PROJECT REPORT

ON

BUSINESS RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT

OVER DATA COLLECTION
MASTERS OF COMMERCE DEGREE
SEMESTER- 3
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2015-16
SUBMITTED BY
MR: ODIYAR SUMANRAJ
ROLL NO: 32

N.E.S. RATNAM COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE AND COMMERCE,

N.E.S. MARG, BHANDUP (WEST), MUMBAI-400078

PROJECT REPORT ON
BUSINESS RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
OVER DATA COLLECTION
MASTERS OF COMMERCE DEGREE
SEMESTER- 3
ACADEMIC YEAR: 2015-16
SUBMITTED BY
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD
OF MASTER DEGREE OF COMMERCE
MR: ODIYAR SUMANRAJ
ROLL NO: 32

N.E.S. RATNAM COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE AND COMMERCE,

N.E.S. MARG, BHANDUP (WEST), MUMBAI-400078

N.E.S. RATNAM COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE

AND COMMERCE,
N.E.S. MARG, BHANDUP (WEST), MUMBAI- 400078
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project report on BUSINESS
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT OVER DATA COLLECTION is bonafide
record of project work done by MR. ODIYAR SUMANRAJ submitted in
partial fulfillment of the requirement of the award of the Master of Commerce
Degree University of Mumbai during the period of his study in the academic
year2015-16

INTERNAL EXAMINER:

EXTERNAL EXAMINER:
Principal

Mrs. Rina Saha

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this Project Report entitled BUSINESS

RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT OVER DATA COLLECTIONsubmitted
by me for the award of Masters of Commerce Degree; University of
Mumbai is a record of Project work done by me during the year
201516. This is entirely my own work.
NAME:ODIYAR SUMANRAJ

ROLL NO: 32

Place: Mumbai, Bhandup (W)

Date:

Signature:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I owe a great many thanks to great many people who helped and
supported me doing the writing of this book.
My deepest thanks to lecturer, DR SHAUKAT ALI of the project for
guiding and correcting various documents of mine with attention and care. He
has taken pains to go through my project and make necessary corrections as and
when needed.
I extend my thanks to the principal of NES Ratnam College of Arts
Science and Commerce, Bhandup (w), for extending her support.
My deep sense of gratitude to Principal Mrs. Rina Saha of NES Ratnam
College of Art, Science and Commerce for support and guidance. Thanks and
appreciation to the helpful people at NES Ratnam College of Arts, Science and
Commerce , for their support.

I would also thank my institution and faculty members without whom this
project would have been a distant reality. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to
my family and well-wishers.

Candidate Name:

ODIYAR SUMANRAJ

INDEX

SR.
NO.

DESCRIPTION

PRIMARY DATA

SECONDARY DATA,SOURCE AND TYPES

The conditions for a successful interview are as

follows

PRINCIPLES OF GOOD INTERVIEWING

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CHAPTER:1
PRIMARY DATA:

Primary data are those data which are collected fresh and
first time, and thus happen to be original in character. The key
point here is that the data you collect is unique to you
and your research and, until you publish, no one else has
access to it.
METHOD OF PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION:
There are several method of Primary data collection, they are
OBSERVATION METHOD
INTERVIEW METHOD
THROUGH QUESTIONNARIRES
THROUGH SCHEDULES
OTHER METHOD
OBSERVATION METHOD:
Observation method is the mostly commonly used method.
Observationmethod becomes a scientific tool and method of
data collection for the researcher, when itserves a formulate
research purpose and systematically planned.
Under the observationmethod the information is sort by way
of investigators own direct observation without asking from
respondent.
For instance, in a study relating to consumer behavior, the
investigatorinstead of asking the brand of wrist watch used by
the respondent, may himself look at the
watch. While using this method the researcher should keep in
mind things like what shouldbe observed? How the
observation should be recorded? How the accuracy of
observation canbe ensured?
Advantage:

 The advantage of this method is that subjective bias is

eliminated if the observationis done accurately
The information under this method relates to what is
currently happening
This method is independent of respondent
Disadvantages:
It is expensive method
Information provided by this method is very limited
Sometime unforeseen factors may interface with the
observation task
Interview method:
The Interview method of data collection involves presentation
of oral verbal stimuli and reply in term of oral verbal
responses. This method can be used through personal
interview and, if possible through telephone interviews.
Personal interviews
Personal interview method requires a person known as the
interviewerasking question generally in face to face contact to
the other person or persons. The interviewmay be in the form
of direct personal investigation or it may be an indirect oral
investigation.
Incase of direct personal investigation the interviewer has to
collect the information personallyfrom the source concerned.
He has to be on the spot and has to meet the people from
whom datahave to be collected. This method is particularly
suitable for intensive investigation.
The interview may be carried in structured or unstructured
way, structured interview involve use ofset of predetermined
question and highly standardized techniques of recording.

