Basic Marketing Research 8th Edition by Tom Brown,Tracy Suter,Gilbert Churchill

Exercise 13

Tough-Grip Tires was a large manufacturer of radial tires located in New Orleans, Louisiana. To try to maintain sales and competitive positions, various manufacturers were offering wholesalers additional credit and discount opportunities. Tough-Grip's management was particularly concerned about wholesaler reaction to a new discount policy it was considering. The first survey the company conducted to explore this reaction was unsatisfactory to management. Management felt it was conducted in a haphazard manner and contained numerous types of errors. Tough-Grip's management decided to conduct another telephone study, containing the following changes:
• The sampling frame was defined as a list of 1,000 of the largest whole-salers that stocked Tough-Grip tires, and the sample elements were to be randomly selected from this list.
• The sample size was to be doubled, from 200 to 400 respondents.
• The sample elements that were ineligible or refused to cooperate were to be substituted by the next element from the list.
• An incentive of $1.00 was to be offered to respondents.
Critically evaluate the steps that were being considered to prevent the occurrence of different types of errors. Do you think they were appropriate Be specific.