TNAG-0647-FCO40-795-Study-of-labour-relations-in-Hong-Kong-by-Professor-H-A-Turn-1977 — Page 162

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I Method of selection of Workers in Sample

(1)

The industries covered by the survey were manufacturing

textiles, chemicals, metal, plastic and other products, construc- tion and engineering, commerce, transport and communications,

utilities and services. The economic activity status groups

included were full-time permanent in-workers, full-time casual

and seasonal in-workers and apprentices, trainees and learners

(2) all of these were paid workers. The occupational groups

included were artists, draughtsmen and technicians, clerical and sales workers, foremen and supervisors and all manual employees.

Professional and technological workers, administrative, executive and managerial workers (in other words jobs with university degree or its equivalent status) and members of the armed forces were not

(3) included. Workers under the minimum school-leaving age of

12 years were also excluded. The total number of workers in

Hong Kong who came into these categories was according to the 1971 census 1,202,293 and the workers, roughly numbering 950, who were to be included in the sample were selected from the total popula-

tion in proportion to its industrial breakdown.

The primary sampling unit used in the survey was the

International Standard Industrial Classification establishment-

type unit. The Census and Statistics Department held registers of all these firms/employing organizations in Hong Kong engaged in

manufacturing textiles, chemicals, metal, plastic and other products, in engineering (bar motor-vehicle repairing), in commerce

and the provision of public utilities. Since these registers

included details on the location of each employment unit and the

number of its employees, it was possible to exclude units

situated in totally rural environments and to stratify the sample

selection by size. With respect to the latter factor, the total

number of employees within each industry falling into each of four size categories was obtained from these records and the proportion

of the total in the industry each size category represented was

calculated. The number of sample members allocated to each

particular industry was then distributed between the four size

categories in that industry in the same proportions.

It was decided that the maximum number of respondents selec-

ted from firms with 1-19 employees would be 5, from firms with

20-99 employees 10, from firms with 100-499 employees 15, and from

(4) firms with 500 or more 20.

The number of establishment units