Effectiveness of Monetary Incentives and Other Stimuli Across Establishment Survey Populations ICES III 2007 Montreal, Quebec Canada 4.30.07 Danna Moore and Mike Ollinger.
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Effectiveness of Monetary Incentives and Other Stimuli Across Establishment Survey Populations ICES III 2007 Montreal, Quebec Canada 4.30.07 Danna Moore and Mike Ollinger Objective (1) Why is this study important? (2) Gaps in Establishment Survey Literature (3) Provide suggestions for implementing establishment surveys Establishment Respondents: What type of respondent are they? Large business or Org Respondent Multiple locations Gate keepers Record system Household Respondent e.g. small farmer, small business owner Can vary along the continuum Why is this important? Questionnaire variation Converting Mandatory reporting R’s Vary over time Risk/Difficulty -- cash incentives Population based sample sizes Experimental design Cost/Benefit Generalize Stimuli Tested • Cash Incentives • Cash plus special postage/package • Multiple modes • Mode sequencing • Mode preferences • Visual Design— color background vs. none • Answer boxes stand out Some Answers Towards the Big Question Do incentives help or hinder in obtaining survey responses from businesses? • Crosses types of establishments and industries. • Experiment based • Population based • Random assignment Understanding Why People Participate Several theories (Dillman, 1978; Gouldner, 1960; Biner and Kidd, 1994; Groves et al., 1999). • Social exchange Leverage Saliency Theory—Groves et al. (1999) Decision to participate is a series of interactive additive factors. Some are survey specific and others are person specific. Incentives are viewed as an inducement used to compensate for absence of some factors (i.e., saliency or sense of duty). Leverage Saliency Theory Of Survey Participation 1999 POQ vol 64 Features of Establishment Surveys That Often Lead to Survey Errors 1. 2. 3. One person selected to 4.Respondent’s characteristics in relation to the represent establishment influences establishment. their ability to respond. Burden increases as 5. intermediary between the questionnaire and the they answer as a characteristics of the record representative. system. There is a respondent 6. Organizational environment questionnaire 7. Extenuating survey situation interaction. Factors Influencing Response • Businesses differ across industries by size, structure, and organizational environment. • Each survey may have a situation or circumstance that impedes contact. • These differences and circumstances often influence how well a survey request can penetrate an establishment Gaps • Lack of monetary incentive studies: Few experimental treatments for definitive comparisons and outcomes. Few comparisons of cash versus “cash like” (e.g. checks, ATM cards) studies—could be especially important for government. No empirical demonstrations of effectiveness of incentives across types of industries and firm size. Few comparing effects of various size incentives. Not much on effectiveness of survey modes and mode sequencing Response attributable to survey mode sequencing. 2001 HMO Survey Physicians N=1474 80% 100% 80% ** 57% *** 63% 66% 64% 70% 43% 60% 40% 20% 0% Control T1: FC, FC T5 Priority $10,FC T2:Priority No, FC $10 1 T3: Priority $10, FC T6: Priority $10 2x T4; Fc, Priority $10 2004 Priority $10 2x 2003 USDA Nationwide Meat Manufacturers N=1,705 Response rates achieved by experimental treatment group 80% 70% 60% 50% 67% *** *** 70% 57% 56% 47% 44% 45% 40% 30% 23% 20% 10% 0% Pilot-Redm eat Mf. Pilot--Poultry Mf. Control: 2x FC No $ Full-- Redm eat Full Poultry Mf Mf Trt 2: 2x priority Trt 3: 2x Priority $5 2006 Snake River Grain Warehouse and Shipper Survey Response by Experimental Group (n=424 elevators) N.S. 80% 70% 72% 76% 63% 60% *** 64% 57% 58% 49% 50% N.S. 43% 40% 30% 20% 10% 10% 0% Grain companies Port Shippers Control Trt 1: 2X FC No $ Grain