SCMA3010

Practice Questions Test 1

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 9

1) Direct observation of phenomena, empirically testable hypotheses, and the ability to rule
out rival hypotheses are all essential tenets of the ________.
A) experiential method
B) scientific method
C) intuitive process
D) strategic management process
E) account planning philosophy

2) ________ is a form of argument that purports to be conclusive; the conclusion must

necessarily follow from the reasons given.
A) Induction
B) Deduction
C) Logic
D) Philosophy
E) Exposition

3) Consider the following example: "Retail sales increases in the 2018 holiday season were
below projections. Sales were disappointing because consumers were not confident about
economic growth." This is an example of a(n) ________.
A) inductive argument
B) deductive argument
C) empirical argument
D) fact
E) premise

4) Concepts are more ________, while constructs are more ________.

A) concrete; abstract
B) abstract; concrete
C) intangible; tangible
D) conceptual; factual
E) intuitive; logical

5) Bill often feels insecure about how others view him. To increase his feelings of self-esteem,
Bill often buys expensive, luxury items. Self-esteem is an example of a ________.
A) construct
B) fact
C) concept
D) theory
E) model

6) Potato chip sales vary directly with the level of television viewing. This is an example of a
________.
A) research question

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 B) descriptive hypothesis
C) correlational hypothesis
D) causal hypothesis
E) dichotomous hypothesis

7) Which of the following is an insight as opposed to information?

A) the number of customer complaints on social media has dropped 50% in the last year.
B) customer retention is up 20 percent in the last 90 days.
C) higher employee turnover is likely caused by new rule requiring employees to arrive 20
minutes before their paid shift starts.
D) profits are up 8 percent over the same period last year
E) None of the above are insights

8) Which of the following is NOT a problem caused by data silos?

A) incompatible data that can’t be easily blended
B) data duplication
C) missed opportunities
D) easier access to data across the organization
E) slower decision making

9) Which of the following terms fail to capture the meaning of a research design?
A) Map
B) Blueprint
C) Model
D) Dictionary
E) Guidebook

10) Data collected from an article in a business magazine would be

A) primary data.
B) secondary data.
C) nominal data.
D) ratio data.
E) interval data.

11) Data have many characteristics. If you cannot see or feel the data being measured, you are
describing their level of ________.
A) abstractness
B) elusiveness
C) verifiability
D) closeness to the phenomenon
E) replicability

12) A researcher who is method-bound is likely to ________.

A) be responsible for data analysis
B) utilize a probability sample
C) prefer one research approach over all others
D) mine a client's database
E) All of the above

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 13) Which of the following questions is considered when discussing the management dilemma?
A) How can management eliminate negative symptoms?
B) What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available
sources of action?
C) What is the recommended course of action?
D) What symptoms cause management concern?
E) What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?

14) If a research's scope has been defined, this is one step toward achieving which standard of
effective research?
A) Purpose clearly defined
B) Research design thoroughly planned and executed
C) High ethical standards applied
D) Adequate analysis for decision maker's needs
E) Limitations frankly revealed

15) A key pattern in the data is called ________.

A) a finding
B) an insight
C) a fact
D) a recommendation
E) data

16) The question, "Should products be withdrawn if even one death is associated with its
prescribed use, even if no fault for the tampered product accrues to the manufacturer?" is
an example of a(n) ________.
A) ill-defined problem
B) overembracing data analytics
C) favored-technique problem
D) unresearchable question
E) manager's hidden agenda

17) A manager always turns to his extensive data warehouse to find data related to his research
question, regardless of the data's age or applicability to current conditions, rejecting a
problem-specific research project. This is an example of which of the following potential
research process problems?
A) Ill-defined problem
B) Overembracing data analytics
C) Favored-technique problem
D) Unresearchable question
E) A manager's hidden agenda

18) Which of the following questions is considered when discussing the management dilemma?
A) How can management eliminate negative symptoms?
B) What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available
sources of action?
C) What is the recommended course of action?
D) What symptoms cause management concern?

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 E) What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?

19) Sponsor's right to quality research affects which stage(s) in the research process?
A) Stage 1: Clarify the Research Question
B) Stage 2: Research Design
C) Stage 3: Collect and Prepare the Data
D) Stage 4: Analyze and Interpret the Data
E) All of the above are correct.

20) Which of the following is not a type of secondary sources used during the exploratory phase
of the research process?
A) Research studies
B) Group discussions
C) Case studies
D) Books
E) Information from organization's database

21) All of the following are examples of primary sources of information except ________.
A) memos
B) letters
C) transcripts of speeches
D) Google searches
E) economic data

22) Which information source may be interpretations of a secondary source but is generally
represented by indexes, bibliographies, and Internet search engines?
A) Secondary
B) Primary
C) Tertiary
D) Statistical
E) External

23) All of following address the authority of a source except for which question?
A) What are the credentials of the author or institution?
B) What is the reputation of the sponsoring organization?
C) Does the source give you a means of contacting anyone for further information?
D) How old is the information?
E) If facts are supplied, where do they come from?

24) Data originating from studies that are conducted by others and for a different purpose than
the one for which the data are being reviewed are called ________ data.
A) primary
B) secondary
C) quantitative
D) statistical
E) descriptive

25) Which of the following is an example of secondary data?

