereas the quantitative amount of data is outbalancing. Additionally the last but one chapter 2.3.4 provides a final check regarding terms of research target and topic consistence.

[...]

^[1] Weis (2001), p.601

^[2] Compare: http://arbeitsblaetter.stangl-taller.at/FORSCHUNGSMETHODEN/FrageformulierungDetail.shtml#Kleine Checkliste zur Vermeidun [Accessed 29 December 2009]

^[3] Compare: Weis (2001), p.126

^[4] Compare: Weis (2001), p.136

^[5] Compare: Porst (2008), p.9

^[6] Weis (2001), p.601

^[7] Compare: Weis (2001), p.601

^[8] Compare: Meffert (1986), p.186

^[9] Compare: Kirchhoff et al. (2008), p.13