Elevators Chi SQ 6.7 P < .01 Trt 2: FC $5 , FC No $ Trt 3: 2x FC $5 2007 Evaluation of WA Plastic Pesticide Container Use/Recycling Control versus Treatment, N=1,986 Chi Sq. 15.86 ***P<.001 60% 50% 40% 52% 42% 35% Chi Sq. 33.5 ***P< .0001 22% 30% 20% 10% 0% Commercial Applicators/Dealers Licensed for Pesticides Control Trt1: No incentive, FC Licensed Producers Trt 2: $5 incentive, Priority 2006 Oregon Business Environmental Management Survey Type and Experimental Treatment Group Initial sample n=1964 60% 50% *** 51% 51% 46% 40% 42% ** 30% 19% *** 25% *** 47% 42% 40% ** 24% 23% 15% 20% 10% *** 52% 43% 41% 33% 28% ** 18% 8% 3% 0% Construction: n=394 Ctrl T1: FC 2x Manufacturing n=752 Transportation n=343 Trt 2: Priority No $ 2x Accomodation n=475 Trt 3: Priority $5, FC All Response Trt 4: Priority $5 2x 2006 Trade Adjustment Assistance Survey, All Qualifying Industries N=6,429 Exp. Incentive Treatment vs. Control ---Completion Rates 53% Percentage 60% 50% *** 34% 40% 30% 20% 10% Sig. Chi Sq. 51.07 P<.001 *** 0% 1 Control t1: FC 2x No Incentive Ttrt 2: FC $5 2x Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) 2006 Survey of Program Nationwide – Fisheries N=5,592 70% 60% *** 66% ** 58% 65% *** 62% 48% 41% 59% 54% ** 48% 50% 40% *** 54% 70% 45% 41% 35% 29% 31% Catfish WA AK TX LA AL FL GAMS NC SC Salmon Salmon Shrimp Shrimp Shrimp Shrimp Shrimp Shrimp Shrimp Shrimp 30% 20% 10% 0% Control T1: FC 2x Trt 2: $5, Priority 2x Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) 2006 Survey of Program Nationwide – Commodities N=837 NS 88% 100% 80% 73% NS NS 77% 74% 59% 76% 59% 62% 60% 40% 20% 0% Grapes CA Olives ID-Potatoes Blueberries Control T1: FC 2x Trt 2: $5, Priority 2x Lychees TAA Survey—Percentage of Completes Associated with Incentive Experimental Assignment and Survey Mode Telephone Completes Web Completes 1% 2% 13% 12% 3% Mail Completes 69% Mail--No incentive Mail--$5 priority Web -- No incentive, FC Web--$5 priority Tel.-No incentive, FC Tel-$5 priority Suggestions for implementing establishment surveys Effective Practice: • Contact respondents multiple times • Contact respondents in multiple modes. • Allow for survey mode preference. • Design surveys that reduce burden • short, conditional branching, ease • Use leverages Visual Design Effect – FARW Commercial Dealers N=1600 Background Shading w/ Visible Answer Boxes Does it make a difference? Is there an interaction effect w/ Incentives? *** 56% *** 60% 48% 50% 36% 34% 40% Bkg. Color No $5 Bkg. Color $5 30% No Bkg Color No $5 No Bkg Color $5 20% 10% 0% 1 Visual Design Test FARW Growers With Pesticide License *** *** 45% 44% ** 39% Bkg. Color No $5 40% 35% 30% *** Bkg. Color $5 24% 21% 25% 20% 15% 10% No Bkg Color No $5 5% No Bkg Color $5 0% 1 • All 3 survey modes generated completes • Exper. treatment (Cash incentive & priority mail) stimulated more responses in all 3 survey modes—large interaction effect. • Offering web as an alternative option garnered 15% • Telephone last 3% – still effective Influential Circumstances Saliency: Topic interest area of business emphasis for entity. High personal interest for respondent. High level of public or political concern Role of survey sponsor. Regulator or source of certification. Mandatory reporting. Source of program $$ or sponsorship Response Burden Complexity, length, multiple reports What was learned from experimental trials • Token cash incentives were effective across types of establishment and industry populations. • • • • • 2-day Priority mail was more effective than first class mail. • Establishment population characteristics and the selected respondent characteristics need to be considered jointly in explaining response. • The survey circumstances and situation impact establishment response. Priority mail alone just slightly better than First class Cash incentives combined with priority mail was synergistic. Mixed mode strategies are very helpful and work. Respondents may have mode preferences.