A researcher has observed that some firms in the furniture industry outsource activities such as transportation while others do not. She/he wants to study: 1) Why firms outsource/do not outsource and 2) whether outsourcing influences firms' performance. Suggest a study to enquire into these research questions.
The chief counsel for a large corporation comes to you for advice. She wants to know what makes a firm's appraisal system legally vulnerable. What would you tell her?
Design a Pilot Test. Following are descriptions of three situations in which a test has been developed. Read each situation and then design a pilot test. Answer the following questions about the pilot test:
Situation 1. The admissions office at your college has developed a test for incoming students. The purpose of the test is to identify students who may have difficulty in adapting to campus life at your college. The college accepts students of both traditional and nontraditional ages with varying cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. The 50-item test has a multiple choice format that can be scored using an electronic scan system. The admissions office plans to include the test in its application package and will ask prospective students to return the test with their applications.
a. Who will take the test?
b. What information will you gather, and how will you gather it?
c. What should the testing environment be like?
d. Who should administer the test?
e. Do you foresee any problems that need to be investigated during the pilot test?
Situation 2. Dr. Query has a local clinical practice for individuals who show signs of depression. She has noticed that some of her clients do better when they participate in group interventions, and others make more progress when she sees them individually. She has developed a 20-minute intake interview that can be conducted by a graduate assistant or caseworker in her office. The purpose of the interview is to identify the type of treatment (group or individual) that is likely to work best for each client.
a. Who will take the test?
b. What information will you gather, and how will you gather it?
c. What should the testing environment be like?
d. Who should administer the test?
e. Do you foresee any problems that need to be investigated during the pilot test?
Situation 3. AAAA Accounting prepares individual and corporate tax returns. The company has developed a test to measure knowledge of federal income tax law that it wants to use to hire tax preparers. The test has 400 items, 100 of which require calculations. The test will be administered in the company's offices when prospective employees apply to be tax preparers.
a. Who will take the test?
b. What information will you gather, and how will you gather it?
c. What should the testing environment be like?
d. Who should administer the test?
e. Do you foresee any problems that need to be investigated during the pilot test?