Purpose of field research designs

1
Field Research Designs

• Purpose of field research designs
• Types of field studies
• Planning a field study
• Sampling plan
• Questionnaire design
• Online Questionnaires
• Data analysis
• Special concerns in field research

2
Some Definitions

• Population
• An entire group of people, events or things of
  interest
• Element
• Single member of population
• Sample
• Subgroup of the population
• Subject
• Single member of sample
• Sampling
• Selecting sufficient number of elements from
  population so that features of the sample (e.g.,
  mean) can be generalized to the population

3
Advantages of Sampling

• Less cost
• Compared to cost of studying population
• Less error
• In collecting analysing data
• Less time
• Because fewer elements considered
• Less intrusive/destructive
• E.g., when measurement changes phenomenon

4
Sampling Plan

• Random sampling
• Each member of population has EQUAL chance of
  being selected into sample
• Ease of identifying population
• Company vs. community vs. student populations
• Determining sample
• Random number tables, computerized routine,
  drawing from urn

5
Sampling Plan

• Random sampling
• Randomly select additional participants if
  initially selected ones refuse/cannot
• Order population, sample every xth person
  ordering is not related to variable of interest
• E.g., Immigration checks
• Use of convenience sample
• Include variables that assess representativeness
  of obtained sample
• If response rate is low
• e.g., ethnic harassment study

6
Sampling Plan

• Modified random sampling
• Stratified random sampling
• Divide population into subgroups randomly
  select from subgroups
• Sub-grouping expected to influence results (e.g.,
  motivational levels in RD vs. secretarial staff)
• Used when total sample size is small and number
  of subgroups is large
• E.g., visible minorities at Scar campus

7
Sampling Plan

• Modified random sampling (contd)
• Cluster sampling
• Choose participants based on membership of a
  group
• Groups are then chosen to participate in study
• Stats computed can have large sampling errors
• E.g., examine units in 4 vs. 30 boxes of a
  shipment
• Over-sampling from a subgroup
• E.g., gays in the orgn
• Need to weight descriptive stats appropriately

8
Field Research Designs

• Sampling plan
• Questionnaire design
• Online Questionnaires
• Data analysis
• Special concerns in field research

9
Questionnaire Design

• Use existing measures of concepts
• Comparability
• Reliability (standardization)
• Validity

10
Questionnaire Design

• Writing Items
• Comprehensiveness
• E.g., commitment scale
• Accuracy
• Maintain respondents cooperation dignity

11
Questionnaire Design

• Writing Items
• Structured vs. Open-ended items
• Respondent involvement in research
• Purpose of research
• Exploratory vs. confirmatory
• Type of question
• E.g., When all possibilities are not known/too
  many
• Resource availability
• Time money for coding analysing

Saks 69-73 Sekaran 238-242
12
Questionnaire Design

• Writing Items
• Use simple, direct, familiar language
• Be clear specific (avoid ambiguous items)
• Use positively and negatively worded items
• Avoid double-barreled items
• Avoid Leading questions
• Avoid loaded questions
• Ensure applicability to all respondents
• Avoid recall-dependent items

Saks 69-73 Sekaran 238-242
13
Questionnaire Design

• Writing Items
• Minimize Response styles
• Yea/Nay sayers (acquiescence)
• Positive vs. negatively worded items
• Social Desirability
• Forced choice format
• Content-specific anchors (e.g., BARS)
• Items scattered across survey

Saks 69-73 Sekaran 238-242
14
Questionnaire Design

• Response options in structured scales
• Types of Rating Scales
• Likert, Semantic Differential, Itemized Rating
  etc. (p. 197-199 Sekaran)
• Bimodal responding
• Using only a portion of the response options
• Ensure anchors have same meaning to all
  respondents
• Use numbers w/verbal descriptors

15
Questionnaire Design

• Response options in structured scales
• Identify time frame of phenomenon of interest
• Optimal number of scale points
• 5 points is best, fewer results in less
  variability
• Instructions
• Provide examples
• Participants education level
• Previous exposure to method of data collection
• e.g., web/email surveys

16
Questionnaire Design

• Response options in structured scales
• Sequencing
• General to specific, easy to difficult
• Avoid placing positively and negatively worded
  items tapping into the same dimension near each
  other
• Beware of ordering effects
• Issues with dispersal of items
• Numbering
• Attend to data analyses issues

Sekaran 242
17
Questionnaire Design

• Response options in structured scales
• Layout (appearance)
• Introduction
• e.g., Study Information Sheet
• Organization
• By sections
• Personal Data
• Request sensitive personal data at the end
• Open-ended questions in the end
• Conclusion

Sekaran 245-249
18
Questionnaire Design

• Pre-testing Survey
• Readability, item content, ambiguities
• Ways to Optimize Return Rate
• Upper management or union support
• Work time allocated for survey completion
• Coercion, confidentiality concerns
• Participants belief in value of research
• Previous experience with HR research
• 30 rate is common

19
Questionnaire Design

• Optimizing Return Rate
• Professional appearance
• For mailed survey use first class mail include
  return postage
• Send reminders
• Provide Incentives for responding
• Keep survey at optimal length
• Identify characteristics of non-responders to
  establish representativeness of sample
• Identify mechanism for clarifying questions

20
Online Questionnaires

• Advantages
• Speed
• Delivery to participants
• Completed surveys to researcher
• Cost efficiency
• Environmental costs (e.g., paper, ink)
• Personnel costs (e.g., typing, data entry)

21
Online Questionnaires

• Concerns
• Respondents access to computers
• Establish invariance b/w paper-pencil and
  computer versions (e.g.,achievement, attitude
  measures)
• Ballot stuffing
• Unique access control numbers
• Start up costs
• E.g. survey monkey 20/month
• Technical difficulties during survey
  administration
• Researchers control over design interface
• E.g. survey monkey
• Employee reactions to online surveys

22
Data Analysis

• Preliminary Data Cleaning
• Use descriptive data to catch errors
• E.g., means, ranges, standard deviations
• Coding open-ended responses
• Analysis Interpretation
• Descriptive data
• Frequencies, means
• Group comparisons
• T-tests, ANOVAs
• Establish relations between variables
• Correlations, regressions

23
Special Issues in Field Research

• Scale reduction
• Alternatives to shortening existing scales
• Reduce number of variables
• Use alternative methods of measurement
• E.g., peer ratings, archival data etc.

24
Special Issues in Field Research

• Percept-percept problem
• Response bias due to cross-sectional, mono-method
  measurement of all variables
• Alternatives to self-report questionnaires
• E.g., archival, objective data
• Multiple data collection times
• E.g., Longitudinal study
• Dispositional influences
• E.g., neuroticism

25
Special Issues in Field Research

• Survey matching
• Ensure confidentiality anonymity
• Controlling extraneous variables
• Conceptual understanding
• Sample characteristics
• Measurement or control of variables

26
Special Issues in Field Research

• Response Variability
• Dichotomous scales (e.g., y/n responses)
• Ethics
• Info re research objectives
• Precautions re anonymity
• Limit demographic info requested
• Web/email based surveys
• Mechanisms for research feedback
• Implications, planned action, follow up