Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The British Film Institute (BFI) began the longitudinal TV Industry Tracking Study in 1994 to examine the effects of structural, organisational and technological changes in the TV industry on the careers of individual TV production workers. The BFI has worked in partnership with the University of Cambridge Judge Institute of Management since 1997. The main aims and objectives of this research have been: to collect data through twice yearly diary/questionnaires over a four year period to a panel of 450, and to interview small sub-samples of respondents; to carry out interdisciplinary analysis of the whole dataset in order to: a) analyse the links between individuals' work and life histories, on the one hand, and their labour market and industry environments on the other; b) examine and compare the characteristics, career opportunities, and work attitudes of different age groups; c) document the effects of changing conditions of television production, for instance, the high levels of casualisation and flexibility now required, on TV workers and on their quality of life; d) examine the development and use of skills, experience and knowledge by these workers within different production environments; and consider job searching and recruitment practices; e) analyse individuals' experiences of career development, work culture, team work, creativity, and trust in different work organisations; and investigate their strategies for coping in an increasingly competitive and uncertain television industry environment. These data will also provide useful information about the capacity of the television workforce and its organisations, to sustain and develop programme production range, quality and innovation, and to cope with competition.
Main Topics:
The BFI Television Industry Tracking Study main dataset contains the responses to the codeable questions set out in one initial questionnaire (Q1) and eight diary/questionnaire waves (D1 to D8) to an initial panel sample of 533 television production workers. The study was conducted between March 1994 and May 1998 with the questionnaires sent out at six monthly intervals. The questionnaires sought information from TV production personnel on their education, training, career history, employment, job searching, work values, and personal life. A range of questions relating to production, creativity and business issues were also asked. Some core questions have been asked at every diary wave, others have been repeated at intervals, some production issues have been considered only once, but in some detail. In each diary/questionnaire (D1 to D8) a section requested information from respondents concerning the six most recent projects that they worked on. Respondents were asked to list details such as the production company, broadcaster, genre, their job roles on the projects, length of time spent on each project etc. The dataset does not include all information asked in the questionnaires (please see note in method of data collection).
Quota sample
Volunteer sample
Postal survey
Diaries
Data provides a partial transcription of information in the questionnaires, for example, not all questionnaires were coded and entered into the SPSS file. Where questions were coded, the corresponding variable(s) have been written next to the relevant question on the questionnaires. Where a question's responses were not coded, a dash has been put next to the relevant question to indicate this.
