CBS Firm data: format and description of the record
Universe: Firms for which there is at least one completed individual survey. Worker coops
(FirmCoopType=”WORKER”) are excluded.
File Format: One record per firm, including all firm-level data in the CBS database except that which
could permit identification of individual firms.
Variables and Variable Naming: The variables come from two general sources: 1) UWCC staff
research, and 2) answers from the surveys of the firm’s CEO/GM and Board Chair. Most of the survey
questions that explore characteristics of the respondent’s firm were asked of both the CEO/GM and the
Board Chair, if both were surveyed. Some of those variables were recorded as attributes of the firm
rather than as separate survey answers for each respondent. In those cases, if there were in fact two
responses to a question the CEO/GM’s response took precedence.
Categorical Variable Values: Click on the “Values” internal hyperlinks below.
Missing Values: There is a certain incidence of the database NULL (nonexistent) value in all
variables. These will leave blank cells in a spreadsheet exported from the UWCC website. In numeric
and categorical variables the following negative integer codes have a consistent meaning:
-7=N/A
-8=Don’t Know
-9=Refused
FirmID
 Description: Unique arbitrary ID of the firm
 Format: integer
Interviewer ID
 Description: Unique ID number for the firm’s primary interviewer
 Format: integer
MergedUpID
 Description: ID of firm into which this firm was merged
 Format: integer
CoopType
 Description: Type of coop
 Format: alpha
 Values
Sector
 Description: Coop’s economic sector
 Format: alpha
 Values
State


Description: Two-letter postal abbreviation of the firm’s state
Format: alpha
MemCat1
 Description: Membership category 1. Respondent-created category. Default Members
 Format: alpha
MemCat2
 Description: Membership category 2. Respondent-created category.
 Format: alpha
MemCat3
 Description: Membership category 3. Respondent-created category.
 Format: alpha
MemCat4
 Description: Membership category 4. Respondent-created category.
 Format: alpha
MemCat5
 Description: Membership category 5. Respondent-created category.
 Format: alpha
NumMem1
 Description: Number of members in category 1 [MemCat1]
 Format: integer
NumMem2
 Description: Number of members in category 2 [MemCat2]
 Format: integer
NumMem3
 Description: Number of members in category 3 [MemCat3]
 Format: integer
NumMem4
 Description: Number of members in category 4 [MemCat4]
 Format: integer
NumMem5
 Description: Number of members in category 5 [MemCat5]
 Format: integer
CapConAmt
 Description: If [CapCon] is selected, dollar amount of the required capital contribution.
 Format: real
CapCon
 Description: What does it take to become a member of your organization? Capital contribution.
 Format: boolean
PatCom
 Description: What does it take to become a member of your organization? Patronage
commitment.
 Format: boolean
QStan
 Description: What does it take to become a member of your organization? Quality standard.
 Format: boolean
LngCom
 Description: What does it take to become a member of your organization? Long-term
commitment.
 Format: boolean
ReqOther
 Description: What does it take to become a member of your organization? Other.
 Format: boolean
ReqDK
 Description: What does it take to become a member of your organization? Respondent doesn't
know.
 Format: boolean
ReqRef
 Description: What does it take to become a member of your organization? Respondent refuses
to answer.
 Format: boolean
ReqOtherComment
 Description: If [ReqOther] is selected, explain: geography, application process, board approval,
supply/demand, etc.
 Format: alpha
LargestMember
 Description: What percentage of respondent's firm's total business does the largest member
contribute? Best guess.
 Format: real
Largest10
 Description: What percentage of respondent's firm's total business do the 10 largest members
contribute? Best guess.
 Format: real
NumBoard


Description: How many members are on the board?
Format: integer
NumBoardF
 Description: How many board members are women?
 Format: integer
MtgsPerYear
 Description: How many times per year does the board meet as a group?
 Format: integer
MtgLength
 Description: On average, how long is a board meeting? (hours)
 Format: integer
MtgAttendees
 Description: Who typically sits in on board meetings besides CEO/GM and board members?
 Format: alpha
VotingNonmbr
 Description: Are there any voting members of the board who are not members of the firm?
 Format: alpha (Y/N)
VotingNonmbrN
 Description: If YES to [VotingNonmbr], how many?
 Format: integer
NVotingNmbr
 Description: Are there regular non-voting participants in board meetings?
 Format: alpha (Y/N)
NVotingNmbrComments
 Description: If YES to [NVotingNmbr], what is their role?
 Format: alpha
AdvisorsYN
 Description: Are there any third-party advisers to the board?
 Format: alpha (Y/N)
AdvisorsList
 Description: If YES to [AdvisorsYN], what is the advisers' role? List and describe the advisers.
 Format: alpha
BoardInexperience
 Description: How many board members have served for 3 or fewer years?
 Format: integer
BoardExperience