Thus, theinterview in a structured interview follows a rigid

procedure laid down, asking question in a formand order
prescribed.
In the non-structured interview method the interviewer is
allowed muchgreater freedom to ask, in case of need,
supplementary questions or at times he may omit certain
question if the situation so requires.
Advantages
More information and that too in greater depth can be
obtained
Interviewer by his own skill can overcome the resistance, if
any, of the respondent.
The interviewer can usually control the person who is
answering
This method is more flexible.
Disadvantage:
It is very expensive and time consuming, specially when
large geographical sample is
taken
Interviewing at times may also introduce systematic error.
Under Interview method the organization required selecting,
training of interviewer.
Telephone interviews:
This method of data collecting consists in contacting on
respondent on telephone itself. It is notwidely used method.
Advantage:
It is more flexible
It is faster than other method

 Interviewer can explain requirement more easily

Recall is easy
Disadvantage:
Little time is given to respondent for considered answer
Surveys are restricted to respondent who have telephone
Extensive geographical coverage may get restricted by cost
consideration
Collection of data through questionnaires:
This method of data collection is quite popular, particularly in
case of big enquires. It is being adopted by private individual,
research worker, private andpublic organization and even by
the government. In this method, questionnaire is sent to the
person concerned with a request to answer the question and
return the questionnaire.
Aquestionnaire consists of number of question printed or
typed in a definite order on a form of set
of forms. The questionnaire is mailed to respondent who are
expected to be read and understandquestion and write down
the reply in the space meant for the purpose in the
questionnaire itself.
Advantage
There is low cost even when large and widely spread
geographical area is concerned
It is free from the bias of the interviewer
Respondent have adequate time to give well thought out
answer
Respondents, who are not easily approachable can also
reached conveniently

Disadvantage:
The lower rate of return of duly filled in questionnaires
It can be used only when respondent are educated and cooperating
The control over the questionnaire may lost once it sent
This method is likely slowest of all the methods
Collection of data through schedules
This method of data collection is very much likely the
collectiondata through the questionnaires, with the little
difference which lies in the fact that schedules are
being filled in by the enumerators who are specially appointed
for this purpose. Theseenumerators along with schedules go to
respondent, put them the questions from the proforma in
the order the questions are listed and records replies in the
space meant for the same in the proforma.
This method requires selection of enumerators for filling up
schedules or assisting respondent tofill up schedules and as
such enumerators should be carefully selected. Enumerators
should be intelligent and must possess the capacity of cross
examinations in order to find the truth. This method of data
collection is very useful in the extensive enquiries and can
lead to fairly reliable result.
It is however very expensive and usually adopted in the
investigation conducted bygovernment agencies or by some
big organization.
For eg. Population censes done by govt.
Advantage:
It can be adopted in those cases where informants are
illiterate.

 There is very little non- response as the enumerators go

personally to obtain the
information.
The information received is more reliable as the accuracy of
statements can be
checked by supplementary questions wherever necessary.
Disadvantage
Amongst the various methods of collecting primary data, this
method is costly as
enumerators are generally paid persons.
The success of the methods depends largely upon the
training imparted to the
enumerators.
Skilled interviewing requires experience and training, but
there is a tendency for
statistics to neglect this extremely important part of the data
collecting process.
Other methods of data collection:
Electronic media as method of data collection (e mail, fax,
online)
We can also use the one of the method or source of primary
data collection.
Warrantee card
Warrantee cards are usually postal sized cards which are used
by dealer of consumer durables to
collect the information regarding their products. The
information sought is printed in the form of questions on the
warrantee cards which is placed along with the product with a

request to a consumer to fill in a card and post it back to the

dealer
Distributor audit:
Distributor audit are performed by distributor as well as
manufacturer through their salesmen at the regular interval of
time. Distributors get usually the retail store audited through
salesmen and use such information to estimate market size
market share, purchasing pattern and so on. The data are
obtained in such audits are not by questioning but by
observation.
Consumer panel:
The extension of pantry audit approach on regular basis is
known as consumer panel where a set of consumers are
arranged to come to an understanding to maintain detailed a
daily record of their consumption and same is made available
to investigator on demand.
Use of mechanical device:
The use of mechanical device has been widely made to collect
theinformation by the way of indirect means. For e g. Eye
camera, C C TVs etc.
Observation method:
Observation involves recording the behavioural patterns of
people, objects and events in a systematic manner.
Observational methods may be:
structured or unstructured
disguised or undisguised
natural or contrived
personal
mechanical

