A researcher has the task of estimating how many units of a revolutionary new high-speed office copier machine (it does not requ
ire ink cartridges and is guaranteed not to jam) will be purchased by business firms in Cleveland, Ohio for the upcoming annual sales forecast. Her plan is to ask the likelihood that they will purchase the new device, and for those who are "very likely" to purchase, she wants respondents to estimate how many machines their company will buy. She has data to divide the companies into small, medium, and large firms based on number of employees at the Cleveland office. What sampling plan should be used?
A sampling plan can be viewed as a strategy involving intelligent steps that allow a researcher to select a sample from the general population to assess answers to the current questions. In this situation, a company has developed innovative photocopy machines, and the research task is to estimate the demand for these machines from businesses in Cleveland. The sampling method that could be utilized involves probability sampling techniques, specifically Simple Random Sampling and Systematic Sampling. The defined sample frame comprises the organizations in Cleveland, which should be categorized into small, medium, and large based on their employee numbers. The researcher must evaluate each organization, collecting data through simple random sampling where every organization is assessed. Using systematic sampling, business in Cleveland can be listed for analysis with an arbitrary selection for examination. Given that every organization needs to be evaluated and categorized, a structured approach using Simple Random Sampling and Systematic Sampling is required.
