The HUD-Code and modular housing industries : variable identification for technological, marketing, and management orientation indices

Abstract

Exploratory data analysis procedures were used to study the primary data obtained from a nation-wide survey of 569 factory-built housing companies. The independent variables in the research included (initially) 25 measures of the technological, marketing, and management orientations of the factory-built housing companies. Profitability, defined by the "rate of return on total assets" ratio, was the dependent variable. Univariate analysis was conducted on the independent variables first. One of the 25 orientation measures was eliminated from the list because it could not be ascertained that the responses to it did not occur by random chance. Next, a bivariate analysis of the orientation measures with profitability was conducted, and two more measures were found to have little value in describing company performance. Finally, principle components analysis was conducted on the remaining 22 orientation measures. Eight principal components were retained and the variables were categorized "most important" and "least important" on the basis of the factor loadings. A comparison of self-reported profitability and calculated profitability was also made.