MODULE – 4

Identify the source of information Sources & Collection of data.

> Select the data collection approach.

> At this stage there is temptation to

organize a field survey to collect me

data.

>Field survey should be resorted to only

when all the secondary sources of data

collection has been exhausted.

>Survey is comparable to surgery.

>It should be resorted to only after all

other possibilities have been

exhausted.

Secondary & Primary Research

Secondary research or secondary

data is any data that has been

gathered earlier but which has not

been specifically collected for the

current marketing research.

1

Primary research or primary data is

data which has been collected first

hand. This involves collecting data

specifically for the purpose of the

study on hand from the actual

sources such as consumers,

dealers, industries or other

specific entities involved or other

specific entities involved in the

research.

Secondary Data.

Secondary data resources include

published sources of data, periodicals

and newspaper reports, Internet etc.

Primary data collected by one person

becomes secondary data for another.

It is sometimes possible to do a lot of

good iiry research and get useful data.

Yet the study may require primary

data

2

For instance, research report on a

similar topic may yield relevant data.

But, the research on hand may require

a lot of current data which may not be

readily available from iiry sources.

E.g. (1) Customer satisfaction level

for a specific product / branch may not

be reported any where in iiry sources.

E.g. (2) The effectiveness of a

particular advertisement may the

evident from the sales which follow.

But why people liked the

advertisement may not obvious and

can only be ascertained

through primary research/interviews

with consumer.

E.g. (3) The methodology for the iiry

data already collected may

3

be unknown and therefore we may

be unable to judge the reliability

& validity of the data

Limitations/Disadvantages of iiry data

1. Reliability of data

Reliability of iiry data depends on the

purpose for which the data had been

collected and it may not match the

requirements of the present study.

2. Accuracy of data

What degree of accuracy was employed?

Was that achieved? Does it match the

requirement of the current study?

3. Suitability of data

The data suitable for one enquiry may not

necessarily be found suitable in another

enquiry.

Eg. (1) Units of measurement used in iiry

data may be different from the one

needed in the present research project.

4

Say, size of firm can be expressed in

several ways as in

No. of employees; Capital & technology

employed ; Gross sales & profit ; Net profit

etc may not match “size” standadard in

present study

E.g.(2) Class boundaries may be different

form the need of the researcher causing

misfit. sufficiency or

4. Adequacy or sufficiency of data

Sample size and depth of analysis of the

iiry data may not suit the researcher’s

requirement in the present study

5. Obsolescence of data

Business/ marketing environment is

dynamic wrt consumer taste, economic

conditions, business trends etc., that the

data may be a misfit in the current

research requirement. Eg A study done on

5

the need for telegram for communication

may be obsolete in the present context.

6. Relevance of data

With changing technologies the iiry data

may not be quite relevant in the current

research context. Eg. A study on manual

typewriters & subsequent versions of

electric & electronic typewriters wrt

consumer behavior may not be relevant in

the study on CB w.r.t personal computers.

7. Proprietary & confidentiality

barriers may prevent access & free use of

such data desired by researcher.

> The above mentioned limitations

should not prompt the

researcher to blindly discard the use of

iiry data, especially if they are

readily available from authentic sources

and are also suitable or

adequate for the present study

6

> In that case, it will not be economical to

spend time, energy & money in

field surveys for collecting primary

information.,

> At times, there may be wealth of usable

inform,. in the already available iiry data

which can be used by an intelligent

researcher but with due precaution.

Advantages of iiry data

1) Low cost of data collection. At

times they may offer insight and

relevant information which may be

sufficient to solve the marketing

problem.

Eg. Size of the market for a particular

product - the quality of the study may

preclude the need for a new primary

study

2) Saves time and helps in prompt

completion of research project.

7

3) Familiarity with the data may

indicate deficiencies, gaps & pitfalls in

the previous study which may help

refine primary data collection process,

study design, survey design, data

analysis in the proposed research

4) As the researcher explores the

availability of secondary data relevant

to his project, his understanding of

the problem improves leading to some

changes in his original ideas.

5) iiry data can be used as a basis for

comparison with the primary data just

collected.

Sources of Secondary data

iiry data can be obtained internally i.e.

within the firm, or

externally i.e.,from one or more outside

agencies.

