A modified version of Dillman’s (2000) total design method was used to increase the
response rate. A thousand surveys (including a cover letter and postage-paid return
envelopes) were mailed to the respondents in two waves, followed by reminder
postcards. Of these surveys, 48 were returned due to address discrepancies and 232
completed surveys were returned. However, 11 of these returned surveys were
discarded due to incomplete information, resulting in an effective response rate of 23.2
percent (221/952). The final sample comprised of purchasing executives and included
35 presidents/vice presidents (16 percent), 138 directors (62 percent), 33 purchasing
managers (15 percent), and 15 others (7 percent). The respondents worked primarily for
medium to large firms with nearly 36 percent working for firms employing more than
1,000 employees. Nearly 60 percent of the firms had a gross income of greater than
$100 million. The respondents were also distributed evenly among the six SIC codes
selected.