Business expectations and preferences regarding the introduction of daylight saving in Queensland

Abstract

This paper examines business support for the introduction of state-wide and zonal daylight saving time in Queensland on the basis of a survey of 708 businesspersons in 2002. Binary logit models are specified with the dependent variable defined as support for the introduction of daylight saving and the independent variables comprising industry and region identifiers, assessment of current and future business conditions, expectations of the impact of daylight saving on profits, sales, administration costs and staffing, and the number of employees. The results suggest that support for the introduction of daylight saving is a function of positive expectations regarding staffing, sales and administration costs and is associated with the utility and communications, finance and insurance, and cultural and recreational service industries. There also appears to be strong rural and regional resistance to the introduction of daylight saving, even among the business community.