8

Internal Sources of iiry Data

are those which are generated within the

firm.

Internal sources of iiry data

Accounting Records.

Sales Force Report

Miscellaneous Reports

Internal Experts

Accounting Records

Eg. Balance Sheet, P&L statements.,

measure performance & growth

Sales Invoices can give details of

customer, his address, items & quantity

discounts allowed, total sales in the regon

/ territory during a period etc.

Sales Force Reports

In a proper format it can provide a wealth

of information, sales force can be

encouraged to provide accurate &

comprehensive information, their

9

comments & remarks on the monthly

sales, rapport with dealers & retailers,

competitive activity, etc.,

Miscellaneous Reports

Any study done on earlier marketing

problems of the company, special audits

etc.,

Internal experts

Product Managers, Marketing. Res.

Managers, PROs, Advertising Managers

may home specialized knowledge relevant

to marketingl problems.

External Sources of Secondary data

Govt. Publication

1) Registrar General of India – Population

Census Report

2) Central Statistical Organisation (CSO)–

Statistical Abstracts of

India. - Annual Survey of

industries

10

- Estimates of National

Product savings & capital

formation

3) Planning commission reports -

Basic statistics relating to

Indian

economy

4) Reserve Bank of India Reports -

Wholesale price index

Non Government. Publication

1) Indian Cotton Mills Federation -

Statistics on cotton textile

industries

2) Stock exchange directories -

financial a/c, key profitability

ratios of listed companies

3) Bureau of Coffee Board

- Coffee production statistics

11

4) Coir Board, Rubber Board, Silk Board

etc- Annual reports

5) The Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) -

Stats for iron or steel

I

ndustry

6) FICCI – Fed. Ind. Ch. Com & Industry.

Periodic Bulletins

IACC - Ind. Am. Ch. Comm

& Publications

ACCII – Ass. Ch. Comm. &Industry of

India

QUESTIONNAIRE

It is a communication method

It is a tool or instrument to gather

data from respondents in a survey

situation

Definition

12

A questionnaire is a set of questions

designed to generate the data

necessary to accomplish a research

projects.

Questionnaire can be classified into

four main types

i) Structured non disguised /direct

Questionnaire

ii) Structured disguised /indirect

Questionnaire

iii) Non -Structured non disguised

/direct Questionnaire

iv) Non-Structured disguised /indirect

Questionnaire

A structured Questionnaire is a

formal list of questions

Framed so as to get facts

The interviewer asks the questions

strictly in accordance with a

pre – arranged order.

13

A structured Questionnaire is of two types

a) disguised and b) non – disguised

When the object or purpose of the survey

is revealed it is called

non – disguised type

When the object or purpose of the survey

is undisclosed / not revealed it is called as

disguised type

Structured non – disguised

Questionnaire is one when the listing of

questions is in a pre-arranged order and

where the object of enquiry is revealed to

respondent.

Most marketing research studies use this

type of questionnaire

Advantages of structured non –

disguised questionnaire or

Advantages of a questionnaire

14

1) It facilities the collection of information

in a systematic and orderly manner as

the questions have been formulated in

advance

2) Since the questions asked by each

interviewer happens to be identical

and are asked in the same order, the

information is generally not distorted

on account of varying characteristics

of different interviewers.

3) A structures approach calls for a

straightforward and simple approach

on the part of interviewers . As such,

even less qualified interviewers can

be deployed in the survey.

4) Such a questionnaire makes it far

easier to edit, tabulate & interpret

the data.

5) Such a questionnaire can be

pretested so that suitable

15

modifications can be made in phrasing

question or in the sequence or both.

LIMITATION

Such a questionnaire is not in a

position to elicit answers from

respondent re. motivation & personal

reasons for his behaviour. This is done

by disguised questionnaires in

qualitative studies.

Eg. In-depth interview

Characteristics of a good

questionnaire

1) Has a good heading along with

object of enquiry clearly stated.

2) Carries necessary instructions

3) Well arranged sequence of questions

16

4) Elicits objective answers capable of

tabulation

5) Has clarity

6) Has limited no. of questions

7) Has good format-size, appearance,

margin, spacing to look good on

good quality paper with good

printing motivating respondents to

answer.

Objectives of a Questionnaire

1. It must translate the information

needed into a set of specific question

that the respondents can & will answer

2. It must motivate & encourage the

respondent to become involved, co-

operate & complete the interview.

3. It must minimize response error -

arising from inaccurate, misrecorded

or misanalysed answers.

Questionnaire Design process - Steps

17

STEP

1) Specify the information needed

2) Specify the type of interviewing

method

3) Determine the content of individual

questions

4) Design the questions to overcome the

respondents’ inability or unwillingness

to answer

5) Decide on the question structure

6) Determine the questions wording

7) Arrange the questions in proper order

8)) Identify the form & layout

9) Reproduce the questionnaire in limited

nos for pretesting

10)Eliminate bugs by pretesting and bulk

reproduction

18

1. Specify the information Needed.

(i) Review research questions, hypothesis

and objectives to ensure information to

be obtained addresses the problem.

(ii) Prepare a dummy table to describe

how the analysis will be structured

when the data have been collected.

(iii) Check if questions match target group

eg. Questions for college student may

be inappropriate for housewives.

iv) Language – What language is the

respondent going to understand &

respond.

(iv)The questionnaire must be so

designed that it can be used in any

language.

Eg. A Questionnaire printed in English

could be administered to the

respondent in the local language he

19

speaks, by a trained interviewer who

records the answers in the

questionnaire.

2. Type of interviewing method

In personal interviews, respondents see

the questionnaire & interact face to face

with the interviewer. Thus lengthy,

complex & varied questions can be asked.

In telephone interviews, respondents

do not see the questionnaire. Hence,

questions have to be short & simple.

Mail questionnaires are self

administrated, so questions must be

simple & detailed instructions must be

provided.

E-mail Questionnaires also have to be

simple.

3. Individual Question content

Is the question necessary?

Eg. Questions unrelated to the problem.

20

Are several questions needed instead

of one eg. – Do you think Coca Cola is

tasty & refreshing soft drink? – incorrect

double barreled question

Instead 2 separate questions may be

asked

i) Do you thick Coca Cola is a tasty

drink?

ii) Do you think Coca Cola is a

refreshing drink?

4. Overcoming inability &

unwillingness to answer.

Is the respondent informed or

familiar with the topic ?

Eg – Asking husband about monthly

grocery bill when wife does the purchase.

Can the respondent remember

21

Eg- What did you have for lunch last

week?

Can the respondent be expressive?

Eg- Describe interior of a dept. store you

would like to shop in?

Such a question may not get the desired

response if respondent is not expressive.

5. Choose question structure

A. Unstructured Questions - Open-

ended questions that respondents

answer in their own words.

Eg- What is your occupation ?

----------------------

Why do you think people shop in

department stores.?-------------------

-----------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------

B. Structured questions

i) Multiple choice questions

22

Please tick the brand of Shampoo you

normally use.

a) Clinic, b) Chik, c) Sunsilk d) Head

& shoulder, e) Any other.

Please specify__________________-

ii) Dichotomous Questions – has only

two response alternatives.

Eg – Yes, No ; Agree, Disagree etc.

Sometimes neutral alternative

needs to be included

Eg- Don’t Know, both or no opinion

Do you intend to buy a new car

within the next six months?

____yes’ _____No, _______ don’t

know

iii) Scales

Do you intend to buy a new car within the

next six months?

23

Definitely Probably Undecided

Probably Definitely

Will not buy will not buy

will buy will buy

1 2 3 4

5

6. Choosing question wording

- avoid ambiguous words

eg. Do you think distribution of soft

drink is adequate?

Instead: Have you ever faced out of

stock situation of Brand X soft

Drink ? Yes ; No ; This can be

further simplified

- use ordinary words

Simplify – Do you think soft drinks are

readily available when you want to buy

them?

24

- avoid leading questions

Do you think as a patriotic Indian you

should buy Gilette?

Better- When you buy a razor do you

choose Indian or Imported brands?

7. Determining order of questions

1. Opening questions should be

simple, interesting & check eligibility

of the candidate to answer questions

Eg- Suppose the respondent is

required to be a graduate, then the

opening question can eliminate non

graduates.

