An In-Class Exercise Which Demonstrates Some of the Benefits and Problems Associated with Probability-Based Sampling in Marketing Research

Abstract

A sampling exercise is described which has proved effective for both undergraduate and graduate sections of marketing research. The goal of this sampling exercise is to give students experience in drawing various types of samples, including simple random, systematic, cluster, and snowball samples. In addition, this exercise enables students to appreciate, perhaps for the first time, some of the underlying theories and benefits of probability-based sampling methods.