Deck 1: The Purpose and Process of Marketing Research

Question 1

Despite major differences in consumer and industrial marketing research,the underlying methods and skills are nearly identical.

Answer 1

True
Both fields are concerned with problem definition,research design,use of secondary data,sampling,measurement,field work,data processing and analysis,and presentation of results.

Question 2

The process of identifying problems and opportunities involves analyzing future situations that a firm will face; the past is a sunk cost because it can no longer be changed.

Answer 2

False
The process of identifying problems and opportunities involves analyzing past,present,and future situations facing an organization.

Question 3

Dependent variables are inputs or causes used to explain a particular phenomenon.

Answer 3

False
Dependent variables are the effects or phenomena one seeks to explain,whereas independent variables are used to explain the dependent variables.

Question 4

In identifying alternative courses of action,"doing nothing" or "status quo" is not a feasible alternative.

Question 5

Good horizontal relationships (teaming of researchers with product managers)are more important than vertical ones (e.g.,reporting to the senior marketing executive).

Question 6

Researchers must develop a data-collection procedure that establishes an effective link between the information needs and the questions to be asked or the observations to be made.

Question 7

A systematic approach to researching the information needs of marketing management facilitates good organizational planning in developing objectives,allocating marketing resources,and auditing performance.

Question 8

Exploratory research can be helpful in identifying innovative courses of action.

Question 9

Decisions must aim at solving problems or taking advantage of opportunities,not at treating symptoms.

Question 10

The purpose of marketing research is to gather information that will improve managerial decisions.

Question 11

During the 1930s,sampling became a serious methodological issue in marketing research.

Question 12

One of the steps in the research process is to process and code data.Coding involves reviewing the data forms as to legibility,consistency,and completeness.

Question 13

Exploratory research can be used as an aid in defining the decision a manager must make and developing hypotheses.

Question 14

Because of their role in collecting,analyzing,and reporting data,marketing researchers are often asked to make managerial decisions.

Question 15

In practice,decision-making rarely relies wholly on an input-output framework of marketing research and formal statistical models,but combines them with managers' experience,judgment,and intuition.

Question 16

The main disadvantage of the integrated structure of a marketing research department is the isolation of researchers from day-to-day activities and problems and the difficulty of finding qualified people.

Question 17

Problems are performance measures,metrics,and diagnostics that signal the presence of an opportunity.

Question 18

Research suppliers can be used to conduct components of a research study,but they are never given total responsibility for a research study in its entirety.

Question 19

Research objectives answer the question,"Why is the project being conducted?"

Question 20

The criteria that research be systematic means that researchers strive to be unbiased and impartial in conducting their research.

Question 21

The first step in the marketing research decision-making process is

A) developing a hypothesis
B) collecting relevant data
C) outlining a process that can be used to collect the necessary information
D) recognizing a unique marketing problem or opportunity

Question 22

If syndicated research companies collect data through large-scale consumer panels and track what its participants do,buy,and think,then marketing research is playing a role in

A) marketing
B) the firm
C) the marketing research industry
D) in society

Question 23

Conflicts between researchers and management is not uncommon.Common attitudes among marketing researchers regarding top management include all of the following except

A) required research is generally too costly
B) top management is anti-intellectual
C) there are too many non-researchable, "fire-fighting," and proof-of-concept requests
D) top management is generally unsympathetic to the importance of problem definition, often re-defining the problem after the research is under way

Question 24

The growth of marketing research activity dramatically increased after World War II because of

A) increased computer technology
B) mass production of goods
C) the development of television
D) the acceptance of the marketing concept

Question 25

Obstacles (or barriers)to the effective use of marketing research by management include all of the following except

A) viewing research as a threat to their personal status as decision makers
B) inability to work with researchers or use their knowledge and skills
C) insistence on considering experience and personal judgment in decision process
D) differences in emphasis and temperament

Question 26

Non-sampling errors tend to decrease as the sample size increases while sampling errors tend to increase as the sample size increases.

Question 27

The formal beginning of marketing research was

A) in 1900
B) between 1910-1920
C) between 1925-1940
D) in the 1950s

Question 28

The decision-maker,who has a clear perspective on the specific information needed to reduce the uncertainty surrounding the decision situation,should be actively involved in formulating the information needs for a research project.

