Essay Example on Questionnaires: A Key Data Collection Technique for Better Decision Making

Introduction

There are several data collection techniques used for better decision making in the business. However, the questionnaire is the best method to be used in gathering information since it contains a series of questions about the research that enable the respondents to give their feedback about the presented study. Questionnaires can be conducted through face-to-face, computer posts or via telephone conversations. Researchers using questionnaire can produce relatively cheap and also instant information from a large group of the population using sampling. It is, therefore, an efficient way of receiving feedback from the respondents in the most desirable way by the researcher. Moreover, the questionnaire may not require the physical presence of the researcher, unlike other data collection methods, hence the relative quick collection of the data necessary. Areas of data collection whereby the interviews are not practical, questionnaire remains the best option because it covers large population areas within a short time.

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Spending amounts of money in the gym's expansion and renovation requires a substantive data collection from customers using a quick, cheap and an efficient method which the questionnaire serves best. The efficiency in the use of a questionnaire creates an effective means that allows the researchers to measures, behavior, opinion, intentions and attitudes of the customers as they seek to get their views about their expectations on the relevant changes. Questionnaires also allow the respondents, in this case, to provide more elaborative answers by giving them an open question that helps in determining whether they support the new changes to be introduced in the gym by the management (Mcleod, 2020). In terms of costs, the questionnaire will provide this business with the most economical data collection cost since they will obtain large amounts of data using low prices.

The use of questionnaire in collecting data by the owners of this business enables them to generalize the information gathered out of a large sample size from the representative population. Besides, this type of information collected from the population sample can be converted into qualitative data easily. Thus, the business can also conduct statistical data analysis in the process of collecting data. However, using other data collection methods such as interviews, cannot allow the researchers to analyze the data in the process of collection. Again, since all the questions are standardized in the questionnaire, all the chosen samples of the customers' population will respond to similar problems. Hence, surveys provide consistency in the following data collection for researchers because they can check the results and compare with the previous responses (Mcleod, 2020).

As compared to other data collection methods, questionnaires allow the business to extract data that share the exact similarity with the large population size within a short time. This method of data collection is necessary for helping the business owners to obtain answers from a massive number of customers who respond with better and comparable descriptions. The questionnaires can be issued to a large number of customers simultaneously making it possible to cover a full geographic area within a short period. Furthermore, polls provide predetermined questions that allow the respondents to give limited answers that in turn, helps the researchers in saving time (Mcleod, 2020). However, using other data collection techniques would amount to a massive expenditure of time because they do not limit the participants in their responses. Based on this aspect of data comparability and time-saving, questionnaires remain the best method of collecting data by the gym owners.

The anonymity that comes with questionnaire responses enables the customers to express their controversial opinions, unlike other techniques of collecting data such as interviews that may expose the respondents. In an interview, the interviewee has to face the researcher directly as they give their opinion; hence, may shy from offering all the material facts. Moreover, unlike the oral questioning of the participants, questionnaires provide a standardized structure of the subjects from one to the next and once offered by the respondents cannot be altered like in the case of interviews. Based on the confidentiality of the questionnaires, the customers will give their honest views about the expansion and renovation of the gym that lead to the improvement of service provision by the owners. Therefore, collecting information by questionnaire is the best techniques to be used by this business.

The Type of Data Required to Help Make a Decision

Since these questionnaires obtain the answers through the use of close-ended questions, quantitative types of data would be the best method. This type of data will help the owners of the gym to analyze the results from multiple answers provided by the respondents. Again, the data obtained from the questionnaire can be counted and expressed numerically in assisting them in making an appropriate decision. The owners of the gym can also respond to the issues about the size of the new gym, the quantity of the machines, and the frequency of its operation to serve the customers effectively. The use of quantitative data is also essential in validating specific hypotheses from the research and provides the most efficient decision-making processes. Further, quantitative information is very objective and gives the best representation of the larger population picture.

The quantitative method provides data in numbers that allow the owners of the gym to apply statistical tests in the data analysis. The business is, therefore, able to derive essential facts from the research that relate to the expansion and renovation of the gym. Another great importance of quantitative data is that it is useful in capturing the snapshot of the entire population of the customers, including those who did not participate in the survey. Basically, using quantitative data allows the researcher to determine whether the findings from the respondents and real and also their effectiveness in making appropriate decision concerning the expansion and the renovation of the gym. Most importantly, the use of quantitative data involves the interpretation of the market size and demographics, which provides the business with beneficial information while deciding on how to spend their funds (Figini, 2010). Therefore, quantitative data will be the most critical type of data to be used by the owners of the gym after collecting the data by questionnaire method.

EXPANSION AND RENOVATION QUESTIONNAIRE

The purpose of this questionnaire is to ensure that our private gym we obtain necessary feedback needed for its expansion and renovation. All the information provided by our customers will remain confidential.

Surname...............................

First and second names................... ..............................

Sex......................... Male...................... Female

Date of birth..........................

Permanent address..................................

How often do you attend the gym?

• Never
• weekly or less
• 2-4 days a week
• Less than 2 days

What is the maximum time you can spend in the gym?

• The whole day
• 5 hours and more
• Between 2- 3 hours
• Less than an hour

How often do you have more than two gym sessions in a day?

• Always
• Never
• When given a free offer
• Once in a week

Do all the rollers work?

• Sometimes
• Always work
• Not all
• I am not sure

Is the lighting sufficient in the room?

• They need adjustment
• They are just fine
• I need more time to think
• Sometime they are well

Given time, what is the one thing you would definitely change about this gym?

• The charges
• The management
• Everything
• Nothing

What is your opinion about the monthly subscription fee?

• It is too high
• It is too low
• No idea

References

Figini, S. (2010). Statistical Local Models for Customer Satisfaction Data. Quality Technology & Quantitative Management, 7(1), pp.69-82.

Mcleod, S. (2020). Questionnaire: : Definition, Examples, Design and Types | Simply Psychology. [online] Simplypsychology.org. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/questionnaires.html [Accessed 20 Feb. 2020].