Business Surveys in South Africa: testing the ground
for Internet-based surveys keeping the impact on
response rates in mind
Pieter Laubscher
14 November 2005
Joint EC-OECD Workshop on International Development
of Business and Consumer Tendency Surveys
Presentation outline
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Introduction
The BER panel of respondents
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Sectors
Size groups
Regions
The special BER survey: background details
Question1: the current mode of response
Question2: the preferred mode of response
Question3: access to the Internet
Conclusions
Introduction
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The Internet medium & BTS / CTS
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The postal response mode: BER since the 1950s
Engaging the Internet medium: a special BER survey
(2005Q1):
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Obvious advantages: cost & efficiency
Constraints: user “resistance” & access
Improving response rates?
The current mode of response
The preferred mode of response
Access to the Internet
What conclusions can we draw regarding the future
development of Internet-based surveys at the BER?
The BER panel of respondents
Composition of the BER panel (2005Q1):
sectors
Manufacturing
Retail
Building & construction
Food
90
Retail: durable goods
150
Architects
128
Beverages
30
Retail: semi-durable goods
139
Building contractors (incl. sub)
435
Textiles
47
Retail: non-durable goods
229
Quantiry surveyors
180
Clothing
59
TOTAL:
518
Civil engineers
96
Footwear
13
Wood products
38
Motor trade
Furniture
45
New & used vehicles
179
Paper
52
TOTAL:
179
Printing & publishing
37
Leather products
8
Whole sale
Rubber
20
Wholesale: consumer goods
140
Chemicals
91
Wholesale: non-consumer goods
169
Non-metal minerals
91
TOTAL:
309
Basic metals
64
Metal products
81
Machinery
77
Electrical machinery
64
Transport
78
Plastics
72
TOTAL
1057
TOTAL:
GRAND TOTAL:
839
2902
Size & sectoral distribution of BER
respondents (2005Q1)
Sectors
Number
%
Manufacturing
383
38.1
Retail
198
Motor trade
Number
%
Small
414
46.0
19.7
Medium
318
35.3
79
7.9
Large
168
18.7
Wholesale
125
12.5
Building & construction
219
21.8
1004
100
TOTAL:
900
100
TOTAL:
Size groups
Regional distribution of BER respondents
(2005Q1)
Region
Number
%
Gauteng
352
35.1
Western Cape
230
22.9
KwaZulu-Natal
211
21.0
Eastern Cape
110
11.0
Free State
35
3.5
Other provinces
34
3.4
Northern Cape
32
3.2
1004
100
TOTAL:
The special survey: background details
Special questions included in the BER
survey (2005Q1)
Special survey on preferred response method
(Optional)
Reason for the special survey
The BER depends on you to complete and return the questionnaires in order to conduct the
business surveys. With this survey, we wish to find what response method you prefer.
Please tick the appropriate boxes.
1.
At present, how do you return the questionnaire to us?
⌂
Pre-paid envelope
⌂
Fax
⌂
E-Mail
2.
In future, how would you prefer to respond to the questionnaire?
⌂
Pre-paid envelope
⌂
Fax
⌂
Internet
3.
How do you connect to the internet at work?
⌂
No access to the internet at work
⌂
Via a dial-up service
⌂
Via a local area network (LAN)
4.
Any comments? ………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Question 1: How do BER participants
currently respond?
Current mode of response: sectors
TOTAL
92.1
Wholesale
90.1
Retail
98.4
Quantity surveyors
93.3
Motor trade
93.6
Manufacturing
88.6
Civil engineering
85.7
Building contractors
92.1
Architects
98.3
0%
20%
40%
Envelope
60%
Fax
80%
E-mail
100%
Current mode of response: size groups
TOTAL
91.7
large
89.9
medium
90.9
small
93.0
0%
20%
40%
Envelope
60%
Fax
E-mail
80%
100%
Current mode of response: regions
TOTAL
92.1
Other
100
Gteng
90.1
KZN
93.8
Fstate
85.7
Ncape
93.8
Ecape
96.4
Wcape
91.3
0%
20%
40%
Envelope
60%
Fax
E-mail
80%
100%
Question 2: What is the preferred mode of
response according to BER participants?
Preferred mode of response: sectors
TOTAL
61.5
27.9
Wholesale
62.0
26.4
Retail
74.0
Quantity surveyors
18.2
46.7
Motor trade
40.0
57.4
Manufacturing
31.9
52.8
35.5
Civil engineering
62.9
Building contractors
64.2
Architects
28.6
23.0
75.9
0%
20%
40%
Envelope
19.0
60%
Fax
80%
Internet
100%
Preferring Internet as mode of response:
sectors
Quantity surveyors
40.0
Manufacturing
35.5
Motor trade
31.9
Civil engineering
28.6
TOTAL
27.9
Wholesale
26.4
Building contractors
23.0
Architects
19.0
Retail
18.2
0
10
20
30
Internet
40
50
Preferred mode of response: size groups
TOTAL
61.1
large
58.3
medium
60.1
small
28.0
33.9
26.1
63.0
0%
20%
27.1
40%
Envelope
60%
Fax
80%
Internet
100%
Preferred mode of response: regions
TOTAL
61.5
Other
27.9
73.5
Gteng
26.5
58.0
KZN
30.4
64.0
Fstate
28.0
60.0
25.7
Ncape
71.9
Ecape
70.9
Wcape
15.6
23.6
57.0
0%
20%
28.3
40%
Envelope
60%
Fax
Internet
80%
100%
Question 3: BER participants’ access to the
Internet
BER participants’ access to the Internet:
sectors
TOTAL
16.5
Wholesale
17.4
Retail
Quantity surveyors
41.7
43.8
32.3
24.0
66.7
8.5
10.9
Civil engineering
17.1
Building contractors
53.2
34.3
48.1
48.6
18.2
5.2
0%
No response
24.4
31.9
Manufacturing
Architects
29.8
39.1
6.7
Motor trade
35.5
31.4
49.1
26.1
53.4
20%
40%
No access
34.5
60%
Dial-up
80%
LAN
100%
BER participants’ access to the Internet:
firm size groups
TOTAL
17.7
large
10.1
35.9
32.7
medium
17.9
small
20.5
0%
40.0
20%
No response
54.2
37.4
36.8
44.9
40%
27.8
60%
No access
80%
Dial-up
LAN
100%
BER participants’ access to the Internet:
firm size groups
TOTAL
40.0
large
35.9
32.7
medium
54.2
37.4
small
36.8
44.9
0
20
27.8
40
Dail-up
60
LAN
80
100
Conclusions
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Close to 30% of BER respondents prefer Internet mode (92% currently use postal
mode)
Necessary to develop Internet mode; however, there are pitfalls:
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Imperative to have a mixed survey mode
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Gradual transition from postal to Internet/ long process
Relatively small preference for the fax mode
A too aggressive move to the Internet risks damaging response rates
Consistent with international experience
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80% have Internet access, only 28% prefer this mode
Smaller firms face access constraints/ have lower preference for the Internet
Regional / sectoral disparities regarding Internet preference
Lower response rates with Internet mode compared to postal mode
Item non-response higher?
Small firms - lower Internet preference / weaker response rate
Different response behaviour: Internet vs. postal?
BER has to be careful regarding development of the Internet mode
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Response rates already low by international standards
Additional costs / administrative burden
Bureau for Economic Research
Economic information that works for
you
Website: www.ber.sun.ac.za
E-mail: pl@ber.sun.ac.za
Tel No: 021-887 2810