ICT and e-Business Impact in the Retail Industry - empirica

e-Business in the Retail SectorThe questionnaires of all e-Business Watch surveys since 2002 can be downloaded fromthe project website (www.ebusiness-watch.org/about/methodology.htm).PopulationAs in 2005 and 2006, the survey considered only companies that used computers. Forthe first time, a cut-off was introduced with regard to company size. When surveying themanufacturing sector in Project 1, only companies with at least 10 employees wereinterviewed. For the retail and transport sector in Project 2, the population also includedmicro-companies with fewer than 10 employees, reflecting their important contribution(see Exhibit A1.2). Sector totals are therefore not directly comparable between the twoprojects.The highest level of the population was the set of all computer-using enterprises (and, inProject 1, with at least 10 employees) that were active within the national territory of oneof the eight countries covered, and whose primary business activity was covered by oneof the five sectors specified in the NACE Rev. 1.1. 86 Evidence from previous surveysshows that computer use can be expected to reach 99% or more among medium-sizedand large firms across all sectors.Exhibit A1-2: Population coverage of the e-Business Survey 2007No. Sector name NACE Rev. 1.1activities coveredProject 1 – ManufacturingPopulationdefinitionNo. of interviewsconducted1.1 Chemicals, rubber 24, 25 Companies which911& plasticshave at least 101.2 Steel 27.1-3, 27.51-52 employees and use4491.3 Furniture 36.12-14computers 7612.2 Transport servicesand logisticsProject 2 – Retail and transport2.1 Retail 52 1,151Companies thatuse computers1,09760.10, 60.21+23+2463.11+12+40Sampling frame and methodFor each sector, the sample was drawn randomly from companies within the respectivesector population of each of the countries surveyed. The objective of this approach wasto fulfil minimum strata with respect to company size-bands per country-sector cell (seeExhibit A1-3).Exhibit A1-3: Strata by company-sizeSize-band Project 1ManufacturingTarget quota specifiedMicro enterprises (up to 9 employees) -- up to 30%Project 2Retail & transportSmall companies (10-49 employees) up to 40-50%* at least 30%Medium-sized companies (50-250 employees) at least 40-45%* at least 25%Large companies (250+ employees) at least 10-15%* at least 15%* depending on sector86NACE Rev. 1.1 was replaced by the new version NACE Rev. 2 in January 2008. Nonethelesswhen the survey was conducted, sectors still had to be defined on the basis of NACE Rev. 1.1because business directories from which samples were drawn were based on the older version.198