ASSIGNMENT I

PGDM (supported by e-learning) (Module II)

Subject Code: eGM07

Subject Name: Research Methodology

Time : 2 hrs Maximum Marks : 100

Attempt all questions: All questions are compulsory and each question carries 2 marks. No negative
marking is there.
Assignment I ( 50 questions )

1. Marketing Research, is everything except_____.

a. systematic
b. politically biased
c. objective
d. used to assist management in decision making

2. _____ is undertaken to help identify problems that are perhaps not apparent on the surface
and yet exist or are likely to arise in the future.
a. Problem identification research
b. Segmentation research
c. Problem solving research
d. Marketing information systems

3. _____ is defined as a set of six steps that defines the tasks to be accomplished in
conducting a marketing research study. These include problem definition, developing an
approach to the problem, research design formulation, field work, data preparation and analysis,
and report generation and presentation.
a. The marketing research process
b. Marketing information systems
c. Marketing research
d. A decision support system

4. The emphasis in marketing is on the identification and satisfaction of _____.

a. business needs
b. marketing goals
c. market needs
d. customer needs
5. The _____ is a broad statement of the general problem and identification of the specific
components of the marketing research problem.
a) problem audit
b) management problem
c) problem definition
d) none of the above

6. The need for the researcher to understand the nature of what decision managers face and
what they hope to learn from research is one of the reasons to conduct _____.
a. discussions with decision makers
b. interview with experts
c. secondary data analysis
d. qualitative research

7. The _____ is a comprehensive examination of a marketing problem with the purpose of

understanding its origin and nature.
a. problem audit
b. management problem
c. problem definition
d. none of the above

8. Interviews with industry experts—individuals knowledgeable about the firm and the industry
—may help formulate the marketing research problem. Which of the following statements is
true about interviews with industry experts?
a. These experts may be found both inside and outside the firm.
b. Typically, expert information is obtained by unstructured personal interviews without
administering a formal questionnaire.
c. It is helpful to prepare a list of topics to be covered during the interview.
d. All of the above are true.

9. Typically, a _____ involves the tasks of designing the information needed, specifying the
measurement and scaling procedures, and developing a plan of data analysis.
a. research classification
b. research design
c. design formulation
d. none of the above

10. Which of the following tasks is not a component of research design?

a. Design the exploratory, descriptive, and/or causal phases of the research.
 b. Construct and pretest a questionnaire (interviewing form) or an appropriate form for data
collection.
c. Specify the sampling process and sample size.
d. Develop hypotheses.

11. Research designs may be broadly classified as _____ or _____ (Figure 3.1).
a. exploratory; causal
b. conclusive; causal
c. exploratory; conclusive
d. conclusive; descriptive

12. The primary objective of _____ is to provide insights into, and an understanding of, the
problem confronting the researcher.
a. exploratory research
b. conclusive research
c. causal research
d. descriptive research

13. Cross-sectional and longitudinal designs are types of _____ (Figure 3.1).
a. causal research
b. exploratory research
c. descriptive research
d. none of the above

14. Which of the objectives below would best represent exploratory research?
a. Describe market characteristics or functions.
b. Determine cause and effect relationships.
c. Provide insights and understanding.
d. Test specific hypotheses and examine relationships.

15. Which of the objectives below would best represent conclusive research?
a. Describe market characteristics or functions.
b. Determine cause and effect relationships.
c. Provide insights and understanding.
d. Test specific hypotheses and examine relationships.

16. If there were a need to isolate key variables and relationships for further examination, it
would be best to perform _____.
a. descriptive research
b. causal research
c. exploratory research
d. conclusive research

17. Which of the following statements is not true about exploratory research?
a. It is flexible.
 b. It is a pre-planned and structured design.
c. It is versatile.
d. It is often the front end of total research design.

18. A formal research design specifies the methods for selecting the sources of information and
for collecting data from those sources. A _____ design requires a clear specification of the who,
what, when, where, why, and way (the six Ws) of the research.
a. descriptive
b. causal
c. exploratory
d. none of the above

19. Descriptive research, in contrast to exploratory research, is marked by all of the following
except:
a. a clear statement of the problem
b. specific hypotheses
c. detailed information needs
d. all of the above

20. _____ designs involve the collection of information from any given sample of population
elements only once.
a. Exploratory
b. Causal
c. Cross-sectional
d. None of the above

21. _____ is a cross-sectional design in which one sample of respondents is drawn from the
target population and information is obtained from this sample once.
a. Multiple cross-sectional design
b. Single cross-sectional design
c. Cohort analysis
d. None of the above

22. As compared to primary data, secondary data are collected _____.

a. rapidly and easily
b. at a relatively low cost
c. in a short time
d. all of the above

23. Which of the following is not a disadvantage of secondary data?

a. The objectives, nature, and methods used to collect the secondary data may not
be appropriate to the present situation.
b. Secondary data may be lacking in accuracy.
c. Secondary data may be expensive and time consuming.
d. Secondary data may not be completely current or dependable.

24. Which of the following statements is not true about the currency of secondary data?
a. The time lag between data collection and publication may be long.
 b. The value of secondary data is diminished as it becomes dated.
c. The data may not be updated frequently enough for the problem at hand.
d. All of the above are correct.

25. Which of the following statements is not true about the currency of secondary data?
a. The time lag between data collection and publication may be long.
b. The value of secondary data is diminished as it becomes dated.
c. The data may not be updated frequently enough for the problem at hand.
d. All of the above are correct.

26 Questions that require respondents to choose from a set of predetermined answers are
_____ questions.
a. dual response
b. fixed alternative
c. open-ended
d. none of the above

27. Which of the following is a disadvantage of the survey method of data collection?
a. The questionnaire is simple to administer.
b. The data obtained are reliable because the responses are limited to the
alternatives stated.
c. Wording questions properly is not easy.
d. Coding, analysis, and interpretation of data are relatively simple.

28. Which of the following is not a personal interview method?

a. in-home
b. mall intercept
c. computer-assisted personal interview
d. e-mail

29. Which personal interviewing method utilizes help screens and courteous error messages?
a. in-home
b. mall intercept
c. computer-assisted personal interview
d. e-mail

30. Limitations of e-mail surveys include all of the following except:

a. Questionnaires cannot utilize programmed skip patterns, logic checks, or
randomization.
b. Skipping instructions (e.g., “If the answer to question 5 is yes, go to question 9”)
must appear explicitly, just as on paper.
c. There is inherent self-selection bias.
d. Some e-mail software products limit the length of the body of an e-mail message.

31. Observational methods may be _____ or _____.

a. structured; unstructured
 b. direct; indirect
c. conducted in a natural environment; conducted in a contrived environment
d. all of the above

32. _____ involves observation techniques where the researcher clearly defines the behaviors
to be observed and the methods by which they will be measured.
a. Natural observation
b. Contrived observation
c. Structured observation
d. Unstructured observation

33. One-way mirrors, hidden cameras, or inconspicuous mechanical devices may be used
when performing ____.
a undisguised observation
b disguised observation
c structured observation
d natural observation

34. _____ involves observing behavior as it takes place in the environment..

a Natural observation
b Contrived observation
c Structured observation
d Unstructured observation

35. Which of the following is not an objective of a questionnaire?

a. A questionnaire must translate the information needed into a set of specific questions
that the respondents can and will answer.
b. A questionnaire must be easy to use.
c. A questionnaire must uplift, motivate, and encourage the respondent to become involved
in the interview, to cooperate, and to complete the interview.
d. A questionnaire should minimize response error.

36. The great weakness of questionnaire design is _____.

a. precision
b. accuracy
c. theory
d. consensus

37. The first step in the questionnaire design process is _____.

a. specify the type of interview method

b. identify the form and layout
c. specify the information needed
d. determine the content of individual questions

38. The type of method influences questionnaire design. Considering how the questionnaire is
administered under each method, which method is most appropriate if lengthy, complex, and
varied questions need to be asked?
 a. mail questionnaire
b. telephone interview
c. personal interview
d. Internet questionnaire

39. There are several basic questions involved in sampling design. “Should a sample be
taken? If so, what process should be followed?” are two such questions. Which of the following
questions is also involved in sampling design?
a. What kind of sample should be taken?
b. How large should the sample be?
c. What can be done to control and adjust for non response errors?
d. All of the above are correct.

40. The aggregate of all the elements, sharing some common set of characteristics, that
comprises the universe for the purpose of the marketing problem is the _____.
a. population
b. target population
c. element
d. census

41. A complete enumeration of the elements of a population or study objects is a _____.

a. population
b. target population
c. element
d. census

42. A subgroup of the elements of the population selected for participation in the study is a
_____.
a. judgmental sample
b. sample
c. sampling unit
a. sampling frame

43. The basic unit containing the elements of the population to be sampled is the _____.
a. judgmental sample
b. sample
c. sampling unit
d. sampling frame

44. _____ is a sampling procedure in which each element of the population has a fixed
probabilistic chance of being selected for the sample.
a. Nonprobability sampling
b. Probability sampling
c. Convenience sampling
d. Judgmental sampling

45. _____ attempts to obtain a sample of convenient elements. The selection of sampling units
is left primarily to the interviewer.
 a. Nonprobability sampling
b. Probability sampling
c. Convenience sampling
d. Judgmental sampling

46. _____ is a form of convenience sampling in which the population elements are selected
based on the judgment of the researcher.
a. Nonprobability sampling
b. Probability sampling
c. Convenience sampling
d. Judgmental sampling

47. _____ is a probability sampling technique in which each element in the population has a
known and equal probability of selection. Every element is selected independently of every
other element and the sample is drawn by a random procedure from a sampling frame.
a. Stratified sampling
b. Simple random sampling
c. Systematic sampling
d. Cluster sampling

48. The _____ method is equivalent to a lottery system in which names are placed in a
container, the container is shaken, and the names of the winners are then drawn out in an
unbiased manner.
a. Non probability sampling
b. systematic sampling
c. simple random sampling
d. stratified sampling

49. All of the following statements are limitations of simple random sampling except:
a. It is often difficult to construct a sampling frame that will permit a simple
random sample to be drawn.
b. Simple random sampling often results in lower precision with larger standard
errors than other probability sampling techniques.
c. Simple random sampling may or may not result in a representative sample.
d. The sample results may be projected to the target population.

50. _____ is a probability sampling technique in which the sample is chosen by selecting a
random starting point and then picking every ith element in succession from the sampling frame.
a. Stratified sampling
b. Simple random sampling
c. Systematic sampling
d. Cluster sampling