Fundamentals of Sample Design and Sampling Methods for 1. Industrial Market Research

Sample design refers to the method of determining the scope, quantity and characteristics of the research object, as well as selecting and organizing samples according to the research objectives and conditions. A sampling method is a method of selecting a portion of individuals from the population as a sample according to certain rules. The sample design and sampling method of industrial market research should follow the following basic principles:

Principle of representativeness: The sample should reflect the basic characteristics of the population, I .e. there is no significant difference between the sample data and the population data, or the difference is within an acceptable error range.

Operability principle: The sample design and sampling method should consider the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of practical operation, that is, the selection and investigation of samples can be completed under limited time, human, material and financial conditions.

Principle of adaptability: Sample design and sampling methods should be flexibly selected and adjusted according to different research objectives, contents, objects and environments to meet research needs.

The basic steps of sample design and sampling methods for 2. industrial market research.

Sample design and sampling methods for industrial market research generally include the following four basic steps:

Determine the overall: the overall refers to all individuals or units to which the subject of the study belongs, such as all enterprises that produce an industrial product or provide an industrial service, or all enterprises that purchase or use an industrial product or service. When determining the population, the definition, scope, quantity and characteristics of the population should be clarified, as well as whether the population is easy to obtain and identify.

Determine sample size: Sample size refers to the number of individuals or units selected as research subjects. When determining the sample size, factors such as overall capacity, overall distribution, error level, confidence level, response rate, and constraints such as budget and time should be considered. In general, the larger the sample size, the more representative the sample, but the higher the cost and difficulty. There are many formulas for calculating sample size, such as simple random sampling formula, stratified sampling formula, and group sampling formula.

Determining the sampling method: The sampling method is the method of selecting a sample from the population. Sampling methods are divided into two categories: probability sampling and non-probability sampling. Probability sampling refers to the method in which each overall individual or unit has a certain known probability of being selected into the sample, such as simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified sampling, group sampling, multi-stage sampling, etc. Non-probability sampling is a method in which the probability of each overall individual or unit being selected into the sample is uncertain or unequal, such as convenience sampling, judgment sampling, quota sampling, snowball sampling, etc. When determining the sampling method, the appropriate sampling method should be selected based on the characteristics, distribution and availability of the population, as well as the objectives, content and requirements of the study.

Executive sampling: Executive sampling is the process of selecting a sample from the population according to a defined sampling method. When performing sampling, the following points should be noted: (1) Establish or obtain an overall inventory, I .e. a list or database containing all individuals or units of the population. (2) Develop or obtain overall stratification criteria, I .e., divide the overall into a number of non-overlapping subsets according to a characteristic or variable. (3) to develop or obtain an overall cluster criterion, I .e. to divide the population into a number of relatively uniform groups according to a characteristic or variable. (4) Develop or obtain an overall random number table, I .e., a series of irregular numbers generated according to certain rules. (5) According to the established sampling method, the corresponding number and characteristics of individuals or units are selected as samples from the population using the overall list, stratification criteria, group criteria and random number tables.

Considerations 3. Sample Design and Sampling Methods for Industrial Market Research

The sample design and sampling method of industrial market research should pay attention to the following points in the implementation process:

Avoid bias: bias refers to the difference between the sample data and the population data due to various reasons. Bias can affect the validity and reliability of the study results. There are many sources of deviation, such as framework error (deviation caused by incomplete or inaccurate overall list), selection error (deviation caused by not following the principle of representativeness when selecting samples), non-response error (deviation caused by some respondents refusing or unable to participate in the survey), measurement error (deviation caused by unreasonable questionnaire design or irregular operation of investigators), etc. There are many ways to avoid bias, such as updating and verifying the overall list, using appropriate sampling methods, improving response rates, optimizing questionnaire design and training investigators.

Control error: Error is the fluctuation between the sample data and the population data due to random factors. Errors can affect the accuracy and stability of the results. Error can be quantified and evaluated by statistical methods, such as standard error, confidence interval, significance test, etc.

