New York Times Business World Survey, 1986-1987

This three-part data collection is designed to gauge the views of American business leaders by interviewing post-World War II graduates of leading business schools concerning the state of business in the United States and the world. Topics covered in Part 1 include world economic powers, strengths and weaknesses of American business, Japanese investment in the United States, foreign competition, the respondent's opinion of Ronald Reagan, taxes, and important problems facing American business (e.g., decline in productivity and the work ethic, the budget deficit, and mergers). In Part 2 respondents were asked whether they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of business executives of several leading corporations, which American corporation was managed the best, how much attention corporate managers were paying to mergers and takeovers, if the respondent would work for a company with a board of directors, and whether layoffs in middle management would strengthen or weaken American companies. Topics covered in Part 3 include foreign investment, federal regulation of business, the Reagan administration's enforcement of anti-trust laws, the respondent's choice for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, and important economic problems in the United States such as high labor costs, bank instability, and Third World debt. Background information on individuals for all three surveys includes party affiliation, occupation, age, sex, and income.