Description: How many board members have served for 20 or more years?
Format: integer
BoardSlots
 Description: How many board slots are open for election each year?
 Format: integer
ContestedElections
 Description: What is the number of contested elections in the last 5 years?
 Format: integer
Committees
 Description: What are the committees of your board? List and describe.
 Format: alpha
BrdAutho
 Description: Is there a committee that has full board authority?
 Format: alpha (Y/N)
BrdAuthoWho
 Description: If YES to [BrdAutho], who is on the committee?
 Format: alpha
BrdAuthoWhen
 Description: If YES to [BrdAutho], when does the committee meet?
 Format: alpha
BrdCEOMtg
 Description: Does the board and CEO/GM ever meet without staff present?
 Format: alpha (Y/N)
BrdCEOMtgComments
 Description: If YES to [BrdCEOMtg], for what purpose?
 Format: alpha
BrdWoCEO
 Description: Does the board ever meet without the CEO/GM being present?
 Format: alpha (Y/N)
BrdWoCEOWhen
 Description: If YES to [BrdwoCEO], for what purpose?
 Format: alpha
NumCEOs
 Description: How many CEO/GMs has the company had in the past 20 years, that is since about
1990?
 Format: integer
OutsideCEOs
 Description: Of the number of CEO/GMs in [NumCEOs], how many were hired from outside the
company?
 Format: integer
SuccessionPlan
 Description: Is there a succession plan in place for the CEO/GM?
 Format: alpha
 Values
SuccessionComments
 Description: If YES to [SuccessionPlan], can respondent describe this plan? Is it written or
unwritten?
 Format: alpha
CEOContract
 Description: Does the CEO/GM have a written employment contract?
 Format: alpha (Y/N)
CEOContractComments
 Description: If YES to [CEOContract], describe this contract.
 Format: alpha
CEOQuantAssess
 Description: Does the board set specific quantifiable measures for performance?
 Format: alpha (Y/N)
AssessCEOComments
 Description: If YES to [CEOQuantAssess], describe these measures.
 Format: alpha
FirstYearEval
 Description: If a new CEO/GM has been hired in the last 5 years, on what criteria does the
board evaluate a new CEO/GM in the first year of their tenure?
 Format: alpha
FirstYearEvalFreq
 Description: How many times does the board evaluate a new CEO/GM in the first year of their
tenure? (BCs and CEO/GMs of less than 5 years tenure)
 Format: integer
CEOComp
 Description: Summarize the CEO/GM compensation agreement.
 Format: alpha
Benchmarks


Description: Does the firm use any industry standard benchmarks for compensation?
Format: alpha (Y/N)
BenchmarksComments
 Description: If YES to [Benchmarks], list benchmarks and other CEO/GM compensation notes.
 Format: alpha
IncentivePay
 Description: What percentage of total compensation is performance incentives?
 Format: real
CompConsultant
 Description: How often does the board use a compensation consultant?
 Format: integer
 Values
CompConsultantComments
 Description: Notes relating to use of a compensation consultant.
 Format: alpha
DiscretionaryPct
 Description: What percentage of performance incentives are discretionary rather than by
formula?
 Format: real
assets
 Description: Total assets from the firm’s annual report indicated in the variable [FinancialsYear]
 Format: real
liabilities
 Description: Total liabilities from the firm’s annual report indicated in the variable
[FinancialsYear]
 Format: real
income
 Description: Gross income (total business sales less cost of goods sold) from the firm’s annual
report indicated in the variable [FinancialsYear]
 Format: real
expenses
 Description: Total operating expenses from the firm’s annual report indicated in the variable
[FinancialsYear]
 Format: real
FinancialsYear
 Description: Year of firm’s financial data (assets, liabilities, income, expenses)
 Format: integer
Version
 Description: Month and year of dataset creation
 Format: alpha
Appendix: Bookmarks to Values of Categorical Variables
CoopType values
WORKER
None
PRODUCER
PURCHASING
CONSUMER
Sector values
WATER/WASTE
RURAL ELECTRIC
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
HEALTHCARE
GROCERY
CREDIT UNION
OTHER
EDUCATION
AGRICULTURE
ARTS & CRAFTS
FARM CREDIT
BIOFUELS
MEDIA
MUTUAL INSURANCE
SuccessionPlan values
Yes
Yes, written
Yes, unwritten
No
CompConsultant values
1=Never
3=On occasion
5=Regularly