Deck 9: Decision Support Systems and Marketing Research

Question 1

Once adequate amounts of data have been collected,the researcher should present the report.

Answer 1

False
The data must be analyzed and interpreted before a meaningful report can be prepared.

Question 2

The characteristics of a true DSS are interactive,flexible,discovery-oriented,and accessible.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A simple random sample is a carefully developed probability sample set up to ensure that every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected as part of the sample.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The quality of secondary data should never be questioned.

Question 5

The three roles of marketing research are persuasive,reminder,and informative.

Question 6

A snowball sample is a type of probability sample.

Question 7

A marketing decision support system is an interactive,flexible computerized information system that bypasses information-processing specialists and gives managers access to useful information from their own desks.

Question 8

The first step in the marketing research process is to plan the research design and gather primary data.

Question 9

A decision support system (DSS)involves the planning,collection,and analysis of data relevant to marketing decision making and the communication of the results of this analysis to management.

Question 10

The most popular technique for gathering primary data is by observation.

Question 11

Measurement error occurs when a sample somehow does not represent the target population.

Question 12

Fisher-Price employees were engaged in experimental research when they observed,from behind a mirror,children playing with soap bubbles and decided to build a toy lawn mover that spewed soap bubbles.

Question 13

Questionnaires include three basic types of questions: open-ended,closed-ended,and scaled-response.

Question 14

The last step in the marketing research process is to prepare and present the report.

Question 15

Marketing research provides decision makers with data on the effectiveness of the current marketing mix and also with insights for necessary changes.

Question 16

The best experiments are those in which one factor is held constant and the other factors of interest are deliberately manipulated.

Question 17

Martina was interested in how students perceive the health service provided by her university.To collect data on this issue,she interviewed the students in her evening class.Martina has used a random sampling procedure.

Question 18

Stuart Marketing Research is gathering information on the way people wrap gifts specifically for a large manufacturer of gift wrap paper that is considering introducing reusable wrapping paper with Velcro fasteners.The information gathered would be an example of primary data.

Question 19

Ethnographic research is a form of experiment research because it is conducted without any preconceptions.

Question 20

To save money on marketing research,a marketing manager suggests the company use the results of a survey conducted last year because similar questions were asked then.The manager is suggesting use of primary data.

Question 21

Blogs are a source of consumer-generated media.

Question 22

An online focus group is a selected group of consumers who agree to participate in an ongoing dialogue with a particular corporation.

Question 23

One advantage of Internet surveys is dramatically reduced costs.

Question 24

Soon after the Chenault Military Museum expanded its hours and began charging a small fee to pay for the extra help needed to keep it open longer,attendance decreased.To determine why this decrease in attendance occurred,the museum staff could rely on:

A) a production audit
B) database marketing
C) marketing research
D) an internal marketing audit
E) secondary data

Question 25

The difference between a traditional focus group and an online focus group is that there is no moderator in the online group like there is in a traditional group.

Question 26

_____ is the creation of a large computerized file of customers' and potential customers' names,profiles,and purchase patterns.

A) Electronic targeting
B) Sampling procedure specification
C) Database marketing
D) Competitive data mining
E) Consumer behavior marketing

Question 27

Government agencies,periodicals,and trade shows are good sources of competitive intelligence.

Question 28

The publisher of a Canadian business magazine wanted to make several major changes in the magazine's content and format.To determine what changes would be supported by its subscribers and what changes would not be welcomed,the publisher should engage in:

A) advertising
B) database marketing
C) marketing research
D) a data retrieval system
E) secondary data

Question 29

Because online surveys are still in their infancy,there are limited methods of conducting online surveys.

Question 30

One advantage of an online focus group is that respondents tend to talk more freely about issues that might create inhibitions in a face-to-face group.

Question 31

Scanner-based research is a system of gathering information from a group of respondents by continuously monitoring the promotions panel members are exposed to and their subsequent purchase behavior.

Question 32

Everyday information about developments in the marketing environment that managers use to prepare and adjust marketing plans is referred to as:

A) competitive intelligence
B) marketing information
C) decision support information
D) marketing research
E) observation

Question 33

A(n)_____ is an interactive,flexible computerized information system that enables managers to obtain and manipulate information as they are making decisions.

A) expert system
B) marketing information system
C) artificial intelligence system
D) marketing decision support system
E) database marketing system

Question 34

A bowling alley operator could use _____ to determine why customers do not seem to like his bowling alley's new location.

