case 10
Caldera Industries1
Chris Totten has just begun a summer internship at Caldera Industries, a national supplier of electronics components. Caldera’s clients include OEM (original equipment manufacturers) firms that market televisions, home stereo and audio, and computer products to the general public. Returning from  lunch,  Chris  finds  a memo and questionnaire in her mailbox (see  Exhibits  1 and 2).

Questions
1.	Evaluate the questionnaire in relation to the issues raised by Manuel Ortega.
2.	How  would  you  recommend  the  instrument  be pretested?
1.	

		E x h i b i t  1		Caldera Industries	

Serving our Customers’ Electronics Needs for over 22 Years
 
Internal Memorandum
TO:	Chris Totten
Marketing Analyst Intern

cc:	Caren Menlo Marketing Manager
From:	Manuel Ortega
Vice President for Sales and Marketing

Date:	May 23, 2003

Regarding:	Evaluation of Market Research Questionnaire

In three weeks, I will be meeting with executives from a number of our client companies. One of the items on the agenda is the research project our company has agreed to undertake on their behalf. At that meeting, the final version of our questionnaire will be distributed and approved.

On the attached pages is an initial draft of the Consumer Electronics Questionnaire we plan on using for the study. As the newly hired marketing intern, and because of your marketing research coursework experience, I suggested to our marketing manager, Caren Menlo, that reviewing the questionnaire would make an ideal first assignment for you. She agreed.

Please examine the attached questionnaire and provide me with a written memo of your analysis, comments, and suggestions for improvement (if you believe any are warranted) within two (2) weeks. More specifically, I am interested in your comments on the following issues:

◆	The type and amount of information being sought
◆	Appropriateness of the type of questionnaire designed and its method of administration
◆	The content of questions in the draft document
◆	Response formats used for the various questions
◆	Question wording
◆	Question sequencing
◆	Physical characteristics and layout of the instrument

I am also interested in any comments or suggestions you have on pretesting the questionnaire. I look forward to reading your memo.	

1This case was prepared by Michael R. Luthy, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing, W. Fielding Rubel School of Business, Bellarmine University, 2001 Newburg Road, Louisville, KY 40205. Reprinted with permission.    © Cengage Learning

E x h i b i t  2	Consumer Electronics Research Questionnaire

Directions: This questionnaire has been developed for a consortium of computer and home entertainment companies (who wish to remain anonymous). Complete all questions and mail this questionnaire to us today.
Quality Research Associates 5716 N. Woodlawn Court Champaign, IL 61820

1.	Name:  	
2.	Sex:  	
3.	How old are you:  	

 	 Mr.	 	 Mrs.

4.	Intelligence:	Only         completed college degree (Bachelor’s)
 	 Completed some graduate work
 	 Completed graduate degree
 	 Completed graduate degree beyond masters
5.	Ethnic Status:	White	Asian
 	 Black	Indian
 	 Asian	Other What?  	
6.	Political Party Support:  	 Democrat
 	 Republican
 	 Independent
 	 Other
7.	Your Occupation:  	
8.	Spouse’s Name and Age:  	
9.	Number of Children:	(if    children, go to question 61)
10.	Your Company:  	
11.	Your Work Fax Number: (	)	-  	
12.	How Long Have You Been Married:	Never          married
 	 Less than a year
 	 Between 1 and 5 years
 	 Over 5 but less than 10 years
 	 Over 15 years but less than 20 years
 	 More than 20 years
13.	Your Annual Income: $  	
14.	Social Security Number:	-	-  	
15.	The sponsors of this research are constantly introducing new products that they believe you (and your loved one, if any) will be interested in. In order to better make you aware of these offerings, please provide your telephone number below.
(	)	-  	
16.	Do you own a computer at home or at work?
 	 Yes	No
17.	During an average week, how much time do you spend on it?
 	 Hours	Minutes
18.	Doing what mostly?

For each of the products listed below, please indicate the extent of your satisfaction with it, ceteris paribus, by either circling or placing an “X” on the line to the right of each statement.

