1.5 Chapter activity: How does your organization use surveys?

This activity includes Part A and Part B.

A. Reflect on how your current or previous organization has used surveys. Summarize your insights by answering the following questions:

1. What was the purpose of the survey? Briefly describe the main goal. If a copy of the survey questionnaire is available, please share it in class.
2. Was the survey conducted with a population or a sample? If a sample was used, identify the sampling method used (if you are aware of it).
3. How was the survey administered?
   a. face-to-face
   b. via telephone
   c. by mail
   d. online
4. Was the chosen type of survey administration (your response to Q3 above) appropriate based on the survey’s purpose (your response to Q1 above)?
5. Were the expected advantages of that survey administration type (as shown in Table 1 in Section 1.1) achieved?
6. What could have been done differently to make the survey more effective? Discuss this from the organization’s point of view, the respondents’ perspective, or both.

B. Now, plan a new survey for your organization or a hypothetical one. Respond to the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of the survey? Briefly describe the main goal.
2. Will you survey a population or a sample, and why? Explain your decision. If using a sample, specify which sampling method will be used, and why.
3. How will you administer the survey? Select one method and explain your choice:
   a. face-to-face
   b. via telephone
   c. by mail
   d. online
4. Why are you using a survey instead of another data collection method? Discuss the advantages of using a survey in this case. Also, identify any potential challenges or limitations you should watch out for during the process.