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Secondary Data, Literature Reviews, and Hypotheses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright 2010 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning Objectives
Understand the nature and role of secondary data Describe how to conduct a literature review Identify sources of internal and external secondary data Discuss conceptualization and its role in model development Understand hypotheses and independent and dependent variables

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Ciscos Connect Online

Nature and Scope of Secondary Data

Internal

External

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What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a comprehensive examination of available information that is related to your research topic

Reasons for Conducting a Literature Review

Clarify the research problem and questions Uncover existing studies Suggest research hypotheses Identify scales to measure variables and methods

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Assessing Quality of Secondary Data

Purpose Accuracy Consistency Credibility Methodology Bias

Descriptive Variables Sought in Secondary Data Research

Demographic dimensions Employment characteristics Economic data Competitive characteristics Supply characteristics Regulations International market characteristics

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Sources of Internal Secondary Data

Sales invoices Accounts receivable reports Quarterly sales reports Sales activity reports Online registration Customer letters/ comments Mail-order forms Credit applications Warranty cards Past studies Sales person expense forms

Primary Sources of External Data

Popular Sources Scholarly Sources Government Sources NAICS Guidebooks Commercial Sources

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Seth Godins Blog

Google Scholar

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Lexus Nexus

Secondary Data, U.S. Government

U.S. Census Data U.S. Census Reports U.S. Department of Commerce Data Additional Reports

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Syndicated Sources
Commercial vendors collect information and sell the reports 80%+ of firms said they purchase and use reports and spend 10 hours per week analyzing this information

Consumer Panels
Benefits
Lower cost than other methods Rapid availability and timeliness Accurate reporting of sensitive purchases High level of specificity

Risks
Sampling error (low minority representation) Turnover of panel members Response bias (SDR)

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NPD Group

Sample Media Panel Data Sources

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Store Audits
Examination of how much of a particular product or brand has sold at retail level Product sales in relation to competition Effectiveness of shelf space/POP displays Sales at various price points Effectiveness of POS coupons Direct sales by store type, location, etc

Components of a Conceptual Model

A variable is an observable item that is used as a measured on a questionnaire A construct is an unobservable concept that is measured by a group of related variables Relationships are associations between two or more variables Independent variables are variables or constructs that predict or explain the outcome of interest Dependent variables are variables or constructs that researchers seek to explain

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Conceptualization
Conceptualization refers to the development of a model that shows variables and hypothesized or proposed relationships between variables

Process of Conceptualization
Identify variables for research Specify hypotheses and relationships Prepare a diagram that represents the relationships visually

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Relationships Among Variables

Hypotheses can suggest negative or positive relationships An association between two variables in which they increase or decrease together suggests a positive relationship An association between two variables in which one increases while the other decreases describes a negative relationship

Exhibit 3.8 A Model of New Technology Adoption

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Santa Fe Grill: Developing Research Questions and Hypotheses

What research questions should be examined? What hypotheses should be tested? Should the literature search be expanded? If so, how?

Hypotheses
A hypothesis is an empirically testable though yet unproven statement developed in order to explain phenomena Types of hypotheses include Null or Alternate Nondirectional Inverse (negative) directional Direct (positive) directional

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Parameters and Sample Statistics

A parameter is the true value of a variable, while a sample statistic is the value of a variable based on estimates from a sample

Examples: Null Hypotheses

There is no significant difference between the preferences toward specific banking method exhibited by white-collar customers and blue-collar customers. No significant differences exist in requests for specific medical treatments from emergency walkin clinics between users and nonusers of annual preventive maintenance health care programs.

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Examples: Alternate Hypotheses, Nondirectional

There is a significant difference in the satisfaction levels reported for iPod users and those reported for Zune users Significant differences exist between males and females exist in the hours spent playing online games

Examples: Alternate Hypotheses, Inverse

Students with high GPAs consume less alcohol than those with lower GPAs. The more pressure to close sales perceived by salespeople, the fewer follow up, relationship-building sales calls made.

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Examples: Alternate Hypotheses, Direct

Positive study habits are related positively to GPA. Students with high GPAs and good overall study habits will exhibit high tendencies to participate in campus leadership opportunities.

Marketing Research in Action: Santa Fe Grill

Should the owners restate their questions? Why or why not? Suggest how the questions could be restated. Develop a set of hypotheses that might be used to investigate the interrelationships between customer satisfaction, store image, and loyalty.

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