The Situation of Medium-Sized Companies in North Rhine-Westphalia (1963)

Topics: information on legal reform, on proportion of turnover and export of the business; management organization of the business; distribution of authority in company management; presence of an organization plan; responsibility for personnel questions; difficulties in obtaining needed personnel; personnel fluctuation; particular difficulties in personnel matters; planned measures to promote sales; knowledge about market share in the FRG; customers and sales territory; judgement on the capability of the marketing organization; development of advertising budget; current market observation; changes of product spectrum and products in the last few years; rationalization measures in production and job preparation; particular problems in the production area; use of DIN-norms or company norms; award of jobs to subcontractors; attitude to piecework wage; judgement on master scheduling in comparison to competition; disposition methods used to reduce inventory; costing methods used and cost calculation; use of bookkeeping in decision-making; financial problems; relationship of company capital and outside capital; assessment of current liquidity situation; annual investment volume; access to the capital market; planning procedures used in the area of finances; general goals of company policies; perceived possibilities to improve company results; judgement on the competition situation and the opportunities for cooperation; effects of legislation on company goals; membership in trade associations; utilization of external consultants; preferred possibilities of employer further education; judgement on the economic development of the area of business in the next few years; expected development of the company; judgement on market adaptation from company´s own strength; attitude to governmental support measures; detailed information on number of employees and proportion of foreign workers; number of sick; fluctuation; classification of employees in individual company areas; business location and information on advertising.

Demography: housing situation; city size; refugee status; occupation. Interviewer rating: willingness of respondent to cooperate; over-all impression of the business.