2. Difficult questions to be included

later & should be a few in number

3. Logical order – sequence and flow

to make interview smooth

4. Avoid crowding of questions

that confuse respondent

8. Format & layout

25

- Format, spacing & positioning should

be comfortable to read.

- Questionnaire may be in several

parts if long.

- Preferably it is best to have just one

page

9. Reproduction – in good quality

paper for pre-testing & main

Survey

10. Pretesting – The testing of a

questionnaire on a small sample of

respondents for the purpose of

improving the questionnaire by

identifying & eliminating problematic

questions

> Misunderstood questions to be

reworded or eliminated.

> Length to be trimmed.

> Information content to be reviewed.

26

SCALES OF MEASUREMENT USED IN

BUSINESS/MKTNG RESEARCH

Nature and characteristic of Number

System

Nos. have certain basic properties.

First nos. follow a rank order

9 > 3, 12 < 24

Second The difference or intervals

between pairs of nos can be

compared.

The Interval between 6 & 3 is the

same as the interval between 9 &

6.

The Interval between 36 & 24 is

twice the interval between 12 & 6.

Third We can divide one no by another

and interpret the relative

magnitudes of the two nos by the

resulting ratios.

27

6/3=2 Thus 6 is twice as large as 3.

12 is one third of 36 because

36x1/3=36/3=12

Fourth We can compute & interpret

numbers because the number

system has Unique Zero Point

The properties of numbers are of special

significance in the context of

quantifying survey responses esp. when

measuring subjective aspects such an

emotions, attitudes etc on a scale.

Scale -A device constructed with a set of

members that serves as a yardstick or

means of measurement.

Measurement - is the assignment of

numbers to responses based on a set of

guidelines. Eg yes is 1 ; No is 2

Scaling Techniques.

28

Marketing research is often concerned

with the behavior of consumers. They

want to assess their attitude to different

variables. Why is this important ?

1) If the attitude of the public towards a

company or its product is

unfavorable, the company cannot

survive too long.

So, a company should know public’s

attitude towards it. Also, the company

must ensure that people have a

favorable attitude towards its present

products/services.

The company must also look into the

future to anticipate the preference

of the public.

Thus, a study of attitudes becomes

very relevant to marketing

researchers.

29

2) Attitudes also plays a major role in

advertising. A marketing

researcher would like to decide the

copy message the advertisement

should carry, how it should be

conveyed, the effective media that can

take this message to the consumer. Eg.

Complan with height, Junior

Horlicks with growth in intelligence with

an interesting storyline suited

to TV

3) A manufacture may embark on an

attitude survey to reveal the likes &

dislikes of consumers towards certain

brands that would be helpful in

his product development.

Attitude The sum total of a person’s

inclination and feelings, prejudice or bias,

preconceived notions, ideas, fears, threats

and convictions about any specific topic.

30

Attitude is, therefore, a subjective and

personal opinion. Attitude influences

behaviour. Purchase decisions are based

upon attitudes. Attitudes can change over

time

Types of Scales / Scaling Techniques

There are basically four types of scales of

measurement or scaling techniques

1. Nominal Scales 2. Ordinal Scales

3. Interval Scales 4. Ratio Scales

1. Nominal Scales

Nominal sales are more widely used

than any other scale for research in

social sciences.

In a nominal scale, numbers serve as

labels to identify persons, objects

events, different categories of

responses etc.

Eg. A. What is your gender 1.

Male ( )

31

2. Female ( )

B. Which of the following

influences your purchasing

decision the most.

1.TV ( ) 2.Radio ( ) 3.Print

media ( ) 4.Interntet ( )

C. Do you like ice cream? 1. Yes (

)

2. No ( )

4. Any set of nos can be used as

labels:-

05 MBA 26 05 Signifies yearof

intake and 26 subject code of BRM

Arranging books in a library –

Physics 48, Chemistry 92 etc

Room No 406 in a hotel signifies 4th

Floor 06 – room no.

Limitations

Nominal scale is the simplest of the

four scales.

32

It does not imply any ranking of the

responses.

