Set-up of pilot questionnaire and datasets (D4.1)
Deliverable 4.1 focuses on the development of the survey instrument of the large-scale pilot survey of intangible investments. The development of the questionnaire is based on previous theoretical and empirical evidence. Literature review reveals that in general the current treatment of intangible assets is partial and uncoordinated with a particular lack in micro level measurement of intangible assets.
The questionnaire includes five different sections. Section A focuses on general information about the firm. Section B concentrates on firm’s intangible’s investments drawing on previous surveys on intangibles, mainly the one commissioned to NESTA by the UK Office for National Statistics. More specifically, the questionnaire aims at investigating investment decisions on six intangible assets types: (i) training, (ii) software/databases, (iii) research and development (R&D) and acquisition of external knowledge, (iv) design of products and services, (v) company reputation and branding, and (vi) organization or business process improvements. Section C puts emphasis on the determinants of a firm’s investment in intangible assets. Section D aims at capturing the impact of investments in intangible assets using various performance measures while a number of questions related to the impact of public policies on the intangible investments of a firm are included in Section E.