Date of Award
1993
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Bachelor of Business (Honours)
Faculty
Faculty of Business
First Supervisor
Marc Saupin
Abstract
The market research industry, like most industries operating in a highly competitive environment, is faced with a myriad of challenges. One of the foremost challenges is to deliver sound recommendations to clientele based on quality data on the market. One factor having a bearing on data quality is the problem of interviewer bias; interviewers introducing their own source of error into the survey. This dissertation uses a mass-administered, selfreport technique in a study of the interviewing staff of four Western Australian market research firms in an attempt to investigate the factors that constitute interviewer bias. The three broad areas of concern are the actual biases committed, the job-related factors that may contribute to this behaviour, and the personal characteristics of the interviewer that are also associated with such behaviour. As such, these three areas are correlated with each other to determine their interrelationships. The overriding premise is that job dissatisfaction leads to a decline in job performance, which is moderated by individual characteristics. It was found that behaviour, does nondirective probing a biasing behaviour does occur and is associated with dissatisfaction with training and job status, and the age of the interviewer. Inaccuracy in recording responses is a further biasing behaviour, and is associated with a reported deficiency in the amount of training given to interviewers. Finally, relating to respondents in an unprofessional manner is associated with unsatisfactory supervision, unreasonable survey length, and a disproportionate amount of weekend work.
Recommended Citation
Edwards, D. N. (1993). An investigation into some of the factors having a bearing on interviewer bias in the Western Australian market research industry. Edith Cowan University. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/164