A paper-based questionnaire was sent to the corporate CEOs and CFOs for the
250 largest companies on the list. The first survey took place between November
2007 and March 2008, shortly before the onset of the economic crisis in mid-2008.
The follow-up survey was conducted between November 2009 and March 2010,
after the downturn, to identify findings from the crisis. Both surveys consisted of
32 questions in two categories: (a) company fundamentals and organizational
context factors and (b) functional requirements of EIS (based on what the executives
do).3 A similar study by Mayer [51] of German Stock Exchange (DAX)
companies provided a starting basis. In 1999, 58 of the 154 executives surveyed
sent back a completed questionnaire (37 %). Because just three of the 1999
respondents also participated in 2008 and 2010, the three surveys do not constitute
a longitudinal study.