How to Use Surveys

1. Background

Surveys originated in the early 1900's, due to the real growth of industries just after World War II. Economic changes and technological advances during and after the war greatly enlarged manufacturing capacity therefore customers had more and better products to choose from and manufacturers were required to pay more attention to their consumers. This then created more competition amongst firms creating the need for surveys in order to determine customers wants and needs in order to keep them satisfied (casro, 2001). Over the last five decades particularly during the last twenty years, survey research techniques and standards have become scientific and accurate, therefore when conducted properly they offer managers and organizations a large number of advantages (Zikmund & Babin, 2007:186).

Surveys entail addressing people, known as respondents, to supply answers to written or spoken questions. These questionnaires are done via mail, on the telephone, online, face-to-face, or a variety of a few. A survey can be anything from a short paper-and-pencil feedback review to an intensive one-on-one in-depth interview (Trochim, 2006). Surveying helps collect primary data based on communication with a representative sample of individuals. The type of information gathered depends solely on the objectives of the research (Zikmund & Babin, 2007:186).

The most influential author with regard to surveys goes by the name of LaPiere; he started off at Stanford University as an engineering student. Like many mechanical engineers, LaPiere was interested in the practical side of things, taking theories into the tangible world of true-to-life operation. Many researchers before him had addressed the notion of attitudes. But none took the construct to the same levels of practical outworking as did LaPiere (Firmin, 2010).

2. How to use surveys

Surveys are used when an objectivist approach is taken to the research of social phenomena. This falls within the positivist research paradigm (Dash, 2005: 1).

When it comes to using this method of research there is no specific or correct format that needs to be followed. However, there are certain things that survey researchers need to take into consideration (Mcneill and Chapman, 2005: 29). Once the researcher has chosen the topic to be studied, reviewed the literature and formed the hypotheses, the next step would be to identify the target population to be surveyed (Mcneill and Chapman, 2005:29-30). The target population is the group of people, relevant to the research project (Zikmund, 2003: 373). Once a population has been identified the researcher needs to carry out a preliminary investigation or interview in order to determine which survey research design will be most appropriate (Mcneill and Chapman, 2005: 30).

The researcher needs to determine whether to make use of self-administered questionnaires or interviews. The questionnaires can either be printed in which case they can be made available to the respondents via mail, in-person drop-off, inserts or fax; or they can be made available in electronic form and distributed via e-mail, an internet web site or an interactive kiosk (Zikmund, 2003:212). Interviews can be carried out face-to-face or via the telephone (Zikmund, 2003:199-207). The research design chosen will depend on such things as the nature of the research, the resources and funds available to the researcher, the time available to the researcher and access to respondents to name a few. There are also various advantages and disadvantages associated with each research design which the researcher needs to keep in mind when selecting the most appropriate design (Zikmund, 2003:227).

The next step involves drafting a questionnaire or interview schedule (Mcneill and Chapman, 2005:30). The questions need to be prepared in such a manner so that each respondent is asked the question in exactly the same way. The interview questions can be structured, semi-structured or unstructured depending on the needs of the researcher (Mcneill and Chapman, 2005: 33). The questionnaires and interview schedules can also be made up of ‘closed' or ‘open' questions. There are various advantages and disadvantages associated with these types of questions and once again, the researcher needs to keep these in mind (Mcneill and Chapman, 2005: 36-37). The questionnaires also require a cover letter which introduces the reader to the study and asks for the reader's cooperation. The cover letter should also state what the research will be used for and it must promise confidentiality (Zikmund, 2003:215-216). Once the questionnaire or interview schedule has been drafted it may be necessary to do a pilot survey to test the validity of the questions (Gray, 2004:106).

The researcher is now at