FAQs

ZEW-Branchenreport Informationswirtschaft

Why is my company being contacted?

In the available address database, your company has been categorised as an ICT hardware manufacturer, ICT service provider, media service provider or knowledge-intensive service provider based on the 2008 sector classification. Your company was randomly selected from this database for a representative sample.

Why is it important that as many companies as possible participate in the survey?

A high number of participants ensures the representativeness of the extrapolated results for each industry. If only a few companies participate, the validity of statements for the entire industry is limited. A small number of participants may represent exceptional cases within the industry, skewing the survey results and giving a distorted picture of the sector as a whole.

Why are information on revenue and employees collected?

Information on economic figures (turnover, revenue, demand, personnel, prices) is extrapolated based on the turnover weight of the companies in the entire industry to ensure the representativeness of the analyses. The number of employees is used for plausibility checks of the survey results.

How secure are my data?

The data protection laws are strictly adhered to. Your data will only be used within ZEW and published in aggregated form (at industry and/or size class level). Despite the co-operation with Creditreform in this survey, no individual company data will be passed on to Creditreform.

What topics are covered in the special section of the survey?

The special section of the survey regularly comprises general questions about structural changes and developments. Examples include the age and qualification structure of employees, investments in and use of ICT, (further) training activities of employees, internationalisation of companies, and innovation activities.

How should the questions about economic figures be answered if the current quarter has not yet ended and it is therefore not yet possible to make any statements about the quarter as a whole?

There is no need to provide precise information on economic figures. If the current quarter is not yet over, an estimate of the development up to the end of the quarter is sufficient.

What happens if the deadline for returning the questionnaire specified in the letter cannot be met?

The questionnaire can also be returned after the deadline. Although it can no longer be taken into account for the economic analyses, the data will be used for research purposes (special section).

What benefits does my company gain from participating in the survey?

Companies benefit from participation through a free benchmark that allows them to compare their individual company’s situation with the overall situation in their industry.