Only serves as labels

The nos. do not have any arithmetic

origin ie., no zero origin. Hence no

mathematical operation is possible

There is no distance relationship in

the scale employed. Hence,

unsuitable for determining

relationships.

However, Nominal Scales are useful in

research (esp. Exploratory). where

broad dimensions (frequency) of

variables need to be determined.

ie., How many said YES, how many

said NO

Statistical Implication: Calculation

of Std.Deviation and Mean is not

possible. Mode is the most

appropriate central tendency to

33

determine the most frequently

checked response in nominal scale.

2. Ordinal Scale /Order Scaled

Response.

Ordinal scales posses all the unique

characteristic of nominal scales plus

possess the property of rank order. Hence,

more powerful than nominal scales.

Eg. (1) Consider the followin Question

How long do you spend reading new

papers on a typical weekday ?

A. Less than 5 min. Actual

response 40%

B. 5 min to less than 15 min. ---

do --- 20%

C. 15 min to less than 30 min. ----

do --- 25%

D. 30 min or more. ----

do --- 5%

34

Rearranging above and ranking them from

lowest to highest response rate, we have

1. D 5%

2. B 20%

3. C 25%

4. A 40%

Eg. (2) Five types of house holds with

monthly income

House hold A B C D E

Income 6 10 5 12 11

(Rs. ‘000)

If the households are ranked highest to

the lowest we have

1 D Rs 12,000

2 E Rs 11,000

3 B Rs 10,000

4 A Rs 6,000

5 C 5,000

The point to emphasise here is that the

exercise is simply rank ordering lowest to

35

highest or highest to lowest the given

variable and does not reflect the internal

differences between the categories.

Consider another example where

acceptability of a soft drink is involved.

Scale %

Response

Ranking 2 I strongly like to

+2 10%

Lowest 4 I like it somewhat

+1 25%

To Highest 3 I am indifferent

0 15%

5 I dislike it somewhat -1

45%

1 I strongly dislike it -2

5%

Please rank the following domestic airlines

from 1 to 5, being most preferred and 5

least preferred in terms of price.

36

Rank Respondents (nos)

Indian - 3 200

Spice jet - 2 250

Deccan - 1 300

Jet Airways - 4 150

Kingfisher - 5 100

Mode & Median 300

Two measures of central tendency are

meaningful for ordinal-scaled responses:

Mode & Median (category where 50th

percentile response falls)

Difference between Nominal &

Ordinal Scale - In nominal scale

numbers can be interchanged as it serves

the purpose of only labeling and counting.

Numbers in Ordinal Scale have more

meaning and cannot be interchanged

3. Interval Scales

37

>This has all the properties of ordinal

scale plus the differences between

scale values can be meaningfully

interpreted.

>This characteristic makes interval scaled

responses more powerful

than nominal or ordinal scaled

responses.

>Strictly speaking, variables such as

attitudes, opinions and preferences

cannot be quantified to yield exact

interval scales. However, within the

scale equal intervals are assumed

between categories.

>So an a particular scale, equal

differences indicate equal differences in

value with regard to that scale only.

Eg- How likely are you to buy a new

automobile within the next six months?

38

(Please tick the most appropriate

category)

1. Will definitely not buy

2. Extremely unlikely to buy

3. Unlikely to buy

4. Likely to buy

5. Extremely likely to buy

6. Will definitely buy

>Values assigned to this set of responses

run from 1 to 6 (these nos. can

also be in reverse) and strictly speaking

from only an ordinal scale.

>But they are considered to be interval

scale under the assumption that

respondents will see the connection

between adjacent responses and

will treat the differences between

adjacent response categories as being

equal, especially since the categories

are physically separated by equal

39

distance.

>Unfortunately, verifying whether the

respondents perception of the

differences between adjacent response

categories are equal is very

difficult, if not impossible.

>However, the MR & BRM, such scales

are more often (than not) treated

as having interval properties. Consider

above eg: Response as follows

Resp. No. & %

Category of response

1 10 (5%)

2 10 (5%)

3 70 (35%)

4 60 (30%)

5 20 (10%)

6 30 (15%)

200 100%

40

> Interval scales are more powerful than

nominal and ordinal scales.

> They are quicker to complete &

researchers find them more convenient

to apply.

