IndustryWeek survey on Continuous Improvement

Via Scoop.it – Cellular manufacturing
According to this article, the survey shows that continuous improvement separates the winners from the losers and drives financial gains.  The body of the article, however, contains no information about the survey method. We know neither how many companies responded nor the positions of the people who responded. I assume that survey questionnaires were sent to a selected group of executives, and that some among the recipients opted to answer. I am not sure what such a sample is supposed to represent.

The article says that more respondents with continuous improvement programs expect revenue and income growth >3% in 2012 than respondents without such programs. So it is about what this self-selected sample believes will happen next year. The only statement about actual results is a similar one about cash flow for this year. Based on the article, I fail to see how the survey supports the claims in the title and subtitle.
Via www.industryweek.com