Methodology

Introduction

Grant Thornton International started a major annual survey of the attitudes and expectations of small and medium-sized businesses in 1992 called the European Business Survey (EBS). In 2003 the research project was widened to an international perspective covering medium-sized businesses and renamed the International Business Owners Survey (IBOS).

In 2007 the decision was taken to change the name of the survey from IBOS to the International Business Report (IBR). The IBR survey draws upon 15 years of trend data for original EBS participants and 5 years for original IBOS countries. 15 year tend data is available for: France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK, while 5 year trend data is available for Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa and the US.

Size of businesses surveyed

IBR is conducted among medium-large privately held businesses. Definitions of the size of a medium and large business are determined by local government classifications as shown in the table below.

Survey respondents

IBR surveys the opinions and expectations of chief executive officers, managing directors, chairmen or other senior executives (title dependent on what is most appropriate for the individual country).

Interview technique

The research is carried out primarily by telephone interview lasting approximately 15-25 minutes with the exception of Japan (postal), Philippines and Armenia (face to face), China and India (mixture of face-to-face and telephone) where cultural differences dictated a different approach. Telephone interviews enable Grant Thornton International to conduct the exact number of recommended interviews and to be certain that the most appropriate individuals are interviewed in an organisation which meets the profile criteria.

Data collection is managed by two core research partners, Experian Business Strategies in Europe, China and the Philippines and Harris Interactive throughout the rest of the world. Questionnaires are translated into local languages with each participating country asking a small number of country specific questions as well as the core questionnaire.

Participating countries

In 2007 the IBR survey was conducted in 32 countries and now covers over 7,200 respondents following the addition of Armenia and Brazil. The table below shows the countries that participated in the survey along with the number of respondents interviewed and the definition of "medium to large sized" businesses used to screen the respondents.

Balance statistic

A balance statistic reports the percentage of respondents who reported a figure rising less the percentage who reported it falling. It not only provides a useful summary statistic, but numerous studies have shown it is well correlated with economic time series data and that it performs as well as highly complex methods of analysing survey data to predicting economic outcomes.

Sample validity

In deciding upon the number of respondents to interview in each country, consideration was given not only to the size of the country but also to the statistical reliability of the data. In line with this we have placed a minimum of 100 interviews in each country as this is the accepted minimum for statistical reliability. In order to increase the reliability of the data we have exceeded this minimum in the majority of countries. Indeed in some of the larger economies we have interviewed 500 or more. This also allows us to look at various sub-sets such as industry type and regional comparisons.

Charitable donation

For the first time in 2007, Grant Thornton International will donate US$5 to UNICEF for every completed IBR questionnaire. In 2007 this will mean a donation of over US$35,000.

Country	Number of respondents	Medium definition (employees)	Geographical Split
Argentina	152	50-499	Buenos Aries, Rosario & Cordoba
Armenia	100	50-499	Random sampling
Australia	250	20-199	New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria & Western Australia.
Botswana	250	25-100	Gaborone, Francistown, Lobatse, Selebi-Phikwe, Jwaneng, Maun, Ghanzi
Canada	300	Revenue defined (CAN$15m - CAN$500m)	Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada.
China	300	100-1000	Shanghai,Beijing, Guangzhou
France	350	100-499	Random sampling
Germany	350	100-499	Minimum of 25% in eastern Germany
Greece	200	100-499	Random sampling
Hong Kong	250	50-449	Random sampling
India	500	100-1000	Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Pune, Ahmadabad.
Ireland	150	50-499	Random sampling
Italy	250	100-499	Random sampling
Japan	300	100-750	Random sampling
Luxembourg	100	50-499	Random sampling
Malaysia	150	100-499	Random sampling
Mexico	150	50-499	Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey
Netherlands	150	50-499	Random sampling
New Zealand	150	10-149	Random sampling
Philippines	150	100-499	Random sampling
Poland	100	100-499	Random sampling
Russia	250	100-499	Moscow, Samara, Vladivostok, St. Petersburg, N. Novgorod, Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Voronezh, Krasnodar, Volgograd, Perm.
Singapore	150	50-399	Random sampling
South Africa	200	100–349	Gauteng, Cape Town, Durban/Pmb, East London/PE.
Spain	150	100-499	Spanish mainland, Canary Islands, Basque country and Catalonia.
Sweden	350	50-499	Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo.
Taiwan	150	20-299	Random sampling
Thailand	150	20-299	Random sampling
Turkey	150	100-499	Random sampling
United Kingdom	600	50-499	North east, North West and North, Midlands, East, London and South, South West, Wales and West, Scotland, Northern Ireland.
United States	250	Revenue defined (US$50m - US$2bn)	Random sampling