 non-participant or participant
Structured or unstructured
Structured
In structured observation, the researcher specifies in detail
what is to be observed and how themeasurements are to be
recorded. It is appropriate when the problem is clearly defined
and theinformation needed is specified.
Unstructured:
In unstructured observation, the researcher monitors all
aspects of the phenomenon that seem relevant. It is
appropriate when the problem has yet to be formulated
precisely and flexibility is needed in observation to identify
key components of the problem and to develop hypotheses.
The potential for bias is high. Observation findings should be
treated as hypotheses to be tested rather than as conclusive
findings.
Disguised or undisguised
Disguised:
In disguised observation, respondents are unaware they are
being observed and thus behavenaturally. Disguise is
achieved, for example, by hiding, or using hidden equipment
or people disguised as shoppers.
Undisguised
In undisguised observation, respondents are aware they are
being observed..
Natural or contrived
Natural:

In natural observation involves observing behaviour as it takes

place in the environment, for example, eating hamburgers in a
fast food outlet.
Contrived
In contrived observation, the respondents behaviour is
observed in an artificial environment, forexample, a food
tasting session.
Personal
In personal observation, a researcher observes actual
behaviour as it occurs. The observer may or may not normally
attempt to control or manipulate the phenomenon being
observed. The observer merely records what takes place.
Mechanical:
Mechanical devices (video, closed circuit television) record
what is being observed. These devices may or may not require
the respondents direct participation. They are used for
continuously recording on-going behaviour.
Non participant or Participant
Non participant:
The observer does not normally question or communicate
with the people being observed. He or she does not
participate.
Participant
In participant observation, the researcher becomes, or is, part
of the group that is being investigated.
Participant observation has its roots in ethnographic studies
(study of man and races) where researchers would live in

tribal villages, attempting to understand the customs and

practices of that culture.
It has a very extensive literature, particularly in sociology
(development, nature and laws of human society) and
anthropology (physiological and psychological study of
man).

CHAPTER:2
SECONDARY DATA:

The secondary data constitute the chief material on the basis

of which statistical work is carriedout in many investigations.
It should be noted that it is the process of assembling primary
data which is called collection of statistics and is different
from the from the process ofcompiling statistics (i.e.
secondary data) from various published source. To quote
Crum,Patton and Tebutts, Collection means the assembling,
for the purpose of a particular investigation, of entirely new
data, presumably not already available in published
sources.We have used the term collection in this report
strictly in the narrow sense defined above.
SOURCES OF DATA:
According to W.A.Neiswanger A primary source is a
publication in which the data arepublished by the same
authority which has gathered and analyzed them. A secondary
source is a publication reporting data which has been gathered
by other authorities and for which other are responsible. In
other words secondary data is one which is collected by some
earlier agency but it is used and analyzed by any other for its
own use.
The various sources of secondary data may be divided into
two broad categories:
a) Published statistics.
There are a number of national ( government , semi
government and private)organization and also international
agencies which collect statistical data relating to business
, trade ,labour, prices , consumption , production , industries ,
agriculture, income, currencyand exchange, health, population
and a number of socio economic phenomenon .

publish their findings in statistical report ion a regular basis

( monthly, quarterly, annually, ad-hoc) these publication of
various organization serve as a very powerful source of
secondary data. Given below is brief summary of these
sources
1. Official publication of central government.
The following are various government organization along
with the year of their establishment which collect , compile
and published statistical data on number of topics of current
interest- prices , wages , population, production and
consumption, labour ,trade army etc. :
Central Statistical Organization (C.S.O.) Department of
Statistics, Ministry of Planning (1951)
National Sample Survey Organization (N.S.S.O)Department of StatisticsMinistry of Planning (1950)
Office of The Registrar General And Senses Commissioner
of India New Delhi (1949)
Directorate of Economics And Statistics- Ministry of
Agriculture and Irrigation (1948)
Directorate General Of Commercial Intelligence And
Statistics- Ministry of Commerce (1895)
The Indian Army Statistical Organization (I.A.S.O)- Ministry
of Defence. (1947)
Labour bureau Ministry of Labour (1946)
A separate statistical department is attached to almost all the
main ministries at theCenter and State levels which collect a
publish statistics weekly, monthly and annually
depending upon the nature of the subject. The main
publications are: Statistical Abstract of India (annual),
Monthly Abstract of Statistics, Annual survey of Industries,