A) transactional marketing
B) public relations
C) an EDI system
D) market synergy
E) marketing research

Question 35

Competitive intelligence allows managers to predict changes in business relationships,identify marketplace opportunities,and discover new or potential competitors.

Question 36

Los Hermanos Cafe has successfully operated seven restaurants in the same community for 20 years.Management plans to introduce an egg and cheese breakfast burrito to three restaurants after having success with this product in its other four diners.Since management knows this market so well,Los Hermanos Cafe doesn't need to conduct research before introducing the new product in its remaining restaurants.

Question 37

Marketing research has three functional roles.These roles are:

A) normative, descriptive, and explanatory
B) predictive, normative, and persuasive
C) descriptive, diagnostic, and predictive
D) flexible, interactive, and discovery-oriented
E) descriptive, explanatory, and predictive

Question 38

A true marketing decision support systems (DSS)possesses all of the following characteristics EXCEPT:

A) flexible
B) discovery-oriented
C) interactive
D) accessible
E) synergistic

Question 39

According to the text,a true marketing decision support system should be interactive,which means:

A) managers can probe for trends, isolate problems, and ask "what if" questions
B) managers that aren't skilled with computers can easily learn to use the system
C) managers are able to sort, regroup, total, average, and manipulate data in various ways
D) managers can give simple instructions and see immediate results
E) managers can find optimum solutions to marketing problems

Question 40

_____ is the process of planning,collecting,and analyzing data relevant to marketing decision making.The results of this analysis are then communicated to management.

A) Data collection
B) Artificial intelligence
C) Decision support
D) Marketing research
E) Single-source research

Question 41

Through marketing research,the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO)learned it has an older market and is not attracting younger concertgoers.It next conducted marketing research to determine if an integrated advertising campaign targeted to the younger market would be successful.In its second use of research,BSO employed _____ marketing research.

A) historical
B) descriptive
C) predictive
D) normative
E) objective

Question 42

Research indicates that Americans today are concerned enough about sustaining the environment that they are willing to spend more.In fact,65 percent of the people who responded to the survey said they were willing to spend more money for environmentally-friendly goods and 65 percent also expected to increase spending this year on eco-friendly products,despite the current downward trend in retail.Companies that use the results of this study in their product development efforts are using _____ data.

A) primary
B) convenience
C) dichotomous
D) observation
E) secondary

Question 43

Phillip Morris USA,the manufacturer of Marlboro Ultra Smooth cigarette targeted to people who want to smoke a potentially safer cigarette has asked for marketing research to explain the reasons for the recent failure of the new cigarette.This type of research is described as:

A) descriptive
B) predictive
C) diagnostic
D) normative
E) historical

Question 44

Volkswagen developed an 18-month-long project to gain a better understanding of the American culture so it could develop cars more appealing to this market.The research project was called Moonraker.Moonraker was intended to play a(n)_____ role in Volkswagen's marketing research.

A) diagnostic
B) descriptive
C) predictive
D) heuristical
E) demonstrative

Question 45

After listening to a group of middle-aged women discuss there biggest concerns about the jeans they wore,a company designed a new line of comfortable women's jeans and touted them as "not your daughter's jeans." This is an example of research conducted to:

A) improve the quality of their decision making
B) find out why a marketing plan failed
C) learn how to more efficiently retain customers
D) understand the ever-changing marketplace
E) do all of these

Question 46

A recent survey reported 65 percent of the people responding said they were willing to spend more money for environmentally-friendly goods.Marketing research on how to best use this information will begin with the:

A) collection of the data
B) specification of the sampling plan
C) definition of the problem
D) research design
E) recognition of the marketing opportunity

Question 47

Post Properties is a company that manages apartments in various communities.It is concerned with a glut of apartments in Atlanta,Orlando,and Dallas Its market researcher begins by examining the rental markets in the Southeast,the history of apartment buildings,local economies,competitive rents,and ownership--all information that was on hand and did not require any new research to locate.The market researcher looked at:

A) a closed study
B) secondary data
C) primary data
D) a statistical analysis
E) priority databases

Question 48

When assessing the quality of secondary data,it is:

A) not necessary to know why the data were collected in the first place
B) important to be able to have easy access to the data
C) important to know the purpose for which the data were originally collected
D) not important to know when the data were collected
E) imperative to use the same methods and procedures when primary data are collected

Question 49

Trade groups,commercial publications,and government data can be used as sources of:

