The Prediction of Industrial Mail-Survey Response Rates

Mail-survey response rates and their prediction are important issues for researchers. The conceptual differences between industrial and most non-industrial populations raised doubt about the applicability of the Heberlein and Baumgartner model for the prediction of industrial mail-survey response rates. A test of their model using data from industrial mail-survey studies revealed a low level of predictive ability. A new model, based upon a linear logit specification and data from industrial populations, was developed and validated using a hold-out sample. The results suggested that the model based upon the new specification was superior to the simple linear alternative. The model identified a number of variables which were associated with response rates from industrial populations, and allows researchers to test and refine alternative survey designs.

[1]  Thomas A. Heberlein,et al.  The Effectiveness of the Heberlein-Baumgartner Models for Predicting Response Rates to Mailed Questionnaires: European and U.S. Examples , 1981 .

[2]  Richard W. Hill,et al.  Using S-Shaped Curves to Predict Response Rates , 1981 .

[3]  Tsoung-Chao Lee,et al.  The Theory and Practice of Econometrics , 1981 .

[4]  Philippe A. Naert,et al.  Logically Consistent Market Share Models , 1973 .

[5]  D. McFadden.  Quantal Choice Analysis: A Survey , 1976 .

[6]  William G. Cochran,et al.  Sampling Techniques, 3rd Edition , 1963 .

[7]  David Jobber,et al.  Improving response rates in industrial mail surveys , 1986 .

[8]  Klaus Eichner,et al.  Predicting Reponse Rates to Mailed Questionnaires , 1981 .

[9]  Harris Cooper,et al.  A Quantitative Review of Research Design Effects on Response Rates to Questionnaires , 1983 .

[10]  Paul E. Green,et al.  On the Analysis of Qualitative Data in Marketing Research , 1977 .

[11]  Naresh K. Malhotra,et al.  The Use of Linear Logit Models in Marketing Research , 1984 .

[12]  W. Kephart,et al.  Increasing the Responses to Mail Questionnaires: A Research Study , 1958 .

[13]  H. Scheffé,et al.  The Analysis of Variance , 1960 .

[14]  John S. Oakland,et al.  The impact of telephone notification strategies on response to an industrial mail survey , 1985 .

[15]  J. Goyder,et al.  Further Evidence on Factors Affecting Response Rates to Mailed Questionnaires , 1982 .

[16]  Albert C. Bemmaor.  Testing Alternative Econometric Models on the Existence of Advertising Threshold Effect , 1984 .

[17]  T. Heberlein,et al.  Factors affecting response rates to mailed questionnaires: A quantitative analysis of the published literature. , 1978 .

[18]  Stephen J. Carroll,et al.  Rate of Return for Closed versus Open-Ended Questions in a Mail Questionnaire Survey of Industrial Organizations , 1971 .

[19]  Stephen J. Huxley,et al.  Predicting Response Speed in Mail Surveys , 1980 .

[20]  Irene Hess,et al.  A “Replacement” Procedure for Reducing the Bias of Nonresponse , 1959 .

[21]  Donald E. Stem,et al.  Effects of signed versus unsigned internally administered questionnaires for managers , 1978 .

[22]  A. Parasuraman.  More on the Prediction of Mail Survey Response Rates , 1982 .