Agricultural Statistics of Indian Trade Journal Labour

Gazettes, Statistical system of India, National income
statistics.
2. Publication of Semi-Government Organization.
Useful information is also published in the publications of
various semi government
statistical organizations enumerated below.
The Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi
The Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi
Gokhale Institute of Politics And Economics, Pune.
Department of Economic Analysis and Policy and
Department of StatisticalAnalysis and Computer services of
Reserve Bank Of India Further, the statistical material
published by various other institution like Municipal and
district boards corporations, block and Panchayat samitis
on Births and Deaths, Health, Sanitation and other related
subjects provides fairly useful and reliable statistical
information.
3. Publication of Research Institutions.
Individual research scholars, the different department in the
universities and various research organizations and instituted
like Indian Statistical Institute (I.S.I) Calcutta and Delhi;
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (I.C.A.R), New
Delhi; Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute
(I.A.S.R.I) New Delhi; National Council of Research and
Training (N.C.E.R.P), New Delhi; National Council of
Applied Economics Research, New Delhi; The Institute of
The Applied Manpower Research, New Delhi and so on
publish the findings of the research programs in the form of
research papers or monograph and journals which are a
continuous source .

4. Publication of Business and Financial Institutions.

A number of private commercial and trade association like
Sugar mills association, Indian cotton mills Federation,
Federation of India, Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI), Institute of Chartered Accountant of India, Trade
Unions, Stoke Exchanges, Bank Bodies, Co-operative
societies, etc. Published reports and statistical material on
current economic, business and other phenomenon. Private
concerns like Tata consultancy Services also publish statistics
5. Newspaper and Periodicals:
Considerable statistical material on a number of important
current socio economic problems can be obtained from the
numerous data collected and published by some reputed
magazines periodicals and newspaper like Eastern
Economists, Economic Times, The Financial Express, Indian
Finance Commerce,Capital,Transport, Statesman Year Book
and The Times of India Year Book.
6. Report of Various Committees in Commissions
appointed by the government.
The report of the enquiry commissions and committees of the
central and state Governments to find their expert use on some
important matters relating to economics and social
phenomenon like wages, dearness allowance, price, national
income, taxation, land, education, etc. are individual sources
of secondary information. For instance Simon Kuznets
Committee Report on National Income in India, Wanchoo
Commission Report on Taxation, Kothari Commission Report
on Educational Reform, Pay Commissions Report, Land
Reform Committee Report, Guptha Commission Report on
Maruthi Affairs etc. are individual sources of secondary data

7. Publication Of International Bodies.

The publication of number of International agencies provides
invaluable statistical information on a variety of important
Economics and Current topic. The publication of the united
national organization (UNO) like UNO statistical year book,
UN Statistical Abstract, Demographic Year Book etc: and its
subsidiaries like World Health Organization (WHO) on
contagious diseases; annual reports on international
labour organization (ILO), International Monetary Fund
(IMF); World Bank; International Finance Corporation (IFC);
International Statistical Educational Institute etc are very
valued sources of secondary data.
b. Unpublished Statistics:
All statistical data need not be published. Statistics of a wide
range and variety can be compiled out of data taken from
returns, registers and other records in the course
of administrative work. Major source of statistics produced by
the government, private and public concerns , business
associations and international statistics is intended to
serve various current and future purposes. An important
features of collection of data from internal records is to use
authentic data at minimal cost of collection
Two important type of administrative records from which data
are collected are:
Document prepared for purposes of registration,
applications for permits licenses , loans etc
Records relating to internal activities of institutions, e.g.,
cost records, periodical profits and loss statement, balance
sheet, other periodical progress reports,operational budgets
and performance records

CLASSIFICATION OF SECONDARY DATA:

Secondary data may be classified as either internal or external.
Internal data are those generated within the organization for
which the research is being conducted. This information
may be available hi a ready-to use format, such as information
routinely supplied by the management decision support
system. On the other hand, these data may exist within the
organization but may require considerable processing before
they are useful to the researcher.
For example, s variety of information can be found on sales
invoices. Yet this information may not be easily accessible;
further processing may be required to extract it. External data
are those generated by sources outside the organization. These
data may exist in the form of published material, online
databases, or information made available by syndicated
services. Before collecting external secondary data, it is useful
to analyze internal secondary data.
INTERNAL SECONDARY DATA
Internal sources should be the starting point in the search for
secondary data. Since most organizations have a wealth of inhouse information, some data may be readily available and
may provide useful insights. For example, sales and cost data
are compiled in the regular accounting process. When internal
data on sales showed Reebok (www.reebak.com) that Internet
sales were a mere 0.7 percent of their total sales but were
rousing bad feelings among retailers, the company
discontinued online selling. It is also possible to process
routinely collected sales data to generate a variety of useful
information, as illustrated by the department store example.
Extensive analysis was conducted on internal secondary data
in the department store patronage project.

