Although the virtual world facilitates the exchange of information and
knowledge - and these linkages are so important in this day and age - it is
recognised that there is something dynamic that happens when businesses in an
industry are co-located in a region. The 'Pacific Corridor' is an area of
Sydney that stretches from North Sydney through to Chatswood, across to Epping
and south to the Parramatta River. Within this area there seems to be a strong
grouping of companies in the ICT (information and communication and
technologies) and bio-medical (pharmaceutical, bio-technology, bio-medical and
medical device / instrument) industries. Your company has been recognised as
part of the supply chain in one of these industries - and this includes service
providers and professional services that support these industries.
As a senior executive in your company we would appreciate you completing
this survey about the attributes which you consider are important in
locating your company. Even if you are not the decision-maker for locating your
company please answer as if you are.
We want to understand what you consider to be the Most Important
and Least Important attributes if you were selecting a business
location.
To do that we have 21 questions which we would like you to answer.
It may seem as though the questions are repetitive, but each group is
slightly different and we need you to answer every question for the survey to
work.
There are no right or wrong answers. It is your opinion
that is important.
This survey represents the second phase of a one year study jointly
conducted by Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM), in partnership
with the Department of State and Regional Development (DSRD) and the Australian
Business Foundation. This project aims to identify the advantages and
disadvantages in locating in the ‘Pacific Corridor’ in order to contribute to
the current understanding of this region. In the first half of 2009 a report
will be available for all participants on the results of this study. Current
work on this study is available at www.mgsm.edu.au/pc
All answers will be confidential and only be used in an amalgamated form.
Your name and company details will be kept confidential and withheld from
any report or presentations. Your answers will be used in an amalgamated format
to help understand the relative importance of attributes for businesses that
are located in the 'Pacific Corridor'. It is your decision whether to
participate in this survey. By completing this questionnaire, it is assumed
that you have consented to provide the requested information.
This should take about 5-10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your
participation.
The ethical aspects of this study have been
approved by the Macquarie University Ethics Review Committee (Human Research).
If you have any complaints or reservations about any ethical aspect of your
participation in this research, you may contact the Committee through the
Research Ethics Officer (telephone [02] 9850 7854, fax [02] 9850 8799, email:
ethics@vc.mq.edu.au). Any complaint
you make will be treated in confidence and investigated, and you will be
informed of the outcome.
In a business most decision-makers choose between alternative options by
comparing or evaluating attributes at a high level. In deciding the 'best
location' for a business there are many attributes to consider. In this survey
we ask you to assess the relative importance of different attributes that are
important in deciding where to locate your business.
Descriptions for all 21 attributes are provided below. Please keep them in
mind for the rest of this survey.
Attribute |
Definition |
| Access to accommodation |
Location provides access to appropriate accommodation for clients, customers and (interstate / international) staff |
| Access to airport |
Location provides good access to the airport |
| Access to business services |
Location has essential business services close by |
| Access to clients / customers |
Location provides good access to clients / customers |
| Access to major road networks |
Location provides good access to major road networks |
| Access to markets |
Location enhances our capability to access markets |
| Access to parking |
Location provides access to parking for staff, clients and customers |
| Access to research and educational institutions |
Location provides opportunity to partner with research and educational institutions (e.g., CSIRO, university, TAFE etc.) |
| Access to suppliers |
Location provides good access to suppliers |
| Attractive environment |
Location has an attractive environment |
| Cafes and restaurants |
Location has cafes and restaurants close by |
| Close proximity to Sydney CBD |
Location provides close proximity to Sydney CBD |
| Cheaper location |
Location is cheaper when all costs are considered
|
| Easy access to work by car |
Location provides easy access to work by car |
| High speed broadband |
Location provides access to high speed broadband
|
| Increased interaction with businesses in our industry |
Location has increased our interaction with businesses within our industry |
| Location close to businesses in other industries |
Locating close to businesses from other industries is important |
| Opportunity to expand |
Location provides the opportunity to expand our business |
| Prestigious location |
Location is prestigious |
| Reliable public transport |
Location has reliable public transport |
| Source of employees |
Location provides a good source of employees |
Sample answer:
Please select one Most Important and one Least Important attribute in each set:
| |
On this side you indicate what you think to be the MOST IMPORTANT attribute of this group
SELECT ONLY ONE
|
|
On this side you indicate what you think to be the LEAST IMPORTANT attribute of this group
SELECT ONLY ONE
|
|
|
In this example "Access to suppliers" was considered to be the Most Important attribute while "Access to airport" was the Least Important attribute of the group for locating your business. If you are not sure of an attribute's description hold your cursor over the attribute's name and the description will appear.
Each group is slightly different - we want to understand what attributes you think are important in locating your business.
We need all 21 questions answered for the survey to work.
Thank you.
By completing this survey you are giving consent to have your responses used in an amalgamated format in reports and presentation resulting from this research. Your name and company details will be kept confidential and withheld from any report or presentations.
You are now ready to commence the survey.
A few questions about you and your business:
