Operationalisation

Dimensions example
innovation
Do people think the firm runs an innovative operation
How much innovation do they think is present at the
firm
What do they think causes it
Should the government do anything to improve it?
What should be done to improve it?
What personally is the respondent willing to do?
What do they think should be done to improve
innovation?
What do they feel should be done to improve
innovation at the firm?

Ensure symmetry between closed

question and its answers
E.g. Do not ask Was the marketing
strategy coherent, imaginative,
seamless? and give options very
poor, poor, average, good, very
good.
Answers to the question as stated can
be yes, no, maybe or do not know
or equivalents)

Avoid negation
e.g. a respondent asked to answer
yes, no or other Should the
United Kingdom not recognise
separate retail and investment
banking? may read over not, or
answer yes and mean the United
Kingdom should not separate retail
and investment banking, or no and
mean the same

Avoid technical terms or

jargon
(e.g. avoid Do you feel your
marketing strategy alienates some
potential customers?) or
(e.g. Do you feel the influence of
the FCA will be greater than that of
the FSA?)

Avoid Bias
Identifying an orientation with a
prestigious entity e.g. Do you agree
with a recent study by the London
School of Economics....

Avoid leading the

respondent
(e.g. avoid Do you agree that
company X should develop an online
marketing strategy...)

Respondent must be able to

answer
E.g. Respondent is unlikely to be able
to answer questions on their direct
experience of autism, if they have
never met person with autism.
Avoid stretching memory of
respondent e.g. Unlikely to
remember beyond six months.

Respondent must be willing to

answer
Sensitive issues ~ e.g. asking about age,
personal income, company secrets or
whether a director has engaged in tax
evasion is unlikely to encourage response
Similarly, respondent may be unwilling to
act as informant regarding some entity
about which they have knowledge
Asking respondent to break confidentiality
or privacy of some entity

Avoid subtle bias

More Support
Assistance to the poor
Halting rising crime rate
Dealing with drug
addiction
Solving problems of big
cities
Improving conditions of
blacks
Protecting social security

Less Support

Welfare
Law enforcement
Drug rehabilitation
Assistance to big
cities

Assistance to blacks
Social security
Rasinski (1989); in Babbie (1998)

Reflect the purpose of the

study
E.g. Do you have a website? (crucial
issue may be ownership, but have
may relate to use of, access to,
company website or one for
business use, personal website)

Avoid double-barrelled
E.g. avoid Do you believe your
workforce pay and conditions suit
your corporate strategy?

Summary: Questions
must.....
1. be Short
2. be Relevant
3. be Very clear (avoid
ambiguity e.g. specify actual
frequency rather than use
how often)
4. Avoid technical or jargon
5. avoid Negative items

6. avoid biased items

7. avoid leading the
respondent
8. Be Questions respondent
can answer
9. Be Questions respondent
is likely to be willing to
answer
10. Single-barrelled
11. Not promote social
desirability
12. Reflect the purpose of the
study

Questionnaire Structure ~
Questionnaires must....

Be well-organised
Be uncluttered
Be attractive
Have clear instructions
At the start of the questionnaire
At the start of each section

and should usually,

begin with the most interesting questions to
generate interest