This provided several rich insights. For example, sales were

analyzed to obtain:
Sales by product line
Sales by major department (e.g.. mens wear, housewares)
Sales by specific stores
Sales by geographical region
Sales by cash versus credit purchases
Sales in specific time periods of sales by size of purchase
Sales trends in many of these classifications Secondary
internal data have two significant advantages. They are easily
available and inexpensive. In fact, internal secondary sources
are generally the least costly of any source of marketing
research information; yet these data often are not fully
exploited. However, this trend is changing with the increased
popularity of database marketing.
In most of the studies the investigator finds it impracticable to
collect firsthand information on all related issues and as such
he makes use of the data collected by others. There is a vast
amount of published information from which statistical
studies may be made and fresh statistics are constantly in a
state of production. The sources of secondary data can broadly
be classified under two heads
EXTERNAL SECONDARY DATA:
Sources of published external secondary data include federal,
state, and local governments, nonprofit organizations (e.g.,
Chambers of Commerce), trade associations and professional
organizations, commercial publishers, investment brokerage
firms, and professional marketing research firms. Ia fact, so
much data are available that the researcher can be
overwhelmed. Therefore, it is important to classify published
sources.

Published external sources may be broadly classified as

general business data or government data. General business
sources are comprised of guides, directories, indexes, and
statistical data. Government sources may be broadly
categorized as census data and other publications.
Interviewing
An INTERVIEW is a data-collection technique that involves
oral questioning of respondents,either individually or as a
group. Answers to the questions posed during an interview
can be recorded by writing them down (either during the
interview itself or immediately after the interview) or by taperecording the responses, or by a combination of both.
Interviewing is a technique that is primarily used to gain an
understanding of the underlying reasons and motivations for
peoples attitudes, preferences or behaviour. Interviews can be
undertaken on a personal one-to-one basis or in a group. They
can be conducted at work, at home, in the street or in a
shopping centre, or some other agreed location.
Advantages of Depth Interviews
Can uncover deeper insights about underlying motives than
focus groups.
Can attribute the responses directly to the respondent, unlike
focus groups.
Result in a free exchange of information and there is no
social pressure to conform.
As a result of probing, it is possible to get at real issues when
the topic is complex.
Disadvantages of Depth Interviews
Skilled interviewers capable of conducting depth interviews
are expensive and difficult to
find.

 The quality and completeness of the results depend heavily

on the interviewer's skills.
The data obtained are difficult to analyze and interpret.
The length of the interview combined with high costs limits
the number of depth
interviews.
Delphi Method:
In this method opinions are solicited from a number of other
managers and staff personnel. The decision makers consist of
a group of 5 to 10 experts who will be making the
actual forecast. The staff personnel assist decision makers by
preparing, distributing, collecting and summarizing a series of
questionnaires and survey results.
The managers whose judgments are valid are the respondents.
This group provides inputto the decision makers before
forecast is made. Responses of each respondent are kept
anonymous which tends to encourage honest responses. Each
new questionnaire is developed using the information
extracted from the previous one, thus enlarging the scope of
information on which participants can base their judgments.
The goal is to achieve consensus forecast.
Advantages
This method can be used to develop long-range forecasts
of product demand and sales projections for new products.
A panel of experts may be used as participants
(respondents).
Disadvantages
The process can take a long time.
Responses may be less meaningful because respondents
are not accountable

due to anonymity.
High accuracy may not be possible.
Poorly designed questionnaire will result in ambiguous or
false conclusions.

CHAPTER:3
The conditions for a successful interview are as follows:
Given the current global economic conditions, many of you
are suddenly finding yourselves in a position where you have
to compete for limited resources.
The resources to which I am referring are jobs. Companies all
over the world are laying offemployees in record numbers and
this situation doesn't appear to show any signs improvement
inthe near future. Whether you are going on your first
interview or interviewing after being employed for a very
long time, following the ten steps outlined below will help to
ensure that you put your best foot forward and leave a
favorable impression with interviewers.
The interview process is like a dance. There is a time and a
purpose for each movement that you make and each word that
you speak, so let's review the basic steps that you need to take
in order to ensure success.
The Resume:
Your resume is the tool that will provide your potential
employer with key information about your skills and
qualifications. This is the tool that they will use to determine
whether or not you are selected for an interview. Make sure
that your resume is current, accurate and contains no spelling
errors.
Practice
Prior to the interview make sure that you read your resume
aloud to yourself as many times as necessary to ensure that
you can accurately communicate all of the information
verbally during the interview process. These practice sessions
will also help to put you more at ease during the
actual interview.

