Mail Survey Response Research Articles

Response rates in international mail surveys: Results of a 22-country study

Researchers embarking on their first international mail survey find very little guidance in the present academic literature. In 1988, two articles were published in the fall issue of the Journal of International Business Studies that claimed that: “at the moment the crossnational researcher has very little evidence upon which to base his judgments about [mail] survey design” [Jobber and Saunders (1988) An experimental investigation into cross-national mail survey response rates, Journal of International Business Studies 19, 488] and “Literature concerned with response rates from industrial samples drawn from multiple countries is nearly absent” [Dawson and Dickinson (1988) Conducting international mail surveys: the effect of incentives on response rates within an industrial population, Journal of International Business Studies 19, 492]. Unfortunately, not much has changed since. Still, very little is known about how respondents from different countries react to mail surveys. This article intends to fill part of this gap by describing the results of a large scale international mail survey in 22 countries. Response rates are shown to vary considerably across countries in a way that contradicts much of the earlier (American) research on this subject. Several explanations for these differences in response rates are put forward.

A Pragmatic Study of Conventional and Alternative Farmers in Colorado

The adoption of alternative agriculture in the form of organic farming and Holistic Resource Management (HRM) ranching is controlled by individual farmer decision making. Drawing on pragmatism, a method of inquiry based on understanding peoples’ experiences, this paper shows how agricultural land–use decisions are based on numerous factors, including sources of information, individual perceptions of agriculture, and attitudes about the environment that are narrowed to a farmer’s practical range of choice. Descriptive statistics identify variations between groups of conventional and alternative farmers, while qualitative analysis details incremental variations among case study farmers. Based on 57 mail survey responses and 11 case study interviews in Colorado, 12 behavioral characteristics are identified that describe composite reactive and proactive farmers. Differences are linked to variations between an internal and external locus of control. Results indicate that there is a spectrum of attitudes and characteristics among conventional and alternative farmers that is displayed as an agro–ecological behavior continuum model.

Impact of “Blocking” with in Prenotification Appeal on Mail Survey Response Rates

This paper deals with a new aspect of mail survey prenotification that the authors call “blocking,” which refers to the opportunity given in a prenotifying letter to a potential mail survey respondent to choose not to participate in the survey by indicating non-interest through the return of a postage-paid card. The sample for this exploratory study consisted of 600 households with memberships in a large metropolitan fitness center. The findings indicate that blocking within a mix of personal and social appeals results in a significantly (p<0.05) higher response rate than within a personal appeal alone. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Determinants of industrial mail survey response: A survey‐on‐surveys analysis of researchers' and managers' views

This paper compares the perceptions of marketing research executives and industrial respondents regarding factors impacting on industrial mail survey response. Following a review of the different research traditions to the study of mail response rates, a “survey‐on‐surveys “ approach is introduced and used to study the potential impacts of different design and implementation factors on survey response. The results of the study provide empirical evidence on the perceived influence of a wide variety of response‐inducing factors in industrial mail surveys, and are used to generate managerial recommendations for the conduct of the latter. Directions for future research are also identified.

Sociodemographic factors and mail survey response

Effects of sociodemographic factors on mail survey response rate, response speed, and data quality are summarized. Consistent with previous reviews, evidence for effects of education is strongest with possible effects of age and gender. Evidence for effects of other sociodemographic factors is either ambiguous or absent. Speed and quality of response are also associated with educational level and possibly age. Sociodemographic factors are briefly discussed in light of three theories of mail survey response behavior. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The effect of reassured anonymity and sponsor on mail survey response rate and speed with a business population

Although considerable research has addressed the impact of various factors on mail survey response rate, relatively little has focussed on survey sponsorship and none has investigated the manner in which respondent anonymity is assured. In addition, little of what research has been done has included the criterion of response speed or has related to a business population. The results of this study, undertaken with a business audience, suggests that survey sponsorship does influence return of a questionnaire and that gains in response might be obtained by doubly assuring potential respondents of their anonymity.

Toward a conceptualization of mail survey response behavior

A conceptual framework for understanding and researching mail survey response behavior is proposed and developed around the constructs of cooperation, trust, and commitment. Survey response is viewed as the cooperative exchange of information by respondents in return for an opportunity to shape their environment. Issues related to the valuation of the survey exchange process are examined within the proposed framework. Current survey inducement techniques are evaluated in terms of their relationship to the three central constructs and their effects on the decision to participate in a mail survey. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Do source of mailing and monetary incentives matter in international industrial mail surveys?

