Research design: quantitative research method

According to Malhotra et al. (2008), to address a new marketing research problem, quantitative research should be preceded by qualitative research. Subsequent to an initial exploratory investigation, a structured quantitative research design was initiated to achieve the desired research objectives. Creswell (1994, p. 2) defined quantitative research as a study based on testing theory composed variables, measured with numbers, and analysed with statistical procedures, in order to determine whether the predictive generalisations of the theory hold true.

This study will use the survey method, which requires the development of a structured questionnaire given to a sample of a population which is designed to elicit specific information from respondents (Malhotra et al. 2008). Tull and Hawkins (1990) confirm that the survey method can provide data on attitudes, feelings, beliefs, past and intended behaviours, knowledge and personal characteristics, which, in the main, comprise the research objectives of this study. Furthermore, the survey method is the most common method of primary data collection in marketing research. It is simple to administer and can provide reliable data where responses are limited to the stated alternatives (Malhotra et al. 2008).

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A survey can be administered in a number of ways; (1) personal interviews, (2) telephone interviews, (3) mail interviews and (4) electronically through either email or the internet. Since the survey instrument was quite large and involved 20 to 30 minutes of the respondents’ time to complete, the researcher considered personal face-to-face interviews to be the most appropriate means of data collection. As the research design utilised a Likert scale, Coelho and Esteves (2007) were able to demonstrate that respondents interviewed over the telephone often had difficulty discriminating between answers using more than a five point scale. Furthermore, Zulkefly and Baharudin (2009) revealed that Malaysians are increasingly using mobile phones rather than a fixed line telephones. In the absence of a mobile telephone directory, some difficulties were anticipated in the administration of the survey by telephone interview: (1) difficulties in identifying whether the mobile was used for business or personal purposes; (2) subjects might often be in an environment (meeting, working, driving, walking) which would make it difficult to spend time on the telephone; and (3) not everyone can afford to own a mobile phone. Zulawski and Wicklander (2002) mentioned that through telephone interviews, the interviewer cannot control the interview, given that the interviewer cannot determine whether the subject is paying attention to the conversation as communication is only limited to the verbal channel. Additionally, Fink et al. (2003) demonstrate without some prior knowledge of the respondents, interviews may be conducted with persons living outside the sampling area.

Mail interviews was not considered as an option due to the non-availability of a complete mailing list, the time involved (distributing and waiting for respondents to return the survey), the low response rate and the cost involved. Gregg (2002) and Malhotra et al. (2008) agree that mail can be highly effective if the researcher is able to procure a current mailing list compiled from telephone directories or some association or membership that is close related to the population of interest. However, the biggest disadvantage of this method is the low response rate compared to telephone interviews and face-to-face interviews. As mentioned by Gregg (2002), a response rate of 50.0% is not unusual for a mail survey. Ray (2008) agrees that the typical mail survey has a return rate of below 50.0%. A researcher who decides to undertake a mail survey for a research study should be aware that response levels to this particular type of survey are quite low – around 20 to 25.0%

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(Szwarc 2005). Wimmer and Dominick (2005) mentioned that the response rates for mail surveys range from 1 to 4.0%.

According to Rich (2009), utilising the internet through email is not an effective method for interviewing people. This is because subjects have some time to think about their responses. Furthermore, the researcher is seldom able to gather descriptive details or to observe subjects’ body language or reactions towards the survey. Additionally, Bakar and Crump (2005) report that a digital divide exists in Malaysia where not everyone is computer literate, owns a computer or can afford to subscribe to the internet. Upon weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative methods of data collection, the researcher decided that personal face-to- face interviews were the most appropriate means.

Personal interviews may be categorised as in-home, central location or computer assisted (Malhotra et al. 2008). In this study, the central location personal interview method, based on selected shopping malls and traditional markets, was considered to provide the most appropriate means of data collection. Over recent years, the number of market researchers using the shopping-mall intercept method as the primary means of data collection has increased tremendously, due to the fact that it is becoming more difficult and more costly to use door-to-door interviews (Bush and Hair 1985). According to Hair (2008), the shopping mall intercept method is less expensive and more convenient because the researcher does not need to spend much time or effort in securing a person’s willingness to participate in the interview because both are already at a common location. Potential respondents are intercepted and interviewed as they arrive or as they are about to leave the shopping precinct.

In both surveys, the majority of questions were pre-coded. However, bias can be potentially created where the researcher fails to provide other possible answers or to provide an opportunity for respondents to answer differently. The pre-coded response options are designed to force respondents to make choices that may not be entirely correct. In this study, respondents were forced to choose the level of agreement or disagreement with the statements given. However, Dornyei (2003) indicated that these types of questions are ideally suited for quantitative and

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statistical analyses as the response options can be easily coded and entered into a computer database. At several points in time, respondents were also given the opportunity to express their general attitudes and opinions. For this reason, a qualitative element was found to be desirable to support, to explain or to verify the findings obtained from the quantitative data.