 Research Company Background

Always do your homework and research the background
information on your potential employer's company so that you
can speak intelligently to any questions that they may ask. The
lack of basic information about the company may indicate that
you are not serious about getting the job.
Poise and Confidence
Remain calm during your interview. Smile, maintain good eye
contact and above all, listen.
Maintain the all important balance between talking and
listening. Talking too much or too little can work against you.
Remember, this is like a dance so it is important to find the
right balance.
Paying attention to the verbal and non-verbal cues of the
interviewer will help you determine the appropriate balance.
Dress and Appearance
Dress appropriately for the position for which you are
applying. Consider the environment or the culture in which
you will be working and dress accordingly. Remember, first
impressions are very important.
Self Talk
Get pumped up prior to the interview. Look at yourself in the
mirror and tell yourself "This job is mine and I am going to go
out and get it!"
Behavioral Questions
Be prepared to answer Behavioral Questions should they
arise. These are questions that ask youto describe how you
have handled certain work-related problems in the past.

An example wouldbe "Tell me about a time in the past when

you had a disagreement with a co-worker. What was
the conflict, how did you handle it and what was the end
result?"
Buzz Words
Be sure to read the job description thoroughly prior to the
interview to make sure that you understand all of the
terminology that will be used by the interviewer. A lack of
understanding of key words on your part could spell disaster.
Important Donts
Don't discuss personal information such as your financial
status, family situation, or other non job-related items. Stick to
discussing the knowledge, skills, and abilities that make you
qualified
for the job.
Questions
Be sure to come prepared with a couple of basic questions to
ask the interviewer. This will show that you have initiative
and a sincere desire to get the job.
Practice, preparation, and confidence are some of the key
elements that you will need to achieve success during the
interviewing process.
Believe in yourself and invest in yourself because you are
worth it!
Be present...Take Action...Be Exceptional!
In this method opinions are solicited from a number of other
managers and staffpersonnel. The decision makers consist of a
group of 5 to 10 experts who will be making theactual
forecast.

The staff personnel assist decision makers by preparing,

distributing, collecting and summarizing a series of
questionnaires and survey results.
The managers whose judgments are valid are the respondents.
This group provides input to the decision makers before
forecast is made. Responses of each respondent are kept
anonymous which tends to encourage honest responses. Each
new questionnaire is developed using the information
extracted from the previous one, thus enlarging the scope of
information on which participants can base their judgments.
The goal is to achieve consensus forecast.
Advantages
This method can be used to develop long-range forecasts
of product demand and sales projections for new products.
A panel of experts may be used as participants
(respondents).
Disadvantages
The process can take a long time.
Responses may be less meaningful because respondents
are not accountable due to anonymity.
High accuracy may not be possible.
Poorly designed questionnaire will result in ambiguous or
false conclusions.
FIELDWORK :
Field work is the fourth step in the marketing research process
.It follows problem definition, development of the approach
and formulation of the research design .During this phase the
field workers make contact with the respondents , administer
the questionnaires.

observations forms , record the data , and turn in the

completed forms for processing. A personal interviewer
administering questionnaires door-to-door, an interviewer
intercepting shoppers in the mall, a telephone interviewer
calling from a central location, a particular section of a store,
and others involved in data collection and supervision of the
process are all field workers.
General fieldwork/data-collection process is the process
which involves the selection, training, and supervision of the
field worker, the validation of fieldwork, and the evaluation of
field workers.
NATURE OF THE FIELDWORK:
The nature of the fieldwork varies with the mode of data
collection and the relative emphasis on the different steps will
be different for telephone, mail, personal and electronic
interviews.
The marketing research data are rarely collected by the
persons who design the research. Researchers have two major
options for collecting their data: they can develop their own
organizations or they can contract with a field work agency. In
either case, data collection involves the use of some kind of
field force. He field force may operate either in the field or
from an office.
The quality of field work is high because the fieldwork /data
collection process is streamlined and well controlled.
WHO CONDUCTS THE FIELDWORK
A fieldworker is an individual who is responsible for
gathering the data in the field; for example a personal
interviewer administering a door-to-door questionnaire.

