Grounded on persuasive communications theory, the impact of source credibility and message variation on response behaviour towards a mail survey on a sample of the general public are examined. An experimental design comprising three levels (high, medium and low) of these variables is employed. Source credibility and the interaction of message variation (i.e. usefulness of the study) and source credibility have a significant impact on response rate. Overemphasising the usefulness of a study is found to be counterproductive. For sources that are arguably average or lower in credibility, a strongly worded message (in terms of usefulness) was less effective than more modest objectives.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AlbaumG.S., EvangelistaF., & MedinaN. (1998) Role response behavior theory in survey research: a cross-national study.Journal of Business Research, 42, 2, pp. 115–125.
2.
AldersonJ.W., & HayR.D. (1976) The effects of order of information in a questionnaire cover letter situation.Journal of Business Communications, 13, 2, pp. 11–15.
3.
ArmstrongS.J., & OvertonT.S. (1977) Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys.Journal of Marketing Research, 14, 3, pp. 396–402.
4.
AustinE., & DongQ. (1994) Source v content effects on judgement of news believability.Journalism Quarterly, 71, 4, pp. 973–983.
5.
BinerEM., & KiddH.J. (1994) The interactive effects of monetary incentive justification and questionnaire length on mail survey response rates.Psychology & Marketing, 11, 5, pp. 483–492.
6.
BosnjakM., TuternTC., & WittmannW.W. (2005) Unit (non)response in web-based access panel surveys: an extended planned-behaviour approach.Psychology & Marketing, 22, 6, pp. 489–505.
7.
BourqueL.B., & EielderE.P. (1995) How to Conduct Self-Administered and Mail Surveys.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
8.
BudaR., & ZhangY. (2000) Consumer product evaluation: the interactive effect of message framing, presentation order, and source credibility.Journal of Product & Brand Management, 9, 4, pp. 229–242.
9.
CavusgilS.T., & Elvey-KirkL.A. (1998) Mail survey response behaviour: a conceptualization of motivating factors and an empirical study.European Journal of Marketing, 32, 11/12, pp. 1165–1192.
10.
ChildersT.L., & SkinnerS.J. (1996) Toward a conceptualization of mail survey response behaviour.Psychology & Marketing, 13, 2, pp. 185–209.
11.
ChildersT.L., PrideWM., & FerrellO.C. (1980) A reassessment of the effects of appeal on response mail surveys.Journal of Marketing Research, 17, 3, pp. 365–370.
12.
ChurchillG.A.Jr (1979) A paradigm for developing better measures of marketing constructs.Journal of Marketing Research, 16, 1, pp. 64–73.
13.
CochranW.G. (1950) The comparison of percentages on matched samples.Biometrika, 37, pp. 256–266.
14.
DeFleurM.L., & Ball-RokeachS.J. (1989) Theories of Mass Communication (5th edn).New York: Longman.
15.
DelozierM. (1978) The Marketing Communication Process.New York: McGraw-Hill.
16.
DeVausD.A. (2002) Surveys in Social Research.London: Routledge.
17.
DeVellisE.F. (1991) Scale Development: Theory and Applications. Applied Social Research Methods Series - Volume 26. London: Sage Publications.
18.
DholakiaR.R., & SternthalB. (1977) High credible sources: persuasive facilitators or persuasive liabilities?Journal of Consumer Research, 3, 4, pp. 223–232.
19.
DillmanD.A. (1978) Main and Telephone Surveys: The Total Design Method.New York: John Wiley.
20.
DillmanD.A. (2000) Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method.New York: John Wiley & Sons.
21.
DillmanD.A., SmythJ.D., & ChristianL. (2009) Internet, Mail and Mixed-mode Surveys.Hoboken NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
22.
DoddD.K., & MarkwieseB.J. (1987) Survey response rate as a function of personalized signature on cover letter.Journal of Social Psychology, 127, 1, pp. 97–98.
23.
DommeyerC.J. (1987) The effects of negative cover letter appeals on mail survey response.Journal of the Market Research Society, 29, 4, pp. 445–451.
24.
EngelJ.F., BlackwellR.D., & MiniardP.W. (2000) Consumer Behavior (9th edn). Fort Worth: The Dryden Press.
25.
FrdoganB.Z. (1999) Celebrity endorsement: a literature review.Journal of Marketing Management, 15, 4, pp. 291–314.
26.
FrdosP.L. (1983) Professional Mail Surveys.Melbourne, FL: Robert F. Krieger Publishing Co.
27.
FvangelistaF., AlbaumG., & PoonP. (1999) An empirical test of alternative theories of survey response behaviour.Journal of the Market Research Society, 41, 2, pp. 227–244.
28.
FariaA.J., & DickinsonJ.R. (1992) Mail survey response, speed, and cost.Industrial Marketing Management, 21, 1, pp. 51–60.
29.
FariaA.J., & DickinsonJ.R. (1996) The effect of reassured anonymity and sponsor on mail.Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 11, 1, pp. 66–75.
30.
FillC. (2005) Marketing Communications: Engagement, Strategies and Practice.London: Prentice Hall.
31.
FishbeinM., AjzenI., & McArdleJ. (1980) Changing the behaviour of alcoholics: effects of persuasive communication. In: AjzenI., and FishbeinM. (eds) Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social behaviour.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
32.
FiskeJ. (1990) Introduction to Communication Studies.London: Routledge.
33.
FordG.T., SmithD.B., & SwasyJ.L. (1990) Consumer skepticism of advertising claims: testing hypotheses from economics of information.Journal of Consumer Research, 16, pp. 433–441.
34.