>In a particular interval scale, equal

differences indicate equal

differences in value with regard to

that scale only.

>Numbers forming an interval scale, in

addition to possessing ordinal

scale attributes, permit computation of

the Mean and Standard.

Deviation.

In above example, the mode & median

are 3 & 4 respectively. The Mean is 3.8

on a scale of 1 to 6.

(It is assumed that the unit of

measurement is constant

throughout)

41

>Suppose, we administer the same

question to a different sample of

respondents with lower income levels

than the earlier sample. Say mean

is computed to be 1.9.

Although 3.8 is twice as large as 1.9. we

cannot say that the first

sample is twice as likely to buy a new

automobile than the second

sample.

-This is because, the starting or zero

point is arbitrary. Hence, the two

samples cannot be linked.

-Compare with a thermometer that has a

common zero point for all the

measurements.

Workings = Calculation of Mean.

(1x10+2x10+3x70+4x60+5x20+6x30

) / 200

42

= (10x20+210+240+100+180) / 200

= 3.8

2nd Sample response category

No & %

(1x120+2x40+3x10+ 1

120 (60%)

4x10+5x10+6x10) – 200 2

40 (20%)

=(120+80+30+40+50+60) 3

10 (5%)

= 1.9 4 10

(5%)

5 10 (5%)

6 10 (5%)

200

(100%)

Statistical Implication: We can compute

mean, median, mode

Difference between Interval and

Ordinal Scale

43

Ordinal Scale gives only the ranking of the

alternatives, namely one is greater than

the other. Interval Scales provide

information about the difference between

one and the other

4. Ratio Scales

> Ratio Scales possess the power of the

preceding three scales plus the

concept of absolute zero or origin.

> Thus they have the order,

distance/interval and unique origin.

> Ratio scales are the most superior

amongst all the scales.

> Quantified responses forming a ratio

scale analytically are the most

versatile.

>The ratio numbers on these scales have

meaningful interpretation.

>Data on certain demographic or

descriptive attributes, if they are

44

obtained through open ended questions,

will have ratio scale properties.

Consider following questions:

(i) What is your annual income before

taxes?

Rs. ________________

(ii) How far is your workplace from your

home?

_________________km.

Answer to these questions have a natural,

unambiguous starting point, namely zero.

Since the starting point is not chosen

arbitrarily, as in interval scale, computing

& interpreting ratios make sense. In this

scale it is possible to say how many times

greater or smaller one object is compared

to the other

45

Eg. – A respondent earning Rs. 40,000

p.m. is earning twice as much as a

respondent earning Rs. 20,000/- p.m.

>Non metric data - are data with only

nominal or ordinal

properties

> Metric Data – are data with interval or

ratio properties

> The interval between nos. have precise

meaning for metric data

but

not for non metric data

ATTITUDE SCALES

Attitude is the predisposition of the

individual to evaluate some object or

aspect of his world in a favorable or

unfavorable manner.

Attitude Scales are sets of rating

scales constructed to measure

46

one or more dimension of an

individual’s attitude toward some

object (issue)

Attitude scales are constructed using

Likert, Semantic Differential,

Paired Compassion & Thurston

Scales

Criteria for a Good / Effective

scale

1. Reliability- A scale or test is said

to be reliable to the extent that

repeat measurements made by it

under constant conditions will give the

same result (assuming no change in

attitude).

2. Validity – The scale measures

what it sets out to measure and any

differences represent the true

differences.

47

3. Sensitivity-The scale’s ability to

detect subtle / minute differences in

the attitudes being measured.

It should have sufficient numbers

range to facilitate medasurement of

fine variations in attitude. This is

achieved better by a multi item scale.

1.Likert Scale

> It has an ordinal scale format .

> It enables ranking of attitude

> It consists of a series of attitude

related statements

(multi-item scale format)

Respondents are asked to rate these

statements on a 5 point item scale.

