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Understanding the Decision to Participate in a Business Survey

Understanding the Decision to Participate in a Business Survey. Ger Snijkers Martin Luppes Barbara Berkenbosch Statistics Netherlands Division of Business Statistics. Understanding the Decision to Participate in a Survey. Models: 1. Groves & Couper (1998)

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Understanding the Decision to Participate in a Business Survey

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  1. Understanding the Decision to Participate in a Business Survey Ger Snijkers Martin Luppes Barbara Berkenbosch Statistics Netherlands Division of Business Statistics ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  2. Understanding the Decision to Participate in a Survey • Models: • 1. Groves & Couper (1998) • Willimack, Nichols & Sudman (2002) • Hedlin, Dale, Haraldsen & Jones (2005) • Snijkers (2007) ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  3. External Business factors: • Econ. climate • Regulatory requirements • Political climate Internal business factors: • Policy • Data • Resources • Market position The survey: • Topic • Population and sample • Sponsor / Survey organisation • Resources • Planning • Authority/confidentiality Statistical picture of a country Informant: • Mandate • Data knowledge • Job priority Image The survey design Motivation Modes of data collection Contact strategy Response • In time • Complete • Correct Questionnaire Respondentburden: • De facto • Perception Answering behaviour Decision to participate • More than one survey • More than once • in other ways: ○ registers ○ XBRL NSI A business NSI ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  4. Understanding the Decision to Participate in a Survey • The perspective of the business • The perspective of a NSI ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  5. External business factors: • Econ. climate • Regulatory requirements • Political climate Internal business factors: • Policy • Data • Resources • Market position The survey: • Topic • Population and sample • Sponsor / Survey organisation • Resources • Planning • Authority/confidentiality Statistical picture of a country Informant: • Mandate • Data knowledge • Job priority Image The survey design Motivation Modes of data collection Contact strategy Response • In time • Complete • Correct Questionnaire Respondentburden: • De facto • Perception Answering behaviour Decision to participate • More than one survey • More than once • in other ways: ○ registers ○ XBRL NSI A business NSI ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  6. Request to Participate:Reactions by Businesses • “What is the use of this survey?It is pointless!” • “There is no connection with my business activities.” • “It only costs money and time!”“The costs outweigh the added value.”“There is no added value.” • “The tone of voice is irritating; in stead of emphasizing the why of surveys, CBS poses threats of penalties in her correspondence.” ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  7. Request to Participate:Reactions by Businesses • Conclusion (The Netherlands): • Statistical obligations are considered as the administrative burden that irritates entrepreneurs the most, • despite the fact that statistical obligations are not even mentioned in the summary of the main causes for administrative burden. ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  8. Request to Participate:Reactions by Businesses • Conclusion (The Netherlands) con’d: • Businesses want to get rid of the obligations that are most removed from their own business processes. • As soon as they do see the value of these obligations, and there is a connection with their business activities, the irritation decreases immediately. ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  9. Request to Participate • What can we do? • The perspective of a NSI ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  10. External Business factors: • Econ. climate • Regulatory requirements • Political climate Internal business factors: • Policy • Data • Resources • Market position The survey: • Topic • Population and sample • Sponsor / Survey organisation • Resources • Planning • Authority/confidentiality Statistical picture of a country Informant: • Mandate • Data knowledge • Job priority Image The survey design Motivation Modes of data collection Contact strategy Response • In time • Complete • Correct Questionnaire Respondentburden: • De facto • Perception Answering behaviour Decision to participate • More than one survey • More than once • in other ways: ○ registers ○ XBRL NSI A business NSI ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  11. Request to Participate • What can we do? • Tailoring the survey design! • Mode of data collection- “I will participate when I get a paper/internet questionnaire.” • Questionnaire design- “The questionnaire is too complicated to complete.” • Contact strategy ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  12. Tailoring the Survey Design:Contact Strategy • Communicating your survey = essential • in influencing the motivation of a business respondent to participate ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  13. Influencing Survey Participation:Compliance Principles • Reciprocation • Consistency • Social validation • Authority • Scarcity • Liking • Groves, Cialdini & Couper (POQ, Winter, 1992) ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  14. Influencing Survey Participation:Compliance Principles • 1. Reciprocation • “One should be more willing to comply with a request to the extent that the compliance constitutes the repayment of a perceived gift, favor, or concession.” • “What is in it for me.” • “It only costs me.” • “I want you to repay me for the costs I’ve made to complete this questionnaire.” ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  15. Influencing Survey Participation:Compliance Principles • 2. Commitment & Consistency • “After committing oneself to a position, one should be more willing to comply with requests for behaviors that are consistent with that position.” • “I will comply with requests from the government.” • “I am a responsible entrepreneur towards society.” • “Your statistics are not useful for me.” • “Explain to me why this is useful?” • “I will not participate unless the topic is of interest.” ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  16. Influencing Survey Participation:Compliance Principles • 3. Social validation • “One should be more willing to comply with a requests to the degree that one believes that similar others would comply with it.” • “My trading organization has a negative attitude towards surveys. So have I.” • “My trading organization is positive about participating in your surveys. So I will.” • “The political party I vote for is in favor of reducing business survey burden. That is why I do not participate.” ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  17. Influencing Survey Participation:Compliance Principles • 4. Authority • “One should be more willing to yield to the requests of someone whom one perceives as a legitimate authority.” • “The survey is mandatory. So I cooperate. If I don’t, I will be fined.” • “The request comes from the government.” ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  18. Influencing Survey Participation:Compliance Principles • 5. Scarcity • “One should be more willing to comply with requests to secure opportunities that are scarce.” • “My response is important, since there are not many companies like mine.” • “Once CBS has located you, it will not let you go.” • “I am not unique. Take another one. • “I am not relevant for you.” ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  19. Influencing Survey Participation:Compliance Principles • 6. Liking • “One should be more willing to comply with the requests of liked others.” • “The statistical obligations are considered as the administrative burden that irritates entrepreneurs the most.” - SN = statistics => SN ≠ likable organisation • “SN is not customer-oriented” • Personal contact is helpful ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  20. Compliance Principles • businesses are • sensitive to • Reciprocation +++ • Consistency ++ • Social validation + • Authority +++ • Scarcity – • Liking ++ ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  21. Compliance Principlesused by businesses • Literature review • Focus groups with • - Helpdesk - Interviewers: business interviewers, CATI interviewers- Maintenance department- Data cleaning department • Analysis of customer satisfaction inquiry • Analysis of inquiry on image of SN ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  22. Compliance Principles • businesses are used by • sensitive to Stats Neth • Reciprocation +++ • Consistency ++ • Social validation + • Authority +++ • Scarcity – • Liking ++ ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  23. Compliance Principles • businesses are used by • sensitive to Stats Neth • Reciprocation +++ – • Consistency ++ + • Social validation + – • Authority +++ +++ • Scarcity – + • Liking ++ ++ ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  24. Compliance Principlesused by Stats Netherlands • Content analysis • Advance and reminder letters • CBS website • Helpdesk: letters, e-mails, telephone calls • Interviewer protocols:Business interviewers, CATI interviewers • Protocols of Maintenance department ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  25. Compliance Principlesused by Stats Netherlands • Authority (+++) •  Mentioning Stats Netherlands •  Referring to CBS act: Participation is mandatory by law, and non-response will be fined •  Results will be used by the Dutch government, Eurostat, and other organisations Response is due before a certain data ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  26. Compliance Principlesused by Stats Netherlands • 2. Liking (++) •  Envelope that needs no stamps •  Mentioning helpdesk “Thank you, in advance”  Explaining confidentiality of use of data •  Trying to be friendly in the tone of voice •  Apologizing in reminder letters •  Explaining reminders ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  27. Compliance Principlesused by Stats Netherlands • 3. Commitment & consistency (+) •  Mentioning the name of the survey •  The why of the survey The importance of the survey • Scarcity (+) •  Unique opportunity: SN is dependent on the response of a specific company. •  “Your response is important to us” •  Helping ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  28. Compliance Principlesused by Stats Netherlands • Conclusions: •  This communication strategy is not effective in influencing the respondent’s motivation to participate, • apart from the authority principle: - mandatory character of surveys- “Irritating” • Liking: We think we are friendly in our communication • SN is not considered a likable organization • Businesses are not interested in questionnaires and general statistics ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  29. External Business factors: • Econ. climate • Regulatory requirements • Political climate Internal business factors: • Policy • Data • Resources • Market position The survey: • Topic • Population and sample • Sponsor / Survey organisation • Resources • Planning • Authority/confidentiality Statistical picture of a country Informant: • Mandate • Data knowledge • Job priority Image The survey design Motivation Modes of data collection Contact strategy Response • In time • Complete • Correct Questionnaire Respondentburden: • De facto • Perception Answering behaviour Decision to participate • More than one survey • More than once • in other ways: ○ registers ○ XBRL NSI A business NSI ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

  30. Compliance Principles:Conclusions Contact Strategy • To be effective, more use should be made of: • Reciprocation (+++): - make statistics useful for businesses- incentives (benchmarking) • Liking (++): - use the language of the businesses- do not treat them as numbers, but with respect- do not stress authority that much •  Consistency & Commitment (++): - explain the necessity of statistics • Social validation (+): - cooperate with trading organizations- look for equal interests ICES3, June 18-21, 2007, Montreal

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