According to Bissonnette (2007), Likert scale was named after inventor, psychologist Resins Likert. It is a measuring scale or a tool used to determine the opinions, behaviors and perceptions of individuals’ or consumers. It’s an interview or set of questions used to know the agreements of respondents on variety of items, products and services.
Likert scales are usually used for market research. There are normally five possible choices used during the research which includes: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly agree (Bissonete, 2007). There are various tips used in likert scale key among them includes. Words make difficult for the respondents to give their feelings on the items, hence numbered or labeled scales are highly recommended, even scales are normally not allowed as it makes the respondents unable to put across the point views, hence the data becomes useless.
In terms of spacing the numbered scales should be evenly spaced and the respondents or consumers should be given a variety of choices to enhance the market surveys in addition to this unnecessary survey questions should be avoided to as to obtain an elaborate research. Data should be ready by numbering the responses choices for example Agreed is coded 1,Disagree is coded 2 meaning each choice is given to one research question and always remember to obtain the non-numeric concepts data and data whose exact difference is known. Display the likert analyzed data statically meaning the research uses central tendency such mean, mode or medium to fully describe the data, normally mode is usually suitable for interpretations. Distribution of observations in bar charts is may be deemed necessary.
Usually testing of the hypotheses depends on the nature of questions used during the study, the most commonly used technique is Kristal Wallis test which assists to evaluate the variance techniques further organization of data takes effect where combining of the respondents different choices takes place in this the most common used method is Chi Square technique.i.e agree/disagree, accept/reject.
ADVANTAGES OF LIKERT SCALES
One can easily make a wider market research to quite a number of respondents or consumers hence the cost of hiring a service provider such as Research companies is not incurred thereby giving the business greater returns on investments (Likert, 1932). Because the target groups or individuals are known collection of real time feedbacks is necessitated due to the openness of the choices. Moreover the speed is enhanced as with likert scales it faster and quick to collect feedbacks within a short period of time hence the business organization can make informed decisions on the products and services offered. Confidentiality is greatly enhanced since users or respondents are allowed invisibility, thus honest feedbacks regarding the products can be obtained since the communications are made private, other than that possibility of covering all choices is enhanced as the researcher can ask as many questions as possible.
Future adjustments can be made on the business products because through the questionnaires the researchers make predictions and create new market strategies in addition there is limited pressure as the respondents have a period of time to answer the questions mostly for online respondents. Provision of direct and reliable assessments of respondents’ behaviors can be easily determined through well-constructed scales.
DISADVANTAGES OF LIKERT SCALES
Some respondents normally lie in the questionnaire due to either biasness or attempt to keep privacy hence leading tom wrong conclusions, sometimes respondents may misunderstand the questions asked and give wrong feedbacks leading to skewed results, because in some cases someone might not be available to explain.
Questionnaires cannot fully determine the respondents’ emotions without cooperating face to face conversations that can assist to know the facial expressions, nevertheless some questions are difficult to answer due to their content nature hence making it difficult for the respondents to give proper feedbacks this in turn affects the survey. Skipping of questions is possible more so for online questionnaires, hence the need to make the questions brief and precise (Mogey, 1999). Occasionally, results are easily faked where individuals want to present a false impression of their attitudes thereby compromising on the surveys
Intervals between points on the scale do not present equal changes in attitude for all individuals for example the differences between strongly agree and agree and even internal consistency of the scale may be difficult to achieve therefore care must be taken to have uni dimensional items aimed at a single person, groups, event or method.
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