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 A) Transcripts from a series of focus groups conducted for the current research problem
B) Diaries kept by panel participants who are currently evaluating their consumption of milk
C) Sales records for the past 5 years
D) Completed questionnaires from a mail survey
E) Data file from a Web survey deployed as part of the current research design

26) Which of the following questions is considered when determining investigative questions?
A) How can management eliminate negative symptoms?
B) What does the manager need to know to choose the best alternative from the available
sources of action?
C) What is the recommended course of action?
D) What symptoms cause management concern?
E) What should be asked or observed to obtain the information the manager needs?

27) A management question asks, "Should we be developing products for millennials?" This is an
example of a(n) ________ type of management question.
A) evaluation of solution
B) choice of purpose or objectives
C) troubleshooting
D) Control
E) None of the above is correct.

28) "Choose the option that appeals to the widest range of people based on age and that favors
current packaging materials, while offering the best opportunity to increase profits." This is
an example of a(n) ________.
A) option analysis
B) ex post facto evaluation
C) decision variable
D) decision rule
E) management question

29) The goal of a formal study is to ________.

A) discover future research tasks
B) expand understanding of a topic
C) test hypotheses
D) provide insight
E) develop hypotheses

30) In the best-selling book, Good to Great, the author examined the characteristics of eleven
successful companies by studying the full context of each organization, using multiple
sources of information and identifying the relationship between managerial decisions and
success. This is an example of a(n) ________.
A) case study
B) exploratory study
C) descriptive study
D) statistical study
E) causal study

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 31) A causal-explanatory study is one that ________.
A) attempts to capture a population's characteristics by making inferences from a sample's
characteristics and testing resulting hypotheses
B) emphasizes a full contextual analysis of a few events or conditions and their interrelations
C) discovers answers to the questions of who, what, when, where, or how much
D) attempts to reveal why or how one variable produces changes in another
E) provides repeated measures over an extended period of time

32) A(n) ________ study involves manipulation of one or more variables to determine the effect
on another variable.
A) ex post facto
B) exploratory
C) experimental
D) causal-predictive
E) experimental and causal-predictive

33) A simulation is a study that is designed to ________.

A) occur under actual environmental conditions
B) imitate reality
C) facilitate measurement
D) control all possible variables
E) All of the above are correct.

34) Which type of research design would employ a focus group followed by a survey?
A) Quantitative design
B) Causal-predictive design
C) Single-methodology design
D) Qualitative design
E) Multimethodology design

35) What aspect of research design results in a decision to communicate with all members of a
target population?
A) Data collection design
B) Development of a measurement instrument
C) Sampling design
D) All of these are correct.
E) None of these are correct.

36) What aspect of research design results in development of training for interviewers?
A) Data collection design
B) Development of a measurement instrument
C) Sampling design
D) All of these are correct.
E) None of these are correct.

37) Surveys are used in ________ research studies.

A) monitoring
B) communication

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 C) observation
D) behavioral observation
E) nonbehavioral observation

38) Rachel is conducting phone interviews for Redbox on perceptions of its new "No Late Fees"
program. When she interviews customers of the Redbox service, she tends to change the
wording of the question from "How loyal are you to using Redbox for your rental needs?" to
"So you aren't loyal to Redbox, are you?" Which of the following sources of error in
communication research is present in this example?
A) Measurement questions
B) Observers
C) Interviewers
D) Participants
E) All of the above are correct.

39) The tendency for participants to give answers that are perceived as being socially
acceptable, whether or not the answers are truthful, is known as ________.
A) nonresponse
B) item nonresponse
C) acquiescence
D) social desirability bias
E) impression management

40) The ________ suggests that a participant's burden should be minimized in the survey
response process by creating questionnaires that are easy to read, offer clear response
directions, include personalized communication, notify the participant about the survey in
advance, and encourage the participant to participate.
A) Survey Design Bible
B) economic decision-making literature
C) Total Design Method
D) Gallup Organization
E) theory of reciprocation

41) Which term is used to describe the act of obtaining permission to survey prospects or
customers?
A) Opt-in
B) Choice
C) Opt-out
D) Informed consent
E) Direct surveying

42) The mobile phone is the fastest growing survey data collection mode. Which of the
following would not be a reason for the growth in this mode?
A) Speed of response
B) Immediate data entry
C) Ability to incorporate pictures and video uploads from participants
D) Ability to customize survey to participant's location
E) All of the above are reasons.

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43) An individual with a reputation for community involvement refuses to participate in a self-
administered survey about the need for critical infrastructure improvements in their county
(roads, bridges, sewer, power). Which factor affecting participation is likely a major factor in
her refusal?
A) Participation must be perceived as having no negative consequences.
B) Participation must reinforce self-image as a dutiful citizen.
C) Participation must reinforce image of self-importance.
D) Participation should not make the participant feel ignorant or diminished.
E) Participant must have liking or compassion for interviewer.

44) An organization trains boy scouts to conduct a phone survey of adults about candy
consumption. The boys introduce themselves as a member of a local boy scout troop. Their
survey has a very low refusal rate. This is likely based on which factor affecting
participation?
A) Participation must be perceived as eliminating loneliness.
B) Participation must be perceived as relevant.
C) Participant must have a liking or compassion for interviewer.
D) Participation must be perceived as enhancing personal prestige or self-worth.
E) Participation must not conflict with other important activities.

45) Understanding personally identifiable information is critical to fulfilling which ethical

responsibility?
A) Right to privacy
B) Informed consent
C) Right to confidentiality
D) Right to safety
E) Right to quality research