Limits and Merits of Small sample surveys

Limits and Merits of Small sample surveys Introduction When conducting research, researchers normally use different methods of accumulating the data required for analysis. One of the commonly used methods of data collection is survey. Survey generally entails the process of gathering quantitative information concerning the particulars of a population.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Limits and Merits of Small sample surveys specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most instances, the population is normally too large to have a survey conducted on the total items in the population (Stat Pac, 2011, p.1). Therefore, researchers normally opt using a sample survey to collect data and make inferences of the whole population based on it. A sample survey is therefore the survey conducted on the selected items of the total population. Sample surveys are in fact the preferred method of data collection because they are reliable as well as time and cost saving. By choosing sa mple survey as the method to collect and analyze data on the cultural values of the organization, Superb Consultants have made the right choice. Through the sample survey, Superb Consultants will be able to interview part of the employee population to gather information on the cultural values of the organization. However, their proposal of having the size of the sample size small is bound to bring a lot of controversy. This is because small sample surveys have both advantages and limitations. Advantages of small sample survey Having the size of the sample survey small has the following benefits. For one, the time taken to conduct the survey will be reduced. In this, the survey will be completed in the shortest time possible thus allowing time for analysis. Secondly, the cost of the research will be minimized (Math zone, 2011, p.1). The process of conducting surveys is normally expensive due to the materials required such as stationary and other data collection materials depending on the type of survey. In addition, a small sample survey will require less enumerators as well as a smaller team of supervisors thus cutting down on the cost. Limits of a small sample survey Despite the fact that the sample survey is representative of the total population, the total number of items surveyed should not be too small. This is because a small sample survey will have limitations especially when it comes to making inferences of the total population. To begin with, a small sample survey will not be a full representation of the total population thus leading to bias (Cortes et al, n.d, p. 1). This is because some of the items may be overlooked when designing the sample size thus omitting some of important items from the data. If this happens, the inferences made based on the small sample survey will not be a complete representation of the total population thus giving wrong inferences. For instance, in the case of Superb Consultants, they may end up interviewing more of the ne w employees who may have very little knowledge on the cultural values of the organization.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are also possibilities of having the survey repeated if the size of sample survey is small. This comes about when some of the respondents are uncooperative hence leading to less data collected. When the sample survey is adequate, such instances are rare since the data collected despite of the uncooperative respondents will be sufficient to make inferences. Conclusion Given the discussion on the limits and merits of small sample surveys, it can be concluded that large or adequate sample surveys are preferred. This is because of the limits that come in hand with small size sample surveys, which lead to wrong inference thus analysis. Therefore, the proposal of Superb Consultants is not efficient, as it will most likely lead to wrong conclusi ons being made on the cultural values of the organization. Reference List Cortes, C. Mohri, M. Riley, M., and Rostamizadeh, A. (n.d). Sample Selection Bias Correction Theory. Web. Math zone. (2011). Sample Survey and Advantages of Sampling. Web. Stat Pac. (2011). Survey Sampling Methods. Web.