The AAPOR conference features cutting-edge educational sessions, in-depth short courses, informal access to leaders in the field, and an informative exhibit hall with representatives from key service and product providers.

Posters
-A Typology and Review of Web Evaluation Strategies. 
Presenters: Bryan Wiggins, Jennifer Romano Bergstrom, and Scott Turner

-Effects of Technical Difficulties on Item Nonresponse and Response Favorability in a Mixed-Mode Survey. 
Presenter: Jennifer Lee Gibson

-Putting the “Social” in Exploring the Social Media Frontier: Collaborating to Investigate Social Media’s Past, Present, and Future. 
Presenters: Jennifer Romano Bergstrom, Caitlin Krulikowski, Sarah Evans, Megan Fischer, Sean Marsh, and Shawn Bergman.

Papers
-Are You Sure You Didn’t See Our Ad? Factors Affecting Recall Inconsistencies in an Advertising Tracking Study. 
Presenters: Lindsey Brewer, Ashton Jacobe, and Scott Turner

-What Is That Thing? Knowledge and Usage of Quick Response Codes.
Presenters: Jonathan Mendelson, Matt Lackey, and Scott Turner

-Age Effects on Measurement Error and Data Quality in Surveys. 
Presenters: Jonathan Mendelson, Fahima Vakalia, Jennifer Romano Bergstrom, and Scott Turner

-Reaching Medical Professionals: A Review of the Methodology for a Mail Survey of Physicians and Residents. 
Presenters: Kinsey Gimbel and Fahima Vakalia

For more information, please visit the AAPOR Conference page at AAPOR 2012 Conference.

ABOUT FORS MARSH GROUP
Headquartered in Arlington, Va., Fors Marsh Group LLC is a certified small business dedicated to providing research support and strategy consulting for improved organizational decision making. Fors Marsh Group supports several government agencies including Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA), Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), General Services Administration (GSA), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For more information, please visit www.forsmarshgroup.com.

Contact: Megan Fischer at 630.222.4339 or mfischer@forsmarshgroup.com. 

# # #

Fors Marsh Group employees will present the following topics:

Were You Satisfied and Will You Come Again: The Role of Trust and Fairness.
- Presenters: Luke Viera, Brian Griepentrog, and Sarah Baker from Fors Marsh Group
- Thursday, April 26, at 10:30 a.m.

Integrating Social Identity and the Theory of Planned Behavior: Predicting Withdrawal from an Organizational Recruitment Process
- Presenters: Brian Griepentrog and Sean M. Marsh from Fors Marsh Group LLC, Crystal M. Harold from Temple University, Brian C. Holtz from Rutgers University, and Richard J. Klimoski from George Mason University
- Saturday, April 28, at 1:30 p.m.

In addition to these papers, employees will also present at a symposium entitled “Building a World-Class Career Development Program for Veterans Affairs,” chaired by Brian Griepentrog, director of research at Fors Marsh Group, and Timothy McGonigle, principal at SRA International. The symposium is on Saturday, April 28, at 8:30 a.m. and addresses the research, development, and evaluation activities involved in the execution of a multifaceted program for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The following topics will be explored:

- Data Foundation – Developing Job Profiles for the MyCareer@VA Portal
- Web-Based Career Mapping for Recruitment and Retention
- Matching Employees to VA Occupations Using O*NET Interests and Context 
- Data-Driven Organizational Decisions: The Role of Program Evaluation

The 2012 SIOP Conference will be held April 26 through 28 at San Diego’s Manchester Grand Hyatt. For additional conference information, please visit the SIOP website.

ABOUT FORS MARSH GROUP
Headquartered in Arlington, Va., Fors Marsh Group LLC is a certified small business dedicated to providing research support and strategy consulting for improved organizational decision making. Fors Marsh Group supports several government agencies including Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA), Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For more information, please visit www.forsmarshgroup.com.

For additional information, please contact Megan Fischer at 630.222.4339 or mfischer@forsmarshgroup.com. 

# # #

• Dr. Jennifer Romano Bergstrom has over 12 years of experience planning, conducting, and managing user-centered research projects.  At Fors Marsh Group, she will be responsible for leading user experience (UX) research.  She frequently conducts a variety of usability studies, including low-, medium-, and high-fidelity studies, as well as eye-tracking, card-sorting, and experimental studies. Prior to joining Fors Marsh Group, Jen’s work included examining age-related differences in Internet performance and improving the usability of Web sites and Web-based surveys for older adults.  She completed a postdoc at the U.S. Census Bureau where she conducted numerous usability studies, many of which included eye-tracking analyses.

• Dr. Jodie Royan is a senior research associate with a background in personnel selection, cognitive ability measurement, employee perceptions and engagement, and patient experience.  At Fors Marsh Group, she will work on the ongoing development and refinement of a career exploration tool for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  Prior to joining Fors Marsh Group, Jodie was a research analyst with Westat, where she collaborated with diverse teams for the development, refinement, and analysis of large-scale federal employee, military, and consumer health surveys.  She was also a defense scientist with the Canadian Department of National Defence, where she worked on the development and validation of selection tests and protocols for cognitively complex military occupations.