To date there has been only a handful of studies on response rates of industrial mail surveys in the international setting. These studies have essentially dealt with either source of mailing effects or monetary incentives, and not a single study has dealt with both issues. Further, the results have been equivocal. In an attempt to resolve these equivocal findings, the authors report the results of a study wherein the impact of source of mailing effects and two types of monetary incentives on industrial mail survey response rates were investigated. Specifically, the hypotheses that a monetary incentive is better than a mailing effects incentive, a prize giveaway is better than a dollar incentive, and joint effects is better than only domestic mailing effects in enhancing response rates, were tested. Six hundred randomly selected Indian companies were systematically assigned to one of four groups, with a mailing size of 150 for each group. The four groups were the dollar incentive group, the prize giveaway group, the joint effects group, and a control group. The results indicate that the prize giveaway type of monetary incentive yielded a response rate of 25% that was significantly higher than the 7% of either the joint effects or the control group. Considering that prize giveaway had the least cost per response, it clearly appears superior to the other two tactics in enhancing response rates. More importantly, because joint effects fared no better than the control group in terms of response rates, it is difficult not to conclude that any attempt to sensitize respondents to a joint, domestic and foreign, affiliation in the context of research sponsorship would likely be a wasted effort.

An Exploratory Analysis of Family Social Science Mail Survey Response Rates

Dillman (1978) has aggressively promoted his Total Design Method as a proven technique for generating higher response rates to social science surveys. Many university faculty teach his technique on the assumption that its use will generate high response rates for the individual student who uses it faithfully in thesis or dissertation research. In an exploratory assessment of six of Dillman's mail survey steps—quality of covering letter, use of follow-ups, importance of the study, survey's appearance or readability, survey's length, and type of sample (general public or specialized population)—with 15 family social science surveys, we found that, despite the small sample size, type of sample, and follow-up predicted mail survey response rates, as did a summary measure of the use of all six steps. The results suggest that the Total Design Method's mail survey steps are useful even for low-cost research by graduate students.

Surveying a Targeted Population Segment: The Effects of Endorsement on Mail Questionnaire Response Rate

This study examines mail survey response rates when endorsement by an external party accompanies survey materials. Significantly higher response rates were observed for endorsement versus the no endorsement condition. This result occurred after both the initial mailing and follow-up mailings were conducted. In addition, endorsements by locally known individuals produced higher response rates than endorsements by highly placed but less well known personnel from a national headquarters office. An increase in response rate also occurred when the endorser noted providing financial support for the survey.

The Effect of Discount Coupons and Gifts on Mail Survey Response Rates among High Involvement Respondents

The Effect of Discount Coupons and Gifts on Mail Survey Response Rates among High Involvement Respondents

The effect of visual stimuli on mail survey response rates

This study examines the impact of two considerations of a questionnaire's appearance on response rates. Factors of questionnaire color and a user-friendly format are evaluated as part of a follow-up mail survey to a corporate-sponsored incentive program. In response to a mailing of more than 3,500 questionnaires, it was found that appearance variations of the questionnaire resulted in significantly higher response rates. The content and questions asked in the survey did not vary. In a review of past literature dealing with questionnaire response rates, it was determined that past studies addressed structural, functional, and incentive characteristics that impact on changing response rates. Whereas the literature has not previously addressed the concept of a user-friendly format, there is some research exploring the response rates to color questionnaires versus black and white questionnaires. Previous studies have not found an increase in response rate as a result of the use of color in questionnaire design. This study, however, found color and/or a user-friendly format to be of significant value for increasing mail survey response rates.

An Investigation into the Effects of Questionnaire Format and Color Variations on Mail Survey Response Rates

This study examines the effect on mail survey response rates of variations in questionnaire color and format. A follow-up mail survey to a corporate incentive program was sent to more than 3,500 participants. Monitoring response rates by questionnaire version showed that a user-friendly format, followed by a two-color design, significantly increased response rates. Question wording and sequencing remained the same across questionnaire versions while format and color varied. A literature review revealed three issues addressed by past studies—structural, functional, and incentive—that impact response rates. Previous studies have found no response rate increases due to altering the color of a questionnaire. However, this study found that a user-friendly format, and to some extent color, was valuable for increasing mail survey response rates. Implications for writers of all forms of communication are drawn.

Reporting Response Rates for Telephone Surveys Used In Agricultural Economics Research

Response rates are one indicator of a survey's data quality, as a great deal of importance has been placed on the mail survey's response rate. However, a telephone survey's response rate usually is not reported. Even if one is reported, the numbers used in the calculation are rarely defined making the response rate interpretation unclear. Using a recent telephone survey of Pennsylvania dairy managers, this paper demonstrates how telephone survey data should be reported. Essentially, every research report should include a discussion of how the survey was conducted, a disposition table, and well-defined formulas used to calculate response rates.

The interactive effects of monetary incentive justification and questionnaire length on mail survey response rates

AbstractAn experiment was conducted in which a survey questionnaire and a $1.00 incentive were sent to 200 randomly selected residents of a midwestern city. For half of the respondents, the enclosed monetary incentive was justified in a cover letter as an attempt to induce feelings of obligation to return the questionnaire (equity‐salient condition), whereas for the other half of the respondents, the incentive was justified as an appreciative gesture (standard condition). Furthermore, some subjects received a short questionnaire, whereas the rest received a long questionnaire. Response rates were assessed by condition. As predicted, the equity‐salient appeal produced a significantly higher response rate than the standard appeal, but only for subjects who received the short questionnaire. Results are discussed in terms of personal equity theory. © 1994 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Inc.

