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When survey results are vague and difficult to determine what employees are saying, which is the best way to validate the data?

A. Re-administer the entire survey; people will understand.
B. Find out how individual employees answered the survey.
C. Conduct focus group sessions to gain further insights.
D. Throw away the survey; anything vague is worthless.

User Chien
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Final answer:

To validate vague survey results, the best approach is to conduct focus group sessions for deeper insights. Improvements for future surveys include creating clear and unbiased questions, ensuring respondent anonymity, and asking straightforward questions.

Step-by-step explanation:

When survey results are vague and it's challenging to interpret what employees are conveying, the best way to validate the data is to conduct focus group sessions to gain further insights (Option C). Focus groups can provide a more in-depth understanding of the responses by allowing a moderated discussion where employees can clarify their opinions and the reasons behind their answers. This qualitative approach can reveal the subtleties and nuances that a survey might not capture.

Three potential issues with how the survey might have been conducted are: 1) The survey questions could have been unclear or biased, leading to vague responses. 2) Respondents might not have felt comfortable providing honest answers, possibly due to a lack of anonymity. 3) The survey may have included questions that were too complex or required information beyond the respondents' knowledge or willingness to disclose. To improve the survey, if repeated, one should: 1) Ensure questions are clear, concise, and unbiased. 2) Guarantee anonymity to increase the likelihood of honest responses. 3) Include questions that are straightforward and easy to answer, focusing on 'what' and 'who' instead of 'why', to reduce the cognitive burden on respondents.

User Grocery
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