Research Process

Step 1: The Survey
Step 2: Validation & Stability Testing
Step 3: Data Analysis

Step 1: The Survey

Questionnaire Description
The questionnaire is comprised of 182 questions plus IEN demographic information, which is collected and presented in the report. Each respondent is assigned a unique identification number to ensure confidentiality.

Administering the Survey
The questionnaires (written in English) are sent to the IEN panel as well as new members who are invited to join the panel and participate in the survey. For the 2002 report, panelists submitted 1225 questionnaires and represented 335 firms.

Step 2: Validation & Stability Testing

Questionnaire data was validated using six tests to avoid using misrepresentative data. Possible shortcomings include internal coherence, missing responses, or systematic response patterns. Only questionnaires that passed each of these tests were considered for the analysis. The analyses presented are based on 1164 responses from 326 firms.

Step 3: Data Analysis

The data analysis tool is customized for this study to yield the following determinants: