Validating the Research Study

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To increase the reliability and validity of this research study, a pilot test was conducted with the purpose of finding possible mistakes or confusions in the instrument. As Wilson (2006) explains, a pilot study refers to developing the questionnaires with a small sample of the population and under the same circumstances as the real data collection process.

The pilot test for this research study was conducted among 20 students of London Metropolitan University, specifically located at Holloway road campus. Respondents after completing the questionnaire were asked if they felt confused or unsure about a particular question. The overall response was that they understood the questions and the topic. However, one or two participants stated that they were not familiar with the Corporate Social Responsibility concept. In addition, some respondents could not see the difference between “food brand” and “food retailer” and thought that it was the same questions. For this reason the wording of some questions was changed in order to make it clearer. One recurrent problem with the questionnaire was the last two questions, which are open-ended. Question 17, which refers to the level of understanding of CSR, was left blank by many respondents. The rest of the answers had at least two words or more describing CSR. As a way to increase the rate of possible responses, the wording of this question was partially changed. This was done to let students know that just a general idea of the topic was desired and not a long explanation. The last question of the questionnaire was not understood by a good percentage of the sample population. In this section students were asked about three brands with good CSR, however some respondents placed ch...

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Synoptical Overview

This chapter outlined the research methodology developed for the research study. The subject paradigm selected was a positivism approach because it allows determining the widespread attitude towards Corporate Social Responsibility and purchase intention among the student population. By selecting a quantitative approach the results can also be generalized to the relevant population.

A pilot test was conducted among 20 students to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. After the test, changes were made to instrument in order to start the data collection process. The sample size established for the research study was 300 students of London Metropolitan University, selected through a non probability convenience sample. The data collected was then analyzed with a statistical computer program called SPSS 17.

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