48

Strongly Disagree Neither

Agree Strongly

Disagree agree

agree

Nor

Disagree

1 2 3

4 5

Maruti 800

is the best car ( ) ( ) ( )

( ) ( )

developed

by Maruti Udyog

It is light

but sturdy ( ) ( ) ( )

( ) ( )

to take on

bad roads in India

49

It has got excellent

fuel efficiency ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

( )

It meets middle

class aspirations ( ) ( ) ( )

( ) ( )

After sales service

is countrywide & ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

( )

excellent

Cheaper R & M ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

( )

> The statements are separate ideas yet

linked to a common object

(see

above example)

50

> Single – item scale formats have single

statement format.

>The central tendency of single

statement indicates the average attitude

> The central tendencies in multi-item

format gives a consolidated avge

> The central tendencies in multi – item

format gives a consolidated

average. The individual averages &

consolidated average may indicate a

pattern in the relationship – pictorial

profile.

> This is one of the widely used scales in

MR.

2.Semantic Differential Scale

> It is an Ordinal Scale similar to Likert

Scale.

> It consists of a series of items to be

rated – multi item scale.

51

> Single item scale may be a stand alone

attitude statement.

> Items are presented as a bipolar

adjective phrases or words at two

extremes of the scale.

> The scale in – between may have 5 – 7

points.

> The respondent marks one category for

each scale that best represents

the attitude.

> A more common application of the

semantic differential scale is to

develop a pictorial profile of the attitude

based on mean ratings.

> The profiles exhibit the relative

strengths & weaknesses as perceived by

customers. This is one of the widely

used scales in marketing research.

Maruthi 800:

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1.Best car

Worst car

2.Sturdy car

Weak car

3Excellent Fuel

Worst Fuel

Efficiency

Efficiency

4

Meets

Doest not

Middle Class

Middle lass

aspiration

aspiration

5.Excellent

Worst

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After sales

After sales

Service

Service.

6.Cheap

Expensive

R & M R &

M

Thurston Scale

> It is an Ordinal Scale

> This applies the logic that attitudes are

best measured when

comparative statements are arranged

one below another in a sequence;

To get neutral statements towards

halfway point ; and

Extreme statements opposite in

character beyond the halfway point.

> The statements are arranged in 11 piles

for the final scale. These

54

statements are distilled version of many

statements one would have

studied and finally short listed.

Eg Attitude towards TV commercials can

be studied by using Thurston

scale as follows:

Scale Value

1) All TV commercials should be

prohibited by LAW

2) Watching TV commercial is complete

waste of time

3) Most TV commercials are pretty bad

4) TV commercials are monotonous

5) TV commercial do not interfere with

regular TV watching

6) I have no feelings whatsoever

7) I like TV commercials at times

8) Most TV commercial are fairly

interactive

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9) I like TV to buy products advertised an

TV

10) Most TV commercials help people

select best products

11) TV commercials are fun to watch than

regular programmes

> Respondents are required to agree or

disagree with the statement.

> In a general trend if respondents agree

with statements of scale values 8,9 & 10,

they may disagree with 1, 2, 3, & 4.

Neutral positions will be 5, 6 & 7.

>Median of the item nos is calculated of 8,

9 & 10 favorably disposed

toward TV commercials

>1, 4, 7 & 11 agreement would indicate

no organized attitude toward TV

commercial

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> Not applied in MR frequently owing to

tedious procedure.

Disadvantage 1) Cumbersome to develop

2) Many bias can arise in

shortlisting & making

average statements

3) Degree of agreement or

disagreement is not

indicated.

Paired comparison scale

> This requires respondents to pick two

objects of a set with regard to an

attitude.

> A series of paired judgments between

objects is made by the

respondent on the basis of his

preference.

> Suppose the respondent is asked to

show his preference amongst

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Five brands of tea A, B, C, D, E with

respect to its flavor.

> He has to select one brand out of all

paired combination of the five

brands

A & B B & C C & D D & E

A & C B & D C & E

A & D B & E so, 10

paired comparisons

A & E n(n-1) 2 = 5 (5-1) 2 = 10

> In each pair, the respondents are asked

to divide 100 points on the

basis of how much they liked one as

compared to the other eg.

between A & B liking, 60 points to A 40

points to B; between A & C

liking 70 points to A 30 points to C etc

>When combinations are large paired

comparison is not preferred. When

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There are 15 brands to be evaluated, we

will have 105 paired

Comparisons which is the major

limitation of this method

59