The field workers who collect the data typically have little
research background or training. Knowing the vital
importance of the data collected in the field, the research
administrator must concentrate on carefully selecting
fieldworkers.
Some of the general qualifications fieldworkers need are;
Healthy Fieldworkers can be strenuous and they must the
stamina required
to do the job.
Outgoing- they must be able to establish good rapport with
the respondents.
Communicative- effective speaking and listening skills are
greatly required.
Pleasant appearance- they should be neatly dressed.
Educated- they must have good reading and writing skills.
ASKING THE QUESTIONS
Asking questions is an art. Even a slight change in the
wording or sequence or the manner can distort its meaning
and bias the response .These are the following guidelines for
asking questions.
Read each question slowly
Repeat the questions that are not understood.
Be thoroughly familiar with the questionnaire.
Use the exact wording used in the questionnaire.
1. PROBINGit is a motivational technique used when
asking survey questions to
induce the respondents to enlarge on , clarify , or explain their
answers and to
help the respondents to focus on the specific content of the
interview.
Example; if the respondent hesitates, the interviewer should
reassure the respondents

with comments like; there are no right or wrong answers. We

are just trying to get your opinions.
Although recording respondent answers seems simple, several
mistakes are common. However specific guidelines are
provided for recording the answers of the respondents.
Record responses during the interview.
Use respondents own words.
Do not summarize respondents answers.
Include all the comments.
Repeat the response as it is written down.
Finally the interviewer should answer the respondents
questions about the project. The respondent should be left
with the positive feeling about the interview. Also its very
important to thank the respondent and express appreciation.
IN-HOUSE
TRAINING
FOR
INEXPERIENCED
INTERVIEWERS
After the personnel are recruited and selected, they must be
trained. The objective of training is to ensure that the data
collection instrument is administered uniformly by all
fieldworkers. The goal of the training sessions is to ensure that
each respondent is provided with common information. More
extensive training programs are likely to cover the following
topics:
1. How to make initial contact with the respondents and
secure the interview.
2. How to ask the survey
3. How to probe
4. How to record responses
5. How to terminate the interview.

MAKING INITIAL CONTACT AND SECURING THE

INTERVIEW
An essential part of the interviewing process is establishing a
very good rapport with respondent
Interviewers are trained to make appropriate remarks that will
convince a person that
his or her cooperation is important.
For example: Good afternoon. My name is------------- and I
am from National surveyResearch Company. We are
conducting a survey regarding ------------. I would like to
getfew of your ideas.
For initial contact in a telephone interview, the introduction
might be,
Good evening. My name is ------------.I am calling from
Burke research, Ohio.
There are two main techniques for securing interviews.
Foot-in- the-door compliance technique.
Based on the foot-in-the door theory, which attempts to
explain a compliance with a large or difficult task on the basis
of the respondents prior compliance with a smaller
request.
Door-in-the- face compliance technique.
A two step method for securing a high response rate. In step 1
an initial request, so large that nearly one refuses it, is made.
In step 2 a second request is made for a smaller favor;
respondents are expected to comply with this more reasonable
request.
Research on a technique presents some interesting
considerations for improvement of
fieldworkers .It also represents an ethical consideration if the
respondent is deceived.

CHAPTER:4
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD INTERVIEWING
The principles of interviewing represent the essence of sound
data collection for business research purposes. For clarity they
have been divided into two categories:
The basics ---The interviewing point of view and
Required practice---The standard enquiry premises and
procedures.
The basics:
The interviewer observes the following basic principles
Have integrity and be honest- this is cornerstone of all
professional inquiry
Have patience and tact-this is very important while
interviewing
Pay attention to accuracy and detail- never assume you
know what a respondent is thinking or jump to any
conclusion.
Keep the inquiry and respondents responses confidentialDo not discuss the studies with any one .never violate the
privacy rule.
The required practices:
1) Complete the number of interviews according to the
sampling plan assigned to you.
2) Follow the directions provided- lack of uniformity in the
procedure can create wrong
analysis. Hence follow the directions carefully.
3) Complete the questionnaire meticulously- Follow exactly
all the rules and regulations of the questionnaire pattern.
4) Compare your sample execution and assigned quota with
the total number of questionnaires you have completed- Do
not consider your assignments done until you finished this.
5) Clear up any questions with the research agency- call the
agency to get the matter clarified if any.