• Mr. Johnny Diep is a Senior IT Consultant who has 10+ years of experience in developing and integrating large-scale systems.  At Fors Marsh Group, he will lead application development efforts including enhancements of existing applications and the further development of our client reporting capability.  Johnny holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree in Information Systems from George Mason University. Prior to joining Fors Marsh Group, Johnny worked at EDS and Booz Allen Hamilton as a lead developer/architect on several high-profile projects including the DMDC RAPIDS system, the DISA Joint Enterprise Directory Service (JEDS), and the DISA National Senior Leadership Decision Support System(NSLDSS).

About Fors Marsh Group
Headquartered in Arlington, Va., Fors Marsh Group LLC is a certified small business dedicated to providing research support and strategy consulting for improved organizational decision making. Fors Marsh Group supports several government agencies including Joint Advertising, Market Research & Studies (JAMRS), Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA), Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For more information, please visit www.forsmarshgroup.com. 

In just over a month, employees came together to raise over $5,750 to help Operation Homefront provide emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors in the DC area.

“We are lucky to gather as a company each year to reflect on the past accomplishments and give back to the surrounding area,” said Jason Fors, Fors Marsh Group COO. “We are proud that our employees generously donated to benefit families who give up so much on a daily basis to protect our freedom. We hope to work closely with Operation Homefront throughout the year and annually as part of our 5k fundraising efforts. “

About Operation Homefront: 
Operation Homefront provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors.   The DC Metro Chapter, based in Sterling, Virginia, serves the entire Washington metropolitan community (DC, MD and VA) through family support services, financial assistance and transitional housing. The Chapter is the largest in the nation serving 17 military installations, 2 national military hospitals and numerous National Guard armories and Reserve Centers.

About Fors Marsh Group:
Headquartered in Arlington, Va., Fors Marsh Group LLC is a certified small business dedicated to providing research support and strategy consulting for improved organizational decision making. Fors Marsh Group supports several government agencies including Joint Advertising, Market Research & Studies (JAMRS), Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA), Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For more information, please visit www.forsmarshgroup.com.

###

For more information, please visit http://tinyurl.com/3phvhfy.

During the conference, Fors Marsh Group experts will participate in roundtable discussions in addition to presenting on the following subjects:

Exploring the Impact of Prepaid Cash Incentives on Multiple Indicators of Data Quality
Friday, May 13, at 8 a.m.

Presenters: Rebecca L. Medway and Roger Tourangeau from the University of Maryland, and Luciano Viera, Jr., Scott R. Turner, and Sean M. Marsh from Fors Marsh Group.

Abstract: As survey response rates continue to decline, incentives are increasingly used as a way to motivate sample members to respond. Using data from incentive experiments that were included in two recent surveys, this presentation will discuss the effect of prepaid cash incentives on these additional indicators of data quality.

Combining Prepaid and Promised Incentives: Impact on Survey Quality in a Mail Survey of Young Adults
Sunday, May 15, at 8:30 a.m.

Presenters: Luciano Viera, Jr., Scott R. Turner, and Sean M. Marsh from Fors Marsh Group.

Abstract: This paper presents the results of an experiment designed to test the impact of offering a promised monetary incentive in addition to an up-front $2 prepaid incentive on the survey quality of a national mail survey tracking the future career plans of young adults. Specific measures of survey quality included survey response rates vs. costs, respondent profiles, and key metrics.Implications for existing survey practice and directions for future research will be discussed.

The 2011 AAPOR Conference will be held May 12 through 15 at the Arizona Grand Resort. For additional conference information, please visit the AAPOR website.
 

At the three-day conference, Fors Marsh Group employees will present the following topics:

The Intersection of Consumer Behavior and I-O: Exploring Old Frontiers
Thursday, April 14, at 12 p.m.

Presenters: Brian Griepentrog (Chair) and Scott R. Turner from Fors Marsh Group, Donald Hantula of Temple University, and Christopher Rotolo from Behavioral Insights

Abstract: Consumer behavior is a rapidly growing field, but its presence at SIOP has waned over the past decade. This panel discussion will reintroduce consumer behavior to the uninitiated, explain how I-O psychologists’ KSAs are transferable, and highlight areas of our training that require refinement for reentry.

Cognitive Mapping as an Alternative to Studying Employer Image Beliefs
Saturday, April 16, at 9 a.m.

Presenters: Along with Crystal Harold from Temple University, Bryan Wiggins, Luciano Viera, and Sean Marsh will present from Fors Marsh Group.  

Abstract: This presentation will explore cognitive mapping as an alternative methodology for understanding how prospective applicants structure employer image beliefs. Cognitive maps from a sample of prospective applicants, new hires, and expert recruiters will be compared. Results will reveal meaningful differences in the way outsiders structure employer image information compared to organizational insiders.