19.	Apple Computers and Peripherals.
20.	Gateway Computers and Peripherals.
21.	Dell Computers and Peripherals.
22.	IBM Computers and Peripherals.
23.	Samsung Computers and Peripherals.
24.	Hewlett-Packard Computers and Peripherals.
25.	MacIntosh Computers and Peripherals.
26.	Hitachi, Ltd. Computers and Peripherals.
27.	Unisys Computers and Peripherals.
28.	Tandy Computers and Peripherals.

Mild Satisfaction	Extremely Satisﬁed

(Continued)

case 10	539

		E x h i b i t  2		Consumer Electronics Research Questionnaire (Continued)	

29. Without being too loquacious, what emerging trends or technologies do you see as important to you that computer manufacturers	
(both hardware and software) should consider in developing new products?	

30. How many different computer chatrooms have you visited in the last month?	
 	 1–2	
 	 2–3	
 	 3–4	
 	 more than four	
Below is a listing of ways in which people interact with consumer electronics on a quasi regular basis. What percentage of your time do	
you typically spend with each?	
On Average,	
Check Below	Number of	
If You Do	Do	“Others” Present	
Not Use	Use	During Your Usage	
31.	%	Work related computer activities	
32.	%	Entertainment related computer activities	
33.	%	Watching Network Television	
34.	%	Watching Cable Television	
35.	%	Watching Premium Cable Services	
36.	%	Watching Rented Movies on VCR	
37.	%	Watching Rented Movies on DVD	
38.	%	Listening to Music on Radio or on CD’s	
39.	%	Other (specify)	
Referencing the music you listen to, vis à vis your response to question 38 above (see question 38 if needed), which are your favorite	
musical periods or types? Please indicate your ﬁrst 10 choices in numerical order.	
40. Earlier than Renaissance	 		
41. Renaissance	 		
42. Baroque	
43. Classical	
44. Romantic	
45. Impressionistic	 		
46. Neo-Classical	 		
47. Contemporary	 		
48. Contemporary Christian	 		
49. Rock	
50. Hard Rock	
51. Grunge Rock	 		
52. Jazz	
53. Easy Listening	 		
54. Jazz/Rock Fusion	 		
55. Bluegrass	
56. Contemporary	 		
57. Folk Music	
58. Country	
59. Western	
60. Other	

540	case  10

E x h i b i t  2	Consumer Electronics Research Questionnaire (Continued)

61.	Chart your child’s usage of the following computer-related activities in 2002: (A   never, B   once to twice a per month, C   once to twice a week, D  every week, E twice or more per week, F  daily, G  multiple times a day). If you have more than one child, use the computer usage of the oldest.
	Word Processing	EXCEL	Database Programs	E-Mail	Internet “Surﬁng”	Internet Chatrooms	Games	
Jan 1–Jan 15	 								
Jan 16–Jan 31	 								
Feb 1–Feb 15	 								
Feb 16–Feb 28	 								
Mar 1–Mar 15	 								
Mar 16–Mar 31	 								
Apr 1–Apr 15	 								
Apr 16–Apr 30	 								
May 1–May 15	 								
May 16–May 31	 								
Jun 1–Jun 15	 								
Jun 16–Jun 30	 								
Jul 1–Jul 15	 								
Jul 16–Jul 31	 								
Aug 1–Aug 15	 								
Aug 16–Aug 31	 								
Sep 1–Sep 15	 								
Sep 16–Sep 30	 								
Oct 1–Oct 15	 								
Oct 16–Oct 31	 								
Nov 1–Nov 15	 								
Nov 16–Nov 30	 								
After completing, return to question 23

What is the most you would be willing to spend to purchase the following consumer electronic products if you were going to purchase them within the next year? and why?

62.	$	DVD         player
63.	$	External              Zip drive
64.	$	Big       Screen Television
65.	$	Portable              Stereo or Television
66.	$	Digital           Camera

Why?

67.	To what degree do you believe that access to the Internet	A	E is important to your family’s entertainment needs?
68.	What emerging trends or technologies do you see as important to you that computer manufacturers (both hardware and software ) should consider in developing new products?

69.	On a separate sheet of paper, please provide the names and addresses of at least three (3) friends or relatives that have r ecently (within the last two years) purchased an advanced consumer electronics product so that we may contact them.
61.	
Mail your completed questionnaire in a standard business size envelope to:

Quality Research Associates 4518 North Trails End Cleveland, OH 34454
(a ﬁrst-class stamp will be needed)