GUIDELINES ON INTERVIEWING; THE COUNCIL

OF AMERICAN SURVEY
RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS
Read each question carefully as written in the
questionnaire.
Do not mislead the respondents as to the length of the
interview.
Keep all the studies, materials and findings confidential.
Clarify any question by the respondent in the neutral way.
Remain neutral while interviewing .do not indicate
agreement or disagreement with the respondent.
Speak slowly and distinctly so that words will be
understood.
Avoid unnecessary conversations with the respondents.
Write neatly and legibly
Check all the work for thoroughness before turning in to
the supervisor
Always thank the respondent for participating in the study.
Supervision of fieldworkers:
a) Direct observation: Where the investigator is actually
present during the task.
b) By Evaluating task performance
c) Participative observation/evaluation
d) Quantitative supervision methods
e) Qualitative supervision methods.
OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION involves looking and listening very
carefully. We all watch other people
sometimes, but we dont usually watch them in order to
discover particular information about
their behavior.

OBSERVATION is a technique that involves systematically

selecting, watching and recording
behaviour and characteristics of living beings, objects or
phenomena.
NATURE OF OBSERVATION:
Business researchers can observe people, objects, events or
other phenomena by assigning thetask to human observers or
by using machines designed for specific observation tasks.
Human observers are commonly used when the situation or
behaviour to be recorded is not easily predictable in advance
of the research. Mechanical observation, such as by traffic
counters on a factory floor, can be very accurate when the
situation or behaviour to be recorded is routine,repetitive, or
programmatic.
Human or mechanical observation methods may be
unobtrusive in that communication with the subjects is not
generally necessary. Rather than ask customers how much
time they spend shopping in a specific supermarket, the
supermarket manager might observe and record shopping time
by timing the interval between a shoppers entering and
leaving the store.
The unobtrusive or nonreactive nature of the observation
method often generates data without subjects knowledge. An
observation situation in which the observers presence is
known to the subject is visible observation. A situation in
which the subject is unaware that observation is taking place
is hidden observation. Hidden, unobtrusive observation
minimizes respondent error.

Furthermore, asking subjects to participate in the research is

not required when those subjects are unaware that they are
being observed. However, hidden observation raises an ethical
issue concerning respondents privacy.
The major advantage of observation studies over surveys,
which obtain self-reported data from respondents, is that the
data obtained by observation are not subject to distortions,
inaccuracies, or other response biases due to memory error,
social desirability, and so on. The data are recorded when the
actual behaviour takes place. It mainly depends on:
The perception of the observer- An observer will be
influenced by his perception (believes) while analysing the
situation.
It is an in-depth psychological study of an event, situation
or of behaviour.
Time factor does matters
Its more hidden in nature
Observation period is generally of short duration
(frequency).
Observation varies on the base of purpose
Its very complex in the process of analysis.
Establishes a psychological relationship between observers
and observe.

Human Observation:
Surveys emphasize verbal responses, while observation
studies emphasize and allow for the systematic recording of
nonverbal behaviour. A French researcher, who regularly
visited his wifes office in the early evening, observed a
typical pattern:
The married men and women wereworking overtime, and
nearly all of the single men and married women had gone
home. This led to the hypothesis that marriage helps men in
their careers and hinders women, because the husband
receives family support for job advancement while the
married woman does not. Thisinformal observation led to
more rigorous quantitative studies.
Toy manufacturers use the observation technique because
children often cannot verbally express their reactions to a
product. By observing children at play with a proposed toy,
doll, or game, business researchers may be able to identify the
elements of a potentially successful product.
Researchers might observe play with toys to answer the
following questions: How long does the childs attention stay
with the toy? Does the child put the toy down after 2 minutes
or 20 minutes? Are the childs peers equally interested in the
product? Behavioural scientists have recognized that
nonverbal behaviour can be a communication process by
which meanings are exchanged between individuals. Head
nods, smiles, raised eyebrows, and other facial expressions or
body movements have been recognized as communication
symbols.

Observation of nonverbal communication has considerable

promise for the business researcher. For example, with regard
to customer-salesperson interactions, it has been hypothesized
that in low-importance transactions where potential customers
are easily replaced, salespersons may show definite nonverbal
signs of higher status of the customer.

BIBILIOGRAPHY:
Zikmund William G, Business Research
Methods,
Malhotra Naresh, Marketing Research,
http:/training.gbdirect.co.etc/courses/manage
ment_and_personal_development.
Kothari C. R, Research & Methodology, II
edition, Wishwa Prakashan
Aswathappa. K, Production & operations
management, Himalaya Publishing House