The 2011 SIOP Conference will be held April 14 through 16 at the Hilton Chicago. For additional conference information, please visit the SIOP website. 

MOBIS is a contracting mechanism by which Fors Marsh Group’s professional services can be accessed quickly and economically. Similar to an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, MOBIS was created by GSA to enable streamlined procurement from prequalified contractors.

“This MOBIS contract marks another important milestone in the growth of our company,” said Dr. Sean Marsh, Fors Marsh Group partner. “We provide a full range of research services to our government and commercial clients, and this award is a logical extension of our activity. We look forward to better serving our existing Federal clients and welcome the opportunity to develop new relationships in the future.”

With the MOBIS award, Fors Marsh Group is positioned to provide survey research and consulting services to support a government agency’s business functions. The following types of services are included in the scope of this MOBIS award:

     > Survey planning, design, and development  
     > Pretest/pilot surveying
     > Assessing reliability and validity of data
     > Conducting/administering surveys
     > Analyses of quantitative and qualitative survey data
     > Production of reports related to the survey
     > Briefings of results to stakeholders

In addition to MOBIS, Fors Marsh Group also provides market research and analysis services under GSA’s Advertising & Integrated Marketing Solutions (AIMS), Schedule 541-4A, and reported the highest market research sales of all schedule holders in two of the past three years.

ABOUT FORS MARSH GROUP
Headquartered in Arlington, Va., Fors Marsh Group LLC is a certified small business dedicated to providing research support and strategy consulting for improved organizational decision making. Fors Marsh Group supports several government agencies including Joint Advertising, Market Research & Studies (JAMRS), Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA), Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For more information, please visit www.forsmarshgroup.com.

Under this contract, Fors Marsh Group will focus primarily on collecting, analyzing, and reporting measurements of customer satisfaction through surveys and focus groups. The contract scope also includes a broad range of related research and consulting services including methodological research, market testing, predictive modeling, goal-setting, and training.

 “We appreciate the importance of the IRS’ ongoing research program and are honored to have an opportunity to contribute to the understanding of taxpayer and partner service needs, preferences, and behaviors,” said Dr. Sean Marsh, President of Fors Marsh Group.

Under this contract, Fors Marsh Group will provide a broad range of market research services from development of strategic and tactical advertising strategy through the design and execution of a wide range of research efforts (surveys, experimental designs, quantitative and qualitative research, advertising evaluations, etc.).

Fors Marsh Group has partnered with JAMRS since 2002 to provide valuable resources to all branches of the Military and agencies of the Department of Defense (DoD). This contract continues the relationship aimed at broadening people’s understanding of military service as a career option and increasing the effectiveness of all Services’ recruiting and retention efforts.

For more information on JAMRS, please visit www.JAMRS.org.

Many organizations place great emphasis on establishing effective communication with their customers to gauge the quality of services, maximize customer satisfaction, and recover from service failures. The value placed on these service encounters has resulted in the rapid proliferation of call centers with representatives who regularly communicate with customers. These representatives are tasked with producing high-quality service interactions, which include being readily accessible, demonstrating knowledge and courtesy, and expressing their willingness to help, among many other performance dimensions. This level of performance is often difficult due to items beyond the representative's control (nature of the incoming calls and frequent negative affect, requests beyond their control, existing policies/laws, system limitations, etc.).

When faced with these great challenges, it is easy to understand why many representatives face an uphill battle in their service encounters. Therefore, organizations have sought ways to establish metrics that take these challenges into account and attempt to disentangle the performance of representatives from broader assessments of call center operations. In this presentation, Fors Marsh Group will examine the utility of assessing customer reactions to call center service encounters from an equity theory perspective. 

This session will highlight the significant role race continues to play in the American workplace. Specifically, three empirical studies will be presented examining the nature, prevalence, and impact of racial identity on perceptions of organizational attraction and perceived racial discrimination. Suggestions and ideas for overcoming these challenges and their implications for organizational recruitment and retention will be discussed.

For more information on SIOP, please visit www.siop.org.

Internet panels derived from probability-based sampling are attractive to researchers confronting the limitations of using more traditional modes, such as RDD telephone, to obtain nationally representative estimates (particularly of youth). However, panel conditioning and panel attrition are potential weaknesses that can compromise panel data quality. Fors Marsh Group examines panel conditioning effects in a cross-sectional advertising tracking study that involved the reuse of panelists in order to obtain the desired sample sizes.

Data analysis examines group differences in responses to questions on advertising awareness, brand imagery, and product endorsement. Data quality will also be examined by looking at non-differentiation, a form of survey satisficing, and constructing tests of concurrent validity. Fors Marsh Group’s conclusions offer new insights regarding the boundaries of panel conditioning and also provide practical recommendations to researchers who employ Internet panels for their own efforts.

For more information on AAPOR, please visit www.aapor.org.