ESRI Demand Responsiveness Enquiry. ESRI Memorandum Series No. 115 1975

Kirwan, F. and Durkan, J. (1975) ESRI Demand Responsiveness Enquiry. ESRI Memorandum Series No. 115 1975. [Policy Paper]

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Abstract

Irish manufacturing industry suffered a fall in its sales volume in 1975 over it's 1974 level. In an effort to clarify the relative importance of price competitiveness vis a vis other factors, the authors conducted a survey amongst firms in Irish manufacturing industry in December 1975. The results indicate what managers of firms perceived as the reasons for their poor sales performance. The questions put, of their very nature require subjective answer. Thus, managers, when faced with a leftward shift in their firms demand curve, were asked to distinguish the separate effects of a fall in consumer demand, and of any loss of price competitiveness. An effort was also made to assess the degree of price responsiveness of demand amongst sectors in both domestic and export markets. The normal caveats about this type of subjective enquiry of course apply. The survey covered those firms which participate in the monthly CII/ESRI Business Opinion Survey. Of a total of 320 questionnaires despatched, 218 usable replies were received, a response rate of just over 68%. For the purposes of the survey the firms were classified in accordance with the ten sector classification used by the CSO in the Quarterly Industrial Enquiry. The actual processing and calculation of the results was carried out by computer, each firm's replies being weighed by that firm's turnover weight as used in the CII/ESRI survey. Sectoral output weights were derived from the finer sectoral classification of the same survey.

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