Question: Name the type of experiment described in each of the following situations. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each design.

a) A major automobile manufacturer is considering a drug-testing program for its assembly workers. It selects a Shah Alam plant, implements the program, and measures the impact on productivity.

b) The data-processing division of a credit card company conducts an experiment to determine if a flexible work time program (employees choosing their own work hours between 6 AM and 7 PM) is better than the traditional working hours (9 AM to 5 PM). Each employee in the Kuala Lumpur office is asked if he or she would like to be in the experimental group or in the control group. All employees in the Penang office remain on the traditional schedule.

c) A cigar manufacturer puts the same brand of cigar into two differently labeled packages (wrappers). Each subject in two different groups is given a cigar in a labeled package and asked about the cigar’s taste. Subjects in a third group are given unlabeled cigars and asked the same question.

d) An advertising agency pretests a television commercial by showing an actual television program with the test commercial inserted along with other commercials to members of a focus group. Following the show there is a group discussion.

e) A manufacturer of a new brand of cat food tests product sampling with a trial-size package versus free sampling and three price levels simultaneously to determine the best market penetration.