This paper describes a method of sampling and interviewing small minorities of the total population in their homes with high cost effectiveness. It has been developed as a solution to the problem of representing the total U.K. universe of businessmen, defined as the 27% of all adults with significant managerial responsibility employed in organisations above a certain size. It is therefore suitable for all types of industrial and business study where the universe to be described is large, amounting to at least 17% of all adults, and is dominated by individuals of high social grade.
In this paper I want to discuss three methods of industrial sampling which can be used in some of the situations in which difficulties can arise. The conclusion I should like to draw from these examples of alternative sampling methods for industrial research is that the classical approach is not necessarily the only, or the best, way of solving a particular problem. In such cases it is very often possible to devise a different approach which overcome the need for a relevant sampling frame or whatever other component of the classical approach is not available.