Design

Using a stratified random sampling technique to evenly select respondents from the three segments of manufacturing, professional services, and consumer packaged goods will be verified with a t-test to ensure statistical reliability as well. The design of the study will be two-phased with secondary research completed of the existing series of studies and body of research on the impact of cloud computing on the financial performance of small businesses. This first phase of study will also serve as the foundation for the second phase of analysis, which is questionnaire design. The questionnaire will be comprised of questions on the levels of investment in cloud applications, the resulting savings attained, and the planned savings as a result of the investment.

Population

The population of users are small...

The CEO will be the point of contact for the survey as this person often makes the decisions of which technology to invest in. The population of companies will be entirely U.S.-based and will also include contact with direct mail first and e-mail second as follow-up to get a higher response rate.
Geographical Location

The entire sample will be within the U.S. To ensure an accurate comparison can be made.

References

DeFelice, A., & Leon, J. (2010). Cloud Computing. Journal of Accountancy, 210(4), 50-55,12.

Truong, D. (2010). How Cloud Computing Enhances Competitive Advantages: A Research Model for Small Businesses. The Business Review, Cambridge, 15(1), 59-65.