An Investigation of the Role of the School-Level Team in Transition Planning

Members of school-level transition teams in four school districts in a predominantly rural state completed a mail survey (response rate of 58%, 24 of 41) regarding their experiences on the team. Respondents evaluated the effectiveness of school-level teams, identified barriers to transition success in the schools, and indicated the impact of written policies and procedures on team and individual activities. Results support the need for improved post-school case management and follow-up services, additional financial and transportation resources, and incorporation of career education models in the curriculum.

The effect of a nominal monetary gift and different contacting approaches on mail survey response among engineers

Increasingly, designers are looking for ways to incorporate the voice-of-the-market into new product designs. Mail questionnaires are one commonly used method to survey user preferences. Research methods which increase response rates and quality of mail surveys can help result in the design of products that more accurately reflect market needs. This study examines the effect of a nominal monetary gift and different contacting approaches on mail survey response rates among a population of engineers. The study found that the inclusion of a nominal monetary gift had a dramatic effect on survey response rates among engineers. Precontact with targeted firms was also found to increase survey response rates. Additionally, this research found differences in the response rates between direct precontact of subjects in target firms versus indirect contact of engineers who were referred as CAD experts in their firms. These referrals were found more likely to answer difficult survey questions and much more likely to volunteer to participate in follow-up qualitative research. Identification of this group of qualified referrals may be useful for design teams working on new, technologically advanced products.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Effect of social desirability bias and memory recall on reported contributions to a wildlife income tax checkoff program

Abstract In this study of contributors and noncontributors to New York's “Return a Gift To Wildlife'’ tax checkoff program, mail survey responses reporting contributions to the program could be validated with tax records. Evidence was found of memory‐recall errors and social desirability bias. The degree of bias was estimated to exceed twice the current contribution rate. Sociodemographic characteristics and participation in wildlife‐related activities affected the degree of social desirability bias. A model was proposed that used these variables to distinguish those who misreported contributing from actual contributors. A question eliciting future intention to perform a socially desirable act (i.e., contributing in the coming year) apparently results in an even stronger social desirability bias than factual statements of past behavior. Thus, using validated information yields a more realistic estimate of future contribution potential.

Mail Survey Response Rate Patterns in a Population of the Elderly: Does Response Deteriorate With Age?

Journal Article MAIL SURVEY RESPONSE RATE PATTERNS IN A POPULATION OF THE ELDERLY: DOES RESPONSE DETERIORATE WITH AGE? Get access DENNIS O. KALDENBERG, DENNIS O. KALDENBERG DENNIS O. KALDENBERG is research associate in marketing; HAROLD F. KOENIG is assistant professor of marketing; and BORIS W. BECKER is professor of marketing, Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business, Oregon State University. The authors acknowledge James H. Me Alexander, Willard Rodgers, and James R. Schmidt for their helpful comments during the preparation of this article. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar HAROLD F. KOENIG, HAROLD F. KOENIG DENNIS O. KALDENBERG is research associate in marketing; HAROLD F. KOENIG is assistant professor of marketing; and BORIS W. BECKER is professor of marketing, Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business, Oregon State University. The authors acknowledge James H. Me Alexander, Willard Rodgers, and James R. Schmidt for their helpful comments during the preparation of this article. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar BORIS W. BECKER BORIS W. BECKER DENNIS O. KALDENBERG is research associate in marketing; HAROLD F. KOENIG is assistant professor of marketing; and BORIS W. BECKER is professor of marketing, Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business, Oregon State University. The authors acknowledge James H. Me Alexander, Willard Rodgers, and James R. Schmidt for their helpful comments during the preparation of this article. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Public Opinion Quarterly, Volume 58, Issue 1, SPRING 1994, Pages 68–76, https://doi.org/10.1086/269408 Published: 01 January 1994

Adults who feared school: is early separation anxiety specific to the pathogenesis of panic disorder?

Although juvenile separation anxiety disorder is maintained to be a predisposing factor to adult panic disorder in DSM-III-R, past research has failed to clarify (a) whether it is separation anxiety per se or school refusal that is the pathogenic risk factor and (b) whether affected youngsters are specifically at risk of developing panic disorder rather than symptoms of general anxiety or phobias in later life. The present study of 74 adults who responded to media publicity found that a measure of early separation anxiety but not a history of school refusal was associated with risk of adult panic disorder according to DSM-III-R criteria. In contrast, separation anxiety scores were not associated with the presence or absence of general anxiety symptoms or phobic-avoidance in adulthood. Subjects with higher separation anxiety scores were more likely to have either a sibling or child with school refusal. Although the present study is limited in its method to mailed survey responses and, in part, to retrospective data, the results do provide additional support for Klein's influential separation anxiety theory of panic disorder.