Use of the cluster analysis for assessment of economic situation of an enterprise

Abstract

The aim of the paper was to discuss the disadvantages of enterprises in dry areas compared to enterprises farming in similar production area outside a rain shadow. The analysis was based on the sample of 45 enterprises; twelve of which farming in the area of a rain shadow. In the first step, enterprises were sorted by the cluster analysis into groups farming in the same area, at a similar altitude, with the same structure in a similar manner, and under comparable financial conditions – (such as debt ratio, liquidity and activity ratio). The results of this step showed a different method of farming within enterprises in disadvantaged areas. Such enterprises have created two distinct, separate clusters differing from the average in the use of fixed assets, technical equipment of labour, labour productivity and income structure. In the second step, the way how the return on assets of such enterprises is different from the average profitability of the enterprise was assessed. Testing differences in mean values of profitability was performed using the Student t–test. Due to the high variability of the Return on assets (ROA), the difference between standard and disadvantaged enterprises has not been proved.

Keywords

• financial analysis
• dry areas
• enterprise evaluation
• agriculture