FurseD.H., & StewartD.W. (1984) Manipulating dissonance to improve mail survey response.Psychology & Marketing, 1, 2, pp. 79–94.
35.
FurstL.G., & BlitchingtonW.P. (1979) The use of a prescriptive cover letter and secretary pre-letter to increase response rate in a mailed survey.Personnel Psychology, 32, 1, pp. 155–159.
36.
GendallP. (2005) The effect of covering letter personalisation in mail surveys.International Journal of Market Research, 47, 4, pp. 367–382.
37.
GendallE., HoekJ., & EsslemontD. (1995) The effect of appeal, complexity and tone in a mail survey covering letter.Journal of the Market Research Society, 37, 3, pp. 251–268.
38.
GreerT.V., ChuchinprakarnN., & SeshadriS. (2000) Likelihood of participating in mail survey research.Industrial Marketing Management, 29, 2, pp. 97–109.
39.
GrewalD., GotliebJ., & MarmorsteinH. (1994) The moderating effects of message framing and source credibility on the price-perceived risk.Journal of Consumer Research, 21, 1, pp. 145–153.
40.
HarveyL. (1987) Factors affecting response rated to mailed questionnaires: a comprehensive literature review.Journal of the Market Research Society, 29, 3, pp. 341–351.
41.
HelgesonJ.G., VossK.E., & TerpeningWD. (2002) Determinants of mail-survey response: survey design factors and respondent factors.Psychology & Marketing, 19, 3, pp. 303–328.
42.
HoustonM.J., & NevinJ.R. (1977) The effects of source and appeal on mail survey response patterns.Journal of Marketing, 14, 3, pp. 374–378.
43.
HsuT.S., & FeldtL.S. (1969) The effect of limitations on the number of criterion scores on the significance level of the F-test.American Educational Research Journal, 6, pp. 515–527.
44.
JonesWH., & LindaG. (1978) Multiple criteria effects in a mail survey experiment.Journal of Marketing Research, 15, 2, pp. 280–284.
45.
KanukL., & BerensonC. (1975) Mail surveys and response rates.Journal of Marketing Research, 12, 4, pp. 440–451.
46.
LinskyA.S. (1975) Stimulating responses to mail questionnaires: a review.Public Opinion Quarterly, 39, 1, pp. 82–101.
47.
ManfredaK.L., BosnjakM., BerzelakJ., HaasI., & VehovarV. (2006) Web surveys versus other survey modes: a meta-analysis comparing response rates.International Journal of Market Research, 50, 1, pp. 79–104.
48.
McKillipJ., and LockhartD.C. (1984) The effectiveness of cover-letter appeals.Journal of Social Psychology, 111, 1, pp. 85–91.
49.
MertenK. (1977) Kommunikation: Eine Begriffs - und Prozessanalyse.Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlang.
50.
OhanianR. (1990) Construction and validation of a scale to measure celebrity endorsers' perceived expertise, trustworthiness and attractiveness.Journal of Advertising, 19, 3, pp. 39–52.
51.
OhanianR. (1991) The impact of celebrity spokesperson's perceived image on consumers' intention to purchase.Journal of Advertising Research, 31, 1, pp. 46–53.
52.
O'SullivanT., HartleyJ., SaundersD., MontgomeryM., & FiskeJ. (1994) Key Concepts in Communication and Cultural Studies.New York: Routledge.
53.
ReinhardM.-A., MessnerM., & Ludwig SporerS. (2006) Explicit persuasive intent and its impact on success at persuasion - the determining roles of attractiveness and likeableness.Journal of Consumer Psychology, 16, 3, pp. 249–259.
54.
RifonN.J., ChoiS.M., TrimbleC.S., & HairongL. (2004) Congruence effects in sponsorship: the mediating role of sponsor credibility and consumer attributions of sponsor motive.Journal of Advertising, 33, 1, pp. 29–42.
55.
SchneiderK.C., & JohnsonJ.C. (1995) Stimulating response to market surveys of business professionals.Industrial Marketing Management, 14, 4, pp. 265–276.
56.
ScottC. (1961) Research on mail questionnaires.Journal of the Royal Statistical Association, 124, pp. 143–192.
57.
SigbandN.B. (1953) The cover letter.Journal of Marketing, 17, 4, pp. 424–428.
58.
SilveraD.H., & BenedikteA. (2004) Factors predicting the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement advertising.European Journal of Marketing, 38, 11/12, pp. 1509–1526.
59.
SpectorP.F. (1992) Summated Rating Scale Construction: An Introduction. Series on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences - No.07-082. London: Sage Publications.
60.
SternthalB., PhillipsL.W., & DholakiaR. (1978) The persuasive effect of source credibility: a situational analysis.Public Opinion Quarterly, 41, 3, pp. 285–314.
61.
TrimbleC.S., & RifonN.J. (2006) Consumer perceptions of compatibility in cause-related marketing messages.International Journal of Nonprofit Voluntary Sector, 11, 1, pp. 29–47.
62.
WilsonE., & SherrellD. (1993) Source effects in communication and persuasion research: a meta-analysis of effect she.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 21, 2, pp. 101–112.
63.
YalchR., & Elmore-YalchR. (1984) The effects of numbers on the route to persuasion.Journal of Consumer Research, 11, pp. 522–527.
64.
YammarinoF.J., SkinnerS.J., & ChildersT.L. (1991) Understanding mail survey response behaviour: a meta-analysis.Public Opinion Quarterly, 55, 4, pp. 613–639.
65.
YuJ., & CooperH. (1983) A quantitative review of research design effects on response rates to questionnaires.Journal of Marketing Research, 20, 20, pp. 36–44.
