[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50163-50164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23531]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Annual Survey 
of Manufactures Management and Organizational Practices Module

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before November 30, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 7845, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Mendel D. Gayle, Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill 
Rd., Rm 7K055, Washington, DC 20233, (301) 763-4587 or via the Internet 
at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Census Bureau plans to conduct the Annual Survey of 
Manufactures (ASM) Management and Organizational Practices Module for 
survey year 2010 with subsequent data collection activities for this 
survey pending funding. The Census Bureau has conducted the Annual 
Survey of Manufactures (ASM) since 1949 to provide key measures of 
manufacturing activity during intercensal periods. In census years 
ending in ``2'' and ``7'', we mail and collect the ASM as part of the 
Economic Census covering the Manufacturing Sector. This survey is an 
integral part of the Government's statistical program. The ASM 
furnishes up-to-date estimates of employment and payroll, hours and 
wages of production workers, value added by manufacture, cost of 
materials, value of shipments by product class, inventories, and 
expenditures for both plant and equipment and structures. This survey 
module would utilize the ASM survey panel collecting information on 
management and organizational practices at the establishment level. The 
data obtained from the module will allow us to estimate a firm's stock 
of management and organizational assets, specifically the use of 
decentralized decision rights and greater investments in human capital. 
The results will provide information on investments in organizational 
practices thus gain a better understanding of the benefits from these 
investments when measured in terms of firm productivity or firm market 
value.
    A manufacturing sector establishment based survey on management and 
organizational practices would provide information on the dimensions of 
organizational capital for this sector not currently available. This 
ASM clearance request will be for the year 2010.

II. Method of Collection

    The ASM Management and Organizational Practices Module will be 
mailed separately from the ASM and utilize mail out/mail back survey 
forms. The mail portion will be comprised of a probability sample of 
approximately 50,000 manufacturing establishments from a frame of 
approximately 225,000 establishments. These 225,000 establishments were 
all manufacturing establishments of multiunit companies (companies with 
operations at more than one location) and all single-location 
manufacturing companies that were mailed in the 2007 Census of 
Manufacturing.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number: MA-10002.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or Other for Profit, Non-profit 
Institutions, Small Businesses or Organizations, and State or Local 
Governments.

[[Page 50164]]

    Estimated Number of Respondents: 50,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 25,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: The estimated cost to the respondents 
is $643,000.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, sections 182, 224, 
and 225.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: September 24, 2009.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-23531 Filed 9-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-09-P