ATLASResearch
methods
Quantitative + Mixed methods/ Research design

Survey research at scale

Measure organisations with consistent fieldwork

Survey research at scale studies many organisations using a common measurement and recruitment protocol. It may combine open interviewing with structured scoring, online questionnaires or linked performance records. Scaling increases demands on interviewer training, translations, contact strategies and quality control. The organisational unit, respondent's knowledge and non-response process matter as much as the nominal number of completed surveys.

WHEN IT FITS

Choose when comparable organisational measures are needed across sectors or countries and a defensible sampling frame and fieldwork infrastructure are available. Pilot measurement equivalence and respondent knowledge before expansion.

Strengths

  • Allows systematic cross-firm and cross-country comparison
  • Can connect organisational constructs to external outcomes

Limitations

  • Non-response may concentrate among particular firms
  • Single informants may not know the whole organisation

Know the boundary

Large response counts cannot compensate for biased coverage or weak measurement.

USED ACROSS
Business & MBABanking & finance