Introduction
The marketing department within WidgeCorp’s Company W wants to recognize the patterns regarding clients who call their phone bank with inquiries or issues regarding their snack food products. In order to this they have requested a meeting with me to set up three quantitative questions that could be used to keep track of consumers regarding their behavior in respect to the snack food category. Also, they want to determine if the quantitative questions chosen are continuous or discrete. With that being said, this discussion will make a recommendation on three quantitative questions that could be used to keep track of consumers regarding their behavior towards snack food items that they purchase, and out of the three chosen question an indication will be made as to whether they are continuous or discrete.
Quantitative Data
Quantitative data is information that is calculated or acknowledged on a mathematical scale. It can be evaluated using statistical techniques, and the results of the evaluation can be represented in histograms, graphs, charts, and table. For example, a researcher performing research on consumers who buy snack foods might ask how often they buy a particular snack food or how many they buy of that particular snack food. The answers from consumers would then be numerically examined by the researcher (Cherry, 2011).
Continuous and Discrete Data
There are two types of quantitative variables that researcher utilize when performing statistical research, they are continuous and discrete. Continuous variables can take on an unlimited number of values, such as the data related to a snack food sales amount (Any number), and the speed at which the snack food was sold (Any number). Discrete variables, on the other hand, describe values that are limited, such as the numbers 1-6 on a dice roll, or the number of rainy days in a year (1-365) (CTU Online, 2011).
Question List
v How many times do they purchase a particular snack food per year? (1-365) (Discrete) v How much do they pay out per year on a particular snack food? (1-365) (Discrete) v How much do they pay out in a year on snack food? (Any number) (Continuous)
Conclusion
A researcher who utilizes the quantitative method for examining data will measure the results numerically on a scale. Although continuous and discrete are both quantitative data, a continuous variable can assume several values, while a discrete variable can only assume certain values (“Discrete and Continuous,” n.d.). The three questions suggested to Company W’s phone bank will permit the company to keep track of consumers regarding the snack foods they purchase. Also, the patterns in which consumers buy snack food will be made known to the company so that the business can move forward with their products.
References
Cherry, K. (2011). What is quantitative data? Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/qindex/g/quant_data.htm
CTU Online. (2011). Applied Managerial Decision Making. Phase 1 course material [text]. Retrieved from https://campus.ctuonline.edu/pages/MainFrame.aspx?ContentFrame=/Home/Pages/Default.aspx
Discrete and continuous variables. (n.d.). Retrieved rom http://genie.sis.pitt.edu/GeNIeHelp/Decision-theoretic_Modeling/Discrete.htm