Practical Application of Sample Design and Sampling Methods for 4. Industrial Market Research

In order to better illustrate the practical application effect of sample design and sampling method of industrial market research, two specific cases of Shangpu consulting service customers are selected for simple analysis.

Case 1: Research on the market demand of an auto parts manufacturing enterprise

An auto parts manufacturer wants to understand the demand for its products in the Chinese market in order to develop a reasonable production and sales plan. The enterprise commissioned a market demand study by Champ Consulting. The following sample design and sampling methods were used by Champ Consulting:

Determine the total: the total is all automobile manufacturing enterprises in China that purchase or use the products of the enterprise, including passenger cars, commercial vehicles and new energy vehicles. According to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, as2022At the end of the year, China had a total of about2000Home.

Determine the sample size: according to the simple random sampling formula, set the error level.5%, the confidence level is95%, the response rate is80%, then the sample size isn=（1.96/0.05）2×0.25×2000/（1+（1.96/0.05）2×0.25×2000/2000）×0.8=246That is, the need to investigate246car manufacturing companies.

Determining the sampling method: Because the overall distribution is more uniform and the overall list is easy to obtain, a simple random sampling method is used, I .e. random selection from the overall.246car manufacturers as a sample.

Execution sampling: (1) Obtain a list of all automobile manufacturers in China from the official website of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, and arrange them in numbered order. (2) UseExcelThe software generates a series of random numbers in the range1-2000。（3) Before selecting from the random number table246random numbers, and find the corresponding number of automobile manufacturers as a sample. (4) Contact the sample enterprises, send the questionnaire, and collect effective responses.

Case 2: Research on the market competition of an industrial robot manufacturer

An industrial robot manufacturer wants to understand the situation of its main competitors in the Chinese market in order to formulate an effective competitive strategy. The enterprise commissioned Champu Consulting to conduct market competition research. The following sample design and sampling methods were used by Champ Consulting:

Determine the overall: the overall production or sales of industrial robots in China, including domestic and foreign brands of industrial robot manufacturers, agents and distributors. According to the statistics of China Robot Industry Alliance, as2022At the end of the year, China had a total of industrial robot-related enterprises.5000Home.

Determine the sample size: according to the stratified sampling formula, the error level is set.5%, the confidence level is95%, the response rate is80%, then the overall sample size isn=（1.96/0.05）2×0.25×5000/（1+（1.96/0.05）2×0.25×5000/5000）×0.8=369That is, the need to investigate369Industrial robot-related enterprises. According to the overall stratification criteria, I .e. the type of enterprise (manufacturer, agent and distributor), the sample capacity is allocated according to the proportion of each layer, and the sample capacity of each layer is obtained as follows: manufacturer:369×0.2=7, Agent:369×0.3=Dealer:369×0.5=18。

Determination of sampling method: stratified sampling is used because the overall distribution is more uneven and the overall inventory is more difficult to obtain.+The method of judging sampling is to divide the population into three layers according to the type of enterprise, and then select the corresponding number and characteristics of enterprises as samples according to professional judgment in each layer.

Execution sampling: (1) Obtain a partial list of Chinese industrial robot-related companies from the official website of the China Robot Industry Alliance and classify them by type of company. (2) According to professional judgment, select representative and influential enterprises from each layer as samples. For example, select industrial robot manufacturers of well-known brands at home and abroad in the manufacturer layer, and select industrial robot agents and distributors with wide coverage, high sales and good service quality in the agent and distributor layer. (3) Contact the sample enterprises, send the questionnaire, and collect effective responses.

Conclusion

The sample design and sampling method of industrial market research is an important part of industrial market research, which determines the validity and reliability of the research results. Sample design and sampling methods for industrial market research should follow the principles of representativeness, operability and adaptability, which generally include four basic steps: determining the population, determining the sample size, determining the sampling method and performing sampling. The sample design and sampling method of industrial market research should be carried out to avoid deviation and control error. Combined with the specific case of Shangpu consulting service customers, we can see the effect of sample design and sampling method of industrial market research in practical application.