Question 29

The process of marketing research involves five steps designed to aid managerial decision-making.After determining what information is needed,the next step would be to

A) manage the data collection
B) design a method for collecting information
C) communicate the findings
D) analyze and interpret the results

Question 30

Syndicated data sources

A) solve client-specific problems
B) collect data and then sell these data on a subscription basis
C) provide specific services, such as field interviewing or data analysis
D) undertake complete research studies for client organizations

Question 31

A centralized marketing research department offers all of the following advantages except

A) researchers are "are close to the action" of marketing problems and implementation of their recommendations
B) more economical and flexible use of facilities and personnel
C) greater institutional prestige and credibility to marketing research
D) greater likelihood of attracting top-notch researchers and securing an adequate budget

Question 32

It is rather easy to calculate the benefits of a research project,but calculating costs is much more difficult.

Question 33

Elements of the marketing mix,such as pricing and ad spending,are viewed as decision variables that the firm can use to steer the market.Therefore,in developing a model these decision variables would be considered

A) independent variables
B) dependent variables
C) connecting variables
D) statistical variables

Question 34

Not only are research objectives rarely relayed to the marketing researcher at the outset of a research project,but decision-makers seldom formulate objectives accurately.

Question 35

In the marketing management process,essential sets of information required for planning include all of the following except

A) marketing mix variables
B) situational variables
C) marketing mix variables
D) performance variables

Question 36

An example of a situational analysis would be an analysis of

A) desired product features
B) demand
C) the firm's advertising program
D) the best price

Question 37

The main criteria for marketing research includes all of the following except

A) systematic
B) objective
C) related to the 4 P's
D) targeted for decision-making

Question 38

Dependent variables are

A) predictors of a phenomenon
B) covariates or causes of a phenomenon
C) used to explain independent variables
D) phenomena one seeks to explain

Question 39

All of the following are characteristics of industrial marketing research except

A) difficult to find good executive interviewers
B) respondent definitions are usually fairly simple
C) study costs per interview are higher than for consumer research
D) respondent cooperation is a major concern

Question 40

As a general rule,frequently purchased consumer goods can support more expensive marketing research than can high-cost durable goods.

Question 41

When visualizing the research findings,the data chosen for presentation in the mock-up should represent all of the following possible results except

A) optimistic
B) pessimistic
C) collected data
D) most likely

Question 42

The objective "to study consumer reactions to cartoon characters in advertising" is insufficient for all of the following reasons except

A) it does not indicate what type of market will be studied
B) it does not indicate what is to be measured
C) it does not indicate the cost of the study
D) it does not indicate how the information will be used

Question 43

Contribution margin is

A) selling price minus variable costs
B) selling price minus fixed costs
C) selling price minus variable and fixed costs
D) profit per unit divided by variable costs

Question 44

An example of an opportunity would be

A) an ad campaign was not as effective as forecasted
B) a hotel experiences a decline in revenues
C) a competitor has more effective advertising
D) consumer preferences for snack foods shifted to products free of wheat gluten

Question 45

Increasing market share by 3 percent by next year would be an example of a(n)

A) symptom
B) problem
C) opportunity
D) decision objective

Question 46

Variables directly under the control of management that lead the organization's performance to fall short of objectives are

A) symptoms
B) problems
C) opportunities
D) information needs

Question 47

_______________ research is often needed to facilitate the development of the statement of problems and opportunities.

A) Conclusive
B) Exploratory
C) Pseudo-
D) Causal

Question 48

The value or benefit of formal marketing research is typically commensurate with

A) the cost of conducting the research
B) the amount of time it takes
C) the clarity of the decision to be made
D) the ability of the research to reduce uncertainty in the decision-making process

Question 49

Challenges in conducting effective marketing research internationally include all of the following except

A) markets in less developed countries are less likely to have good secondary data
B) in some countries cultural dynamics or concerns about government surveillance may negatively impact results
C) marketing research techniques used in the United States are not applicable in other countries
D) logistical dimensions of implementing marketing research are complex and, therefore, tend to cost more

Question 50

During which step in the research process would a large proportion of the research budget be spent and a sizeable proportion of the "total error" be incurred?

