Every year millions of man days are lost because of people striking. A man day is one workday for one person. In other words, if 20 people strike for one day, 20 man days are lost. If 20 people strike for 2 days, 40 man days are lost. Look at this table of man days lost because of strikes:

Question

You want to collect data on how many people get sick from flu each year at your workplace or at a workplace.

Which is the best way to gather this data:



Speaking to everyone face-to-face

Direct observation
Survey

Answer 1

The best way to gather data on how many people get sick from flu each year at a workplace would be to use a survey.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. Anonymity and Honesty: Surveys can be made anonymous, which may encourage more honest reporting of flu-related illnesses compared to face-to-face conversations or direct observations.

2. Widespread Reach: A survey can be distributed to a large number of employees at once, making it easier to collect data from a diverse group and ensuring a higher response rate.

3. Standardization: Surveys provide a standardized set of questions, which helps in obtaining consistent data that can be easily analyzed.

4. Time Efficiency: Surveys can be completed quickly, allowing for efficient data collection without requiring as much time commitment from individuals as face-to-face interviews.

5. Flexibility in Response: Surveys can include various question types (e.g., multiple choice, open-ended) to gather a range of information regarding flu incidents.

While face-to-face interviews might yield detailed qualitative responses, they are more time-consuming and may bias responses. Direct observation is not practical for measuring an individual’s illness. Therefore, surveys are the most effective method for this data collection.