A) secondary data
B) consensual information
C) primary data
D) artificial intelligence
E) marketing audits

Question 50

In contrast to marketing research problems,management decision problems are:

A) action oriented
B) pervasive
C) narrower in scope
D) synergistic
E) information oriented

Question 51

All of the following are examples of secondary data EXCEPT:

A) a physical count of the number of cars passing through an intersection to determine the need for a traffic signal
B) a census report on the number of people who are native to a community
C) the creation of a customer database
D) a collection of trade journal articles about the future of a particular industry
E) a newspaper story describing the lifestyle of the average Internet user

Question 52

While many economic indicators have been negative during the first half of 2009,the Wall Street Journal recently reported that U.S.retail sales were actually up in April.In fact,the performance of 61% of the retailers in the study topped analysts' expectations.If Costco used this report as factor in their expansion plans they would be using _____ data.

A) secondary
B) primary
C) dichotomous
D) convenience
E) observation

Question 53

To help understand why sales of Keebler Sweet Spot shortbread cookies had dropped off the company used marketing research to gather factual information to help understand the problem.The gathering of factual statements is an example of marketing research in its _____ role.

A) historical
B) descriptive
C) predictive
D) normative
E) objective

Question 54

When Eurasia restaurant,serving Eurasian cuisine,first opened along Chicago's Michigan Avenue,its novelty brought many diners.However,it turned off the important business lunch crowd,and sales went into decline.Before conducting any marketing research to explain the declining sales management needs to:

A) determine who will be most likely to respond to a survey
B) select a market sample from everyone in the population
C) define the problem to be researched
D) develop a survey to find out exactly what's wrong
E) enumerate the decision factors

Question 55

Radio One is the largest U.S.radio broadcasting company targeting Black Americans today.Radio One staffers are constantly reviewing secondary information looking for any emerging trends in their target market.Potential disadvantages of this research approach include:

A) the questionable quality of the data
B) the high cost of collecting secondary data
C) he length of time it takes to collect secondary data
D) interviewer bias during the collection process
E) the potential for sampling error

Question 56

The marketing research problem:

A) is information oriented
B) involves determining what resources will be used in research efforts
C) is action driven
D) does not rely on managerial experience
E) is accurately described by none of these choices

Question 57

Data previously collected for purposes other than the one at hand are an important source of information as the researcher defines the problem.These data are called _____ data.

A) single-source
B) secondary
C) primary
D) consensual
E) convenience

Question 58

A small brewery has noticed a 20 percent decrease in the sale of its dark beer over the last three years.The company's owner wants to determine why the decline has occurred and how to reverse the trend.Once the owner has identified the problem as a consumer perception that dark beer is bitter and calorie-laden,its next step in the marketing research process should be to:

A) collect the data
B) recognize the marketing problem
C) analyze the marketplace
D) plan the research design
E) specify the sampling plan

Question 59

Managers must combine specific pieces of information needed to identify the marketing research problem.Their _____ is to provide insightful decision-making information.

A) company-correlated goal
B) autonomous task
C) dichotomous goal
D) marketing research objective
E) field service objective

Question 60

The first step in the marketing research process is to:

A) specify the sampling plan
B) collect the data
C) analyze the marketplace
D) plan the research design
E) identify and formulate the problem/opportunity to be studied

Question 61

When a university began thinking about offering more online degrees it used primary data to get potential students' attitudes and intentions. What is the most likely reason for using primary data?

A) this information was already freely available to all interested parties
B) the value of the research is unrelated to sample size
C) the information can be collected quickly and at low cost
D) the information will fit the university's needs exactly since it will be collected specifically for this study
E) it will benchmark consumers' interest in grading equipment

Question 62

In-home personal interviews:

A) offer high-quality data at high cost
B) offer the ability to obtain high-quality data at low cost
C) are becoming increasingly more popular
D) are less expensive than mall intercepts
E) offer information of moderate quality, but at a low cost

Question 63

The research design specifies:

A) follow-up procedures for the research
B) the information that will be found
C) how the final report will be written
D) how the information gathered will be used to predict external environmental changes
E) the research questions to be answered

Question 64

_____ specifies the research questions to be answered,how and when the data will be gathered,and how the data will be analyzed.

