Business Research Methodology: Report

This report highlights how we designed the questionnaire to include a combination of both open and closed-ended questions. It also indicates the structure of the questionnaire that explains how different aspects of the problem are addressed through the questions without necessarily dividing the questionnaire into the respective parts.

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Business Research Methodology: Report
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Survey Questionnaire Report
Introduction
Collecting relevant data from a selected sample needs a carefully designed set of
questions. The questions lead the respondents to provide the needed information. Depending on
the study to be undertaken, the questionnaire can consist of open, closed questions or a mixture
of both formats. This report seeks to highlight how we designed the questionnaire to include a
combination of both approaches. It also indicates the structure of the questionnaire that explains
how different aspects of the problem are addressed through the questions without necessarily
dividing the questionnaire into the respective parts. Ideally, it elaborates the steps followed in
designing the questionnaire.
Questionnaire Structure
After considering all aspects required to address the problem effectively, a questionnaire
consisting of 11 questions was developed. The questions use closed and open-ended questions
with three using a Likert scale to rate their responses to statements provided. The structure of the
questionnaire consists of five parts that have been combined for an all-inclusive tool to collect
data regarding the management problem. The first section is the introduction to the
questionnaire. This section highlights the objective of the questionnaire, assures the respondents
of anonymity and confidentiality of information they will provide. Furthermore, it calls them to
answer the questions with utmost faith. In essence, conventional research methods call for
seeking the consent of the respondents before letting them provide data requested (Wainwright
and Sambrook, 2010, p. 280).

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The second section consists of questions 1-4 which prompt the respondents to provide
demographic information. Questions in this section are designed to allow data pertaining to
socio-demographics and economic status of the respondents to be obtained. Third part comprises
of questions 5-8 and is contrived to gather information on motivation and cultural value
influence on conspicuous consumption. It consists of two Likert scale questions and two open-
ended questions to allow diversity in answering the questions.
The fourth section highlights the conspicuous consumption behaviour and consist of
question 9-11. Again this part has one scaled, open and closed-ended questions. As a
requirement for addressing the experience and identifying the existing behavioural pattern of the
respondent, this section allows them to provide additional information they find relevant. Lastly,
it is an ethical practice in data collection to thank or appreciate the efforts of the respondent in
answering the questions (Wainwright and Sambrook, 2010, p. 279). Therefore, the questionnaire
ends with a closing phrase that appreciates the respondents for filling out the questionnaire.
Steps used in designing the questionnaire
Before settling on the questions listed in the survey questionnaire, we had to undergo a
series of steps. The first step involved brainstorming on the aspects to be covered by the survey.
Particularly, socio-demographic, cultural influence, motivation and experience of Australian
consumers to luxury products. Under this step, a series of questions were developed by the group
members. The essence of having multiple questions on the same issue was to ensure that as much
information as possible was covered. Although they were reduced in the subsequent steps, they
were essential in redesigning the chosen questions.

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The second step involved filtering, reframing and adjusting the questions to cover
specific factors that influence conspicuous consumption. At this stage, the suggested questions
were sorted and related ones combined ad reframed to address the specific issue more
comprehensively. For instance, different questions on cultural values were all summarized to “To
what extent do cultural values influence you conspicuous consumption behaviour?” By doing
this, the questionnaire was reduced to cover specific questions without any redundancy. The
rationale behind this approach was based on the finding that redundancy of questions in survey
instruments is likely to confuse the respondents thus prompting them to provide invalid
information. As a result, data analysis may also become complex (Treiman, 2014, p 34).
The last step in designing the questionnaire involved making a decision on the scales to
be used on selected questions. After deliberating on different scale measurements, the group
agreed to use a five-point Likert Scale. The justification for the choice was based on the fact that
the scale provides various classes of measurements including, frequency, likelihood, agreement,
and importance. Furthermore, it provides an easier quantitative analysis approach that includes
finding the mean or mode of the responses (McLeod, 2008). We all agreed to use the Likert scale
on questions 6 and 9.
How the Questionnaire Address the Management Problem
Since the management probe at hand touches both domestic and international travellers in
Australia, the survey need to accommodate this diversity. In addressing this matter, the
questionnaire we designed is reliable in first identifying the social and economic demographics
information of the respondents. This section, in particular, is meant to ascertain the age, gender,
income, occupation and the residence of the respondents. In this manner, the findings will be

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narrowed down to show how the various demographic factors affect conspicuous consumption in
the Australian society.
Since the survey needs to take a quantitative analysis approach, the questionnaire is
designed to accommodate a collection of the relevant data. This will be achieved through the
closed-ended questions that provide leads to the respondents. Furthermore, the scaled questions
would be effective in understanding how the various factors influence the future behavioural
inclination of conspicuous consumption of the Australian society. Although there is literature to
explain the trend, the patterns are continuously changing owing to the dynamic nature of the new
generation (Wendner, 2009). Therefore, this questionnaire is designed to back the findings with
statistical figures that will reflect on the expected patterns in the future. Essentially, the
management problem will be addressed through the different aspects the questionnaire is
designed to handle.
Conclusion
Primarily, any survey tool has to have a structure, design procedure and an assessment of
its efficiency in providing the required methodology to collect data. This is the three factors that
the reliability and validity of a survey instrument depend upon. Despite there being another
internal factor to consider, understanding how the instrument will be used to collect the needed
information is paramount. It is this reason that prompted the group to follow conventional
procedures in designing the questionnaire. The questionnaire expected to collect only the
required information without straining the respondents.

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References
McLeod, S. (2008). Likert Scale. [online] Available at:
https://www.simplypsychology.org/likert-scale.html [Accessed 12 Sep. 2018].
Treiman, D. (2014). Quantitative Data Analysis. Somerset: Wiley.
Wainwright, D. and Sambrook, S. (2010). The ethics of data collection: unintended
consequences?. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 24(3), pp.277-287.
Wendner, R. (2009). Conspicuous Consumption and Overlapping Generations. SSRN Electronic
Journal.