Final answer:
A manager purchasing a research report on the hiring practices of Fortune 500 companies is an example of gathering external secondary data. Other options are examples of primary data collection methods.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of the question, the correct answer is:e) A manager purchases a research report on the hiring practices of Fortune 500 companies.This is an example of gathering external secondary data, as it involves obtaining data that has been collected by someone outside of the organization and is being used for a purpose other than the one it was originally intended for. Secondary data analysis can be very beneficial, not only saving time and money but also potentially adding depth to a study through the interpretation of existing data. For comparison, the other options provided (a, b, c, and d) would be considered primary data collection methods as they involve gathering new information directly for the specific purpose of the study in question.