V. ESTABLISHMENTS AND INDUSTRIES
E. Units of homogeneous production
| 5.45. | In most fields of statistics the choice of statistical unit, and methodology used, are strongly influenced by the purposes for which the resulting statistics are to be used. A unit which is defined in such a way that it would be optimal for a particular type of analysis is described as an "analytical unit". |
| 5.46. | For purposes of input-output analysis, the optimal situation would be one in which each producer unit were engaged in only a single productive activity so that an industry could be formed by grouping together all the units engaged on a particular type of productive activity without the intrusion of any secondary activities. The appropriate analytical unit for purposes of input-output analysis is, therefore, a "unit of homogeneous production", which may be defined as a producer unit in which only a single (non-ancillary) productive activity is carried out. If a producer unit carries out a principal activity and also one or more secondary activities, it will be partitioned into the same number of units of homogeneous production. If it is desired to compile production accounts and input-output tables by region, it is necessary to treat units of homogeneous production located in different places as separate units even though they may be engaged in the same activity and belong to the same institutional unit. |
| 5.47. | Although the unit of homogeneous production may be the optimal unit for purposes of certain kinds of analysis, particularly input-output analysis, it may not always be feasible to partition establishments or even establishments with one or more secondary productive activities into a series of mutually exclusive units of homogeneous production. In situations of this kind, it will not be possible to collect directly from the enterprise or establishment the accounting data corresponding to units of homogeneous production. Such data may have to be estimated subsequently by transforming the data supplied by enterprises on the basis of various assumptions or hypotheses. These are discussed in chapter XV. |
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