A) A secondary data use plan
B) The research collaborative plan
C) An autonomous director
D) The research design
E) The sampling plan

Question 65

Caterpillar has been experimenting with replacing the traditional steering mechanism on its graders with a joy-stick based steering mechanism.As a part of their research they built graders that included both a steering wheel and joy-stick steering mechanisms,then asked operators to use the machines for a few days.After two days of testing,several of the operators like the joysticks so well that they suggested that the steering wheel be removed to provide better visibility.This would be an example of _____ research.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) dichotomous
D) ethnographic
E) collaborative

Question 66

Levi Strauss & Co.recently introduced its new Totally Slimming jeans.The idea for the jeans came from a group session conducted last August in which a group of moms made it clear they were tired of low-rise styles.Instead they wanted jeans that were comfortable while covering-up problem areas,and showing off their figures.Levi's used this _____ data as the basis for designing this new line of jeans.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) dichotomous
D) convenience
E) ethnographic

Question 67

The most popular method for gathering primary data is _____,in which a researcher interacts with people to obtain facts,opinions,and attitudes.

A) heuristic oriented
B) survey research
C) experiments
D) observation research
E) single-source research

Question 68

A major limitation of the mall intercept interview is:

A) the difficulty of measuring attitudes and opinions
B) the need to interview people standing up
C) its high cost relative to in-home interviews
D) the difficulty of demonstrating new products
E) the difficulty of obtaining a representative sample of the population of interest

Question 69

Community Trust Bank management decided to design a new product and promotion to appeal to small to medium-sized businesses.A researcher conducted a series of focus groups with business owners to find out more about what they wanted in bank services.With the focus groups Community Trust was collecting _____ data.

A) primary
B) ethnographic
C) consensual
D) secondary
E) collaborative

Question 70

When Wilson,a manufacturer of tennis racquets,sent a team of researchers,designers,and tennis pros out to visit with 40 women tennis players of various abilities in locations from California to Florida to find out what women players want in a racquet,what kind of research were they conducting?

A) heuristic
B) primary
C) cohesive
D) random
E) secondary

Question 71

A(n)_____ is a company that acquires,catalogs,reformats,segments,and resells reports already published by marketing research firms.

A) syndicated vendor
B) research directory
C) marketing research aggregator
D) secondary data provider
E) marketing research compiler

Question 72

Research done by ShopLocal.com Americans today are concerned enough about sustaining the environment that they are willing to spend more.Suppose,to cut the cost of the research,ShopLocal.com included a second study asking consumers about their preferences in the upcoming presidential elections.This research would be an example of:

A) a dual-purpose analysis
B) a piggyback study
C) a Siamese twin project
D) a two-for-one integrative study
E) dual experimentation

Question 73

What is the chief advantage of primary data?

A) low cost compared to secondary data
B) relevance to the problem at hand
C) availability to any interested party for use
D) accessibility through computerized databases
E) avoiding interviewer biases

Question 74

Which type of survey research method involves interviewing people in the common areas of shopping malls?

A) telephone interviews
B) panel surveys
C) mall intercept
D) centralized interviews
E) interactive research

Question 75

Information collected for the first time for the purpose of solving a particular problem under investigation is called _____ data.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) dichotomous
D) observation
E) convenience

Question 76

A furniture manufacturer wants to test how consumers will respond to furniture upholstered in fabric made from recycled plastic by having consumers feel and respond to the fabric.Which form of survey would allow it to do this?

A) telephone interview
B) mail questionnaire
C) mall intercept
D) observation study
E) laboratory test

Question 77

Computer-assisted personal interviewing and computer-assisted self-interviewing are computerized techniques for conducting:

A) CLT interviews
B) mall intercept interviews
C) e-mail interviews
D) in-home interviews
E) focus groups

Question 78

_____ studies collect data on two different projects using one questionnaire.

A) Piggyback
B) Single-source
C) Synergistic
D) Multi-tiered
E) Dual-coding

Question 79

Your supervisor has instructed you to conduct a marketing research effort that will determine how your company's business customer demographics have changed.You have also been instructed to use primary data.You will:

A) gather data from Standard & Poor's General Information File
B) develop a mail survey to study your primary market
C) employ studies done by the Federal Trade Commission
D) make sure you locate Internet information by using a search engine
E) ask the National Industrial Conference Board for its latest study

Question 80

Which of the following is an interviewing method in which the interviewer reads the questions from a computer screen and enters the respondent's data directly into the computer?

A) central-location interviewing facility
B) computer-assisted personal interviewing
C) computer-assisted self-interviewing
D) direct-entry interviewing
E) computer-mediated interviewing