On the 1st of January 2008, the latest anti-smoking law was introduced in eight German states – and Berlin was one of them. Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg and Hessen have introduced this law already in 2007 whereas the remaining five states will follow over this year. By restricting indoor smoking in public buildings, workplaces and in all restaurants and bars, the German government aims not only to protect non-smokers against the harmful effects of passive smoking but also to help smokers to give up. But from the economic point of view, especially the German restaurant industry complains that many businesses now witness lower profits and especially restaurants that are not in a position to have a separate smokers section are particularly hard hit. As a result, the latest smoking ban is still a heavily discussed topic, not only among German smokers but also among the whole German population.
To get an impression whether this smoking ban really affects the restaurant behaviour, the authors of this assignment conducted a telephone survey among Berlin citizens. And the results are someway surprising. Chapter two clarifies the theoretical framework of developing and conducting telephone surveys by stating guidelines that have to be followed, describing the telephone survey process and mentioning general advantages and disadvantages of this primary research method. The main part of this assignment – chapter three – spotlights the whole research process on the basis of a practical example. Here, the telephone survey about the impact of the German anti-smoking law on the restaurant behaviour of the Berlin people is developed, conducted and evaluated. Finally, based on the own experiences of the authors, chapter four includes some errors that may occur within a telephone survey and adds experiences the researchers have made with the telephone survey method.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theoretical Framework
2.1 Telephone Survey as Part of the Primary Research
2.2 Characteristics of Telephone Interviews
2.3 Design Phase of Telephone Interviews
2.4 Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI)
3 Case Study “Telephone Survey”: Research Process
3.1 Problem Definition
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Sampling
3.4 Gathering the Data
3.5 Analysing the Data
3.6 Conclusion
4 Résumé
4.1 Sources of Errors
4.2 The Authors’ Survey Experiences
Objectives and Research Focus
This assignment aims to investigate whether the implementation of the German anti-smoking law has significantly impacted the restaurant-going behaviour of citizens in Berlin, providing empirical data to assist the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) in their advocacy efforts.
- Analysis of theoretical guidelines for conducting professional telephone surveys.
- Practical application of random area sampling to survey Berlin residents.
- Evaluation of smoking habits and changes in restaurant visit frequency.
- Investigation of public opinion regarding a constitutional complaint against the smoking ban.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Research Design
In accordance to the underlying task of this assignment – development of a telephone questionnaire and execution of 12 to 16 telephone interviews – the telephone survey as research method is the basis research design. Thus, each respondent should be interviewed by telephone. Especially with regard to the very short time frame, the telephone survey seems to be a very suitable research method as the respondents could be contacted very fast and easy and the responses could be generated really immediately.
This telephone survey is an ad hoc survey as it is was not planned for repetition, this means each respondent is surveyed about the specific topic only one time and not several times within a fixed timeframe. With regard to the survey objective – to find out whether the latest German anti-smoking law affects the restaurant behaviour of the Berlin people – the survey deals with only one topic.
Concerning the length of the telephone interview, the overall objective was to realise an interview within a maximum of five minutes to receive a high response rate as there is a general dependence between length of the interview and responses gained. Thus, the number of questions should not exceed 15.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the introduction of the anti-smoking law in Germany, its controversial impact on the restaurant industry, and the purpose of the conducted telephone survey.
2 Theoretical Framework: This section details the methodology of telephone surveying, including types of interviews, advantages, disadvantages, and best practices for questionnaire design.
3 Case Study “Telephone Survey”: Research Process: This chapter covers the entire practical research process, from defining the problem and designing the survey to sampling, data collection, and the analysis of findings.
4 Résumé: This concluding section reflects on the potential sources of error inherent in the study and shares the personal experiences and insights gained by the authors during the research.
Keywords
Telephone Survey, Anti-Smoking Law, Berlin, Restaurant Behaviour, Primary Research, CATI, Research Methodology, Sampling, Questionnaire Design, DEHOGA, Public Opinion, Market Research, Consumer Habits, Statistical Analysis, Data Collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines whether the recent German anti-smoking legislation has caused a measurable shift in the restaurant visitation patterns of Berlin residents.
What are the central themes explored?
Key themes include the impact of smoke-free public policies, economic challenges faced by one-room restaurants, and the efficacy of telephone surveys as a research tool.
What is the primary objective of this study?
The primary goal is to gather data to see if there is a demonstrated need for action, specifically in support of a constitutional complaint initiated by the DEHOGA against the strict smoking ban.
Which research methodology was employed?
The authors utilized an ad hoc telephone survey involving random area sampling across 12 Berlin districts to collect primary quantitative and qualitative data.
What topics are covered in the main section of the assignment?
The main section details the research process, including problem definition, the design of the survey, the sampling procedure, and the evaluation of the gathered data.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Telephone Survey, Anti-Smoking Law, Restaurant Behaviour, Berlin, and Market Research.
How did the researchers select participants?
The researchers used random area sampling, classifying the Berlin population by area codes and then randomly selecting phone numbers to ensure a representative distribution across all 12 districts.
What was the main limitation identified by the authors?
The primary limitation was the small sample size of 24 respondents, which restricts the transferability of the results to the entire population of Berlin.
What did the authors conclude regarding the smoking ban?
While Berliners generally approve of protecting non-smokers, the results indicate that the current law negatively affects restaurants, leading the authors to suggest that people support easing restrictions for one-room establishments.
- Quote paper
- Nadine Pahl (Author), Anne Richter (Author), 2008, Does the Latest German Anti-Smoking Law Affect the Restaurant Behaviour of the Berlin People?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/124549
