Title

An Empirical Comparison Of Direct Questioning, Scenario, And Randomized Response Methods For Obtaining Sensitive Business Information

Keywords

Questionnaire Analysis; Sampling and Survey Methods; Statistical Techniques

Abstract

Certain business practices include legal but ethically questionable activities. Surveys intended to determine the nature and extent of such activities must employ questioning methods which mitigate the inherent threat of sensitive questions and account for social desirability effects. This study uses a national mail survey of chief executive officers (CEOs) of manufacturing firms to compare the performance of direct questioning, scenario, and randomized response methods for estimating the prevalence of several sensitive business practices. The direct questioning and scenario versions used self‐reporting (individual‐based) questions, as well as the CEO's perceptions of the extent to which others engage in questionable activities (other‐based). In general, the estimates of the prevalence of selected questionable activities were lowest when the individual‐based direct questioning was used and highest when other‐based (either direct questioning or scenario) methods were used. The individual‐ based scenario and randomized response estimates represented intermediate estimates. Suggested guidelines for using the three methods for eliciting sensitive information are discussed. 1991 Decision Sciences Institute

Publication Date

1-1-1991

Publication Title

Decision Sciences

Volume

22

Issue

5

Number of Pages

1073-1090

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5915.1991.tb01907.x

Socpus ID

84985771482 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84985771482

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