A field test was conducted to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of using small monetary and premium incentives to increase mail survey response rates in a business environment. The results of the research indicate that a small monetary incentive is significantly more effective in increasing response rates, and more cost effective than either the premium or no-incentive conditions.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArmstrongJ. ScottMonetary Incentives In Mail SurveysPublic Opinion Quarterly391975111–116Spring
2.
FurseDavid H.StewartD.W.Manipulating Dissonance to Improve Mail Survey ResponsePsychology and Marketing1198479–94Summer
3.
FurseDavid H.StewartD.W.Monetary Incentives versus Promised Contribution to Charity: New Evidence on Mail Survey ResponseJournal of Marketing Research191982375–380November
4.
HansenRobert A.A Self-Perception Interpretation of the Effect of Monetary and Nonmonetary Incentives on Mail Survey Respondent BehaviorJournal of Marketing Research17198077–83February
5.
HubbardRaymondLittleE.L.Promised Contributions to Charity and Mail Survey ResponsesPublic Opinion Quarterly521988223–230Summer
6.
HubbardRaymondLittleE.L.Cash Prizes and Mail Response Rates: A Threshold AnalysisJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science16198842–44Fall
7.
Hubbard, Raymond and Little, E. L. (1988). “Why Don't Promised Contributions to Charity Increase Mail Survey Returns? A Critical Review,” in Developments in Marketing Science, K.D. Bahn, Ed., 416–420.
8.
KanukL.BerensonC.Mail Surveys and Response Rates: A Literature ReviewJournal of Marketing Research121975440–453November
9.
LinskyA.S.Stimulating Responses to Mailed Questionnaires: A ReviewPublic Opinion Quarterly39197582–101Spring
10.
MacaulayJ.R.BerkowitzL.Altruism and Helping Behavior1970Academic PressNY
11.
MarascuiloLeonard M.Statistical Methods for Behavioral Science Research1971McGraw-HillNY
12.
PaolilloJ.G.P.LorenziP.Monetary Incentives and Mail Questionnaire Response RatesJournal of Advertising13198446–48
13.
SeipelC.M.Premiums—Forgotten by TheoryJournal of Marketing35197126–34April
14.
YuJulieCooperH.A Quantitative Review of Research Design Effects on Response Rates to QuestionnairesJournal of Marketing Research20198336–44February
