Page 80 - DMGT404 RESEARCH_METHODOLOGY

Research Methodology

Notes also be done by choosing a sample without covering the entire population. There will be a
difference between the two methods with regard to monthly expenditure.

4.5.2 Non-sampling Error

One way of distinguishing between the sampling and the non-sampling error is that, while
sampling error relates to random variations which can be found out in the form of standard
error, non-sampling error occurs in some systematic way which is difficult to estimate.

4.5.3 Sampling Frame Error

A sampling frame is a specific list of population units, from which the sample for a study being
chosen.

Example:
1. An MNC bank wants to pick up a sample among the credit card holders. They can readily
get a complete list of credit card holders, which forms their data bank. From this frame,
the desired individuals can be chosen. In this example, sample frame is identical to ideal
population namely all credit card holders. There is no sampling error in this case.

2. Assume that a bank wants to contact the people belonging to a particular profession over
phone (doctors, lawyers) to market a home loan product. The sampling frame in this case
is the telephone directory. This sampling frame may pose several problems: (1) People
might have migrated. (2) Numbers have changed. (3) Many numbers were not yet listed.
The question is "Are the residents who are included in the directory likely to differ from
those who are not included"? The answer is yes. Thus in this case, there will be a sampling
error.

4.5.4 Non-response Error

This occurs, because the planned sample and final sample vary significantly.

Example: Marketers want to know about the television viewing habits across the country.
They choose 500 households and mail the questionnaire. Assume that only 200 respondents
reply. This does not show a non-response error, which depends upon the discrepancy. If those
200 who replied did not differ from the chosen 500, there is no non-response error.
Consider an alternative. The people who responded are those who had plenty of leisure time.
Therefore, it is implied that non-respondents do not have adequate leisure time. In this case, the
final sample and the planned sample differ. If it was assumed that all the 500 chosen have leisure
time, but in the final analysis only 200 have leisure time and not others. Therefore, a sample
with respect to leisure time leads to response error.

Guidelines to Increase the Response Rate

Every researcher likes to get maximum possible response from the respondents, and will be
most delighted if cent percent respondent unfortunately, this does not happen. The non-response
error can be reduced by increasing the response rate. Higher the response rate, more accurate
and reliable is the data. In order to achieve this, some useful hints could be as follows:

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