Unveiling Participant Level Determinants of Unit Non-Response in Business Tendency Surveys

Matthias Bannert () and Andreas Dibiasi
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Matthias Bannert: KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

No 14-363, KOF Working papers from KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich

Abstract: Business Tendency Surveys (BTS) continue to be an important source of timely informa- tion on business cycles in many countries. We address quality of economic survey data by uncovering the relation between unit non-response and participant characteristics on company respectively respondent level. We use a unique, matched dataset that merges rich business tendency survey panel data with data from an exclusively conducted meta survey. Our meta information enhances the set of rm characteristics by information such as valuation of business tendency surveys or perceived response burden. We use dierent count data models to explain non-response count. Our models include weighted count data regressions as well as a two part hurdle model. We nd that response burden, a company's survey track record, timeliness and participation mode are the strongest and most robust predictors of unit non-response. We also nd a weaker negative eect of the business situation on unit response. Remarkably we do not nd a signicant in uence of neither company size nor valuation of BTS on the propensity to respond to periodical qualitative BTS.

Keywords: Unit non-response; Business tendency surveys; Response behavior; Participant level; Selectivity; Qualitative surveys; Hurdle model; Count data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2014-07
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kof:wpskof:14-363

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