MARKETING RESEARCH - TOPIC - EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

PART A

This week we will discuss different types of Experimental Design. Below you will find several descriptions of experiments. You need to a) name the type of experiment described and b) Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each design.

• A major petroleum corporation is considering phasing out premium unleaded petrol. It selects Queenstown, New Zealand, as an experimental market in which the product might be eliminated and decides to watch product line sales results.
• A soft-drink manufacturer puts the same brand of orange drink in two different containers with different designs. Two groups are given a package and asked about the drink's taste. A third group is given the orange drink in an unlabelled package and asked the same question.
• An advertising agency pretested a television advertisement with a portable television set, simulating an actual television program with the test commercial inserted along with the other advertisements. This program was shown to a focus group, and a group discussion follows.
• A manufacturer of a new brand of cat food tests product sampling with a trial-size package versus no sampling and three price levels simultaneously to determine the best market penetration strategy.
• A major fast-food corporation is considering a drug-testing program for its counter workers. It selects its largest outlet in Sydney, implements the program and measures the impact on productivity.
• A mass merchandiser conducts an experiment to determine whether a flexible work-time program (allowing employees to choose their own work-hours between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.) is better than the traditional working hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) for sales personnel. Each employee in the Brisbane office is asked if he or she would like to be in the experimental or control group. All employees in the Perth office remain on the traditional schedule.
  

Part B

Provide an example for each of the six major factors influencing internal validity. You can provide any example, but they should be different from the book and online lesson.

• History
• Maturation
• Testing
• Instrumentation
• Selection
• Mortality
  

MARKETING RESEARCH - TOPIC - EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

PART A

This week we will discuss different types of Experimental Design. Below you will find several descriptions of experiments. You need to a) name the type of experiment described and b) Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each design.

1.      A major petroleum corporation is considering phasing out premium unleaded petrol. It selects Queenstown, New Zealand, as an experimental market in which the product might be eliminated and decides to watch product line sales results.

a.       True experiment

b.      Strengths and Weaknesses.

Strengths.

Gain insights into the methods of instructions.

Intuitive practice shaped by research

Researchers have control over the variables.

Can be combined with other methods for rigor.

Weaknesses

Subject to human error

Groups may not be comparable.



2.      A soft-drink manufacturer puts the same brand of orange drink in two different containers with different designs. Two groups are given a package and asked about the drink's taste. A third group is given the orange drink in an unlabelled package and asked the same question.

a.       Between subjects' design.

b.      Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

It's simple since there is little contamination from extraneous factors.

It's a single method hence participants don't suffer from boredom.

Weaknesses

It suffers from individual variability.

Results cannot be generalized.



3.      An advertising agency pretested a television advertisement with a portable television set, simulating an actual television program with the test commercial inserted along with the other advertisements. This program was shown to a focus group, and a group discussion follows.

a.       Quasi-experimental design.

b.      Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths.

Its less expensive compared to other experimental design methods.

It provides enhanced data that can be used for generalization.

Weaknesses

The focus group might be manipulated due to bias.

Individual variability might arise during the discuss hence altering the expected results.





Step-by-step explanation
4.      A manufacturer of a new brand of cat food tests product sampling with a trial-size package versus no sampling and three price levels simultaneously to determine the best market penetration strategy.

a.       Correlation design.

b.      Strengths and Weaknesses.

Strengths

Appropriate for determining the association between the variables.

The variables are not subjected to real manipulation.

Weaknesses

It only shows the relationship between variables with no explanation for the cause of the particular relationship.



5.      A major fast-food corporation is considering a drug-testing program for its counter workers. It selects its largest outlet in Sydney, implements the program and measures the impact on productivity.

a.       Case Study.

b.      Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Suitable for collecting a lot of detail about the subject under study.

Provides room for conducting other specific research studies within it.

Weaknesses

Data obtained from the case study might not be generalized to other population.



6.      A mass merchandiser conducts an experiment to determine whether a flexible work-time program (allowing employees to choose their own work-hours between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.) is better than the traditional working hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) for sales personnel. Each employee in the Brisbane office is asked if he or she would like to be in the experimental or control group. All employees in the Perth office remain on the traditional schedule.

a.       True experiment

b.      Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Gain insights into the methods of instructions.

Intuitive practice shaped by research

Researchers have control over the variables.

Can be combined with other methods for rigor.

Weaknesses

Subject to human error due to bias.



Part B

Provide an example for each of the six major factors influencing internal validity. You can provide any example, but they should be different from the book and online lesson.

History

Two weeks before the end of the study, all employees are informed that there will be mass layoffs.

Maturation

The pre-test is performed when most participants are new on the job.

Testing

Participants performed highly at the end of the study due to familiarity with the test being administered.

Instrumentation

The pre-test and post-test took 15 and 30 minutes long respectively.

Selection

More males were favored during the selection the period over the females.

Mortality

Some employees dropped out of the study one week to completion.











References.

https://web.pdx.edu/~stipakb/download/PA555/ResearchDesign.html

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/414875_3