An investigation into the quality of information obtained from mail survey using personal cash rewards and contributions to charity as a way of increasing mail survey response:the case of Nairobi University students

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the quality of information obtained from mail survey using personal cash rewards and contribution to charity as a way of increasing mail survey response. The specific objectives were: 1) To determine if the use of personal cash rewards and contributions to charity incentive to mail survey can significantly increase the rate of mail survey among Nairobi residents. 2) To find out which method is more effective between personal cash reward and charity contributions as an incentive to the Nairobi residents in mail survey response. 3) To compare the quality of answers given between those respondents who are not offered anything and those that are offered charity and cash incentives. The population was the current. undergraduate students of the University of Nairobi. A sample was randomly selected from this population and questionnaires sent to them. The chi square (X2) test was used as the main tool to analyze the response rate. The quality of the answers was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that cash rewards are very effective in increasing the response rate. Contribution to charity did not increase the response rate significantly. The quality of answers was not effected by the incentives offered. The study recommends to the researcher using mail survey to use the cash incentive to increase the response rates. However, caution is given that the particular characteristics of the population must be analysed to determine whether to use cash or not. It is also important to carefully determine the amount of cash to offer. In an era of increasing consumer skepticism about research and reluctance to participate in survey research, these methods may prove superior to previously used methods of enhancing consumer response.