Business Survey as a Tool for Manufacturing Branches Performance Assessment

The goal of the paper is an evaluation of the performance of manufacturing branches of the Polish economy. Two approaches have been applied. In the first approach data from state statistical reports have been used. Single variables have been combined into the composite indicator, which has become the evaluation criterion. Business surveys were used as the evaluation criterion in the second approach. The resulting orderings of individual branches have been compared. The aim of the comparison was the credibility assessment of business survey as a tool for the evaluation of branches' performance. The results obtained indicated the existence of significance discrepancies. The sources of these discrepancies have been detected. It has been stated that the results of business survey depend on attitudes caused by country's current political and economic condition. The attempt has been made to narrow orderings differences. In order to do so the data from the surveys has been adjusted by introducing the correction parameters. The parameters values were determined in the optimization procedure (local search). The scope of the research is determined by the data availability. Polish state statistical system collects information according to the NACE Classification (Nomenclatures des Activitiees de Communite Europeene). In this system four levels are represented: sections, units (divisions), groups and classes. From the author's point of view, one of the most important areas is the manufacturing sector – the section D in the NACE classification. This determined the area of this study. The study was conducted on units (division) level. The evaluation has been made as an introductory step in the project of the construction of free of charge and accessible via-Internet database providing business and economic information needed by Small and Medium Size Enterprises managers. Additional goal of the database construction is providing the information base for the determination of the manufacturing branches attractiveness from the point of view four potential users (firms managers, investors, credit managers in banks and local politicians). Depending on the end-user of the research results, for the evaluation of the Polish manufacturing sector performance – appropriate set of indicators (variables describing firms performance) will be provided