A) designing the data collection procedure
B) collecting data
C) processing and coding data
D) analyzing data

Question 51

In designing the sample,researchers need to clearly define all of the following except

A) the questions to be asked
B) the population from which the sample is to be drawn
C) method used to select the sample
D) the sample size

Question 52

_______________ answers the questions,"What specific information is required to attain the objectives?"

A) Symptoms
B) Research design
C) Information needs
D) Data sources

Question 53

Conclusive research is meant to provide information to help the decision-maker

A) evaluate and select a specific course of action from among the options previously identified
B) select the correct sampling procedure
C) identify the information needs based on the research objectives
D) clarify the problem or opportunity being faced

Question 54

An example of a problem would be

A) market share has declined by 3 percent since last year
B) brand awareness has declined by 5 percent
C) the advertising campaigns used over the last year have been less effective
D) all of the above

Question 55

Often decision-makers can identify gaps in the original list of research needs by

A) visualizing the research findings
B) developing concrete objectives
C) selecting the correct sample
D) specifying the information needs

Question 56

Decision criteria are rules for

A) choosing objectives, given various information needs
B) choosing sampling procedures, given the size of the sample
C) choosing the appropriate quantitative analysis, given the form of the collected data
D) selecting among courses of action, given various data outcomes

Question 57

Typical motives for "pseudo-research" include all of the following except

A) using marketing research as a way to gain visibility and power in the organization
B) informing a decision among several possible courses of action
C) establishing a scapegoat for marketing decisions that do not accomplish objectives
D) promoting service organizations such as advertising agencies and media to attract new business and impress current clients

Question 58

Situations where performance can be improved by a change in activities are

A) symptoms
B) performance measures
C) opportunities
D) information needs

Question 59

If a product's share of the market is below the forecasted share,then this would be an example of a(n)

A) problem
B) opportunity
C) symptom
D) both a and b

Question 60

Mocked-up data used to visualize the results of a study will tend to lack uncooperative features present in real-world data such as all of the following except

A) missing fields
B) insufficient sample size
C) miscodes
D) self-selection bias

Question 61

List the topics that should be considered in a research proposal.

Question 62

Explain the difference between independent and dependent variables.

Question 63

What is meant by the term "market"?

Question 64

What is the contribution margin if the selling price is $25.00,variable costs are $13.00,and fixed costs are $50,000.

Question 65

All of the following are types of non-sampling errors except

A) faulty problem definition
B) incorrect population definition
C) sampling frame is not representative of the population
D) small sample size

Question 66

A research project costs $80,000.Selling price is $30.00 and variable costs are $20.00.What is the break even point to cover the costs of the research?

Question 67

The field of marketing research amounts to a set of methodologies designed to aid managerial decision-making.What are the essential steps in this approach?

Question 68

It is easier to justify the cost of research as the market size _______________ and as the ratio of variable costs to selling price _______________.

A) increases, increases
B) increases, decreases
C) decreases, increases
D) decreases, decreases

Question 69

The sum of all errors that may occur in the research process over and above the sampling error is called

A) measurement error
B) population error
C) non-sampling error
D) systematic bias

Question 70

Discuss the concepts of symptoms,problems,and opportunities.Give an example of each.

Question 71

Discuss the nature and various types of non-sampling error.

Question 72

The general approach and techniques of marketing research applies to both domestic and international contexts,but additional issues that must be considered in international research.Discuss these issues that are unique to the international arena.

Question 73

In selecting a sample for a telephone company,a researcher used the local telephone book.Given that individuals with an unlisted number,individuals with cell phones,and individuals without any type of phone would not be included,this illustrates which type of non-sampling error?

A) incorrect population definition
B) sampling frame non-representative of the population
C) non-response errors
D) faulty problem definition

Question 74

Compare and contrast consumer versus industrial marketing research.

Question 75

The difference between a sample value and the true underlying population value is called

A) sampling error
B) non-response error
C) measurement error
D) systematic error