Women Leaders Evaluate The Current Business Environment Globally

KPMG’s Global Female Leaders Outlook 2019 Survey brings the opinion of women leaders regarding the current business environment globally. KPMG in Germany conducted for the second time a worldwide survey to explore how women in leadership positions evaluate the current business environment, the risks and challenges they face, and how they plan to secure growth and the future success for their company over the next three years.

For women in senior management positions around the world, an important personal motivation is to achieve long-term success for their company. This is stated by 34% of women worldwide in KPMG’s 2nd Global Female Leaders Outlook (GFLO) study. In addition, 33% are motivated by the idea that their actions will have a lasting effect.

Also, 80% of Global Female Leaders feel responsible for ensuring that customer values are reflected in their companies environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies and 47% see modernizing the workforce as their company‘s best strategy for future-readiness. According to the survey, 82% see agility as the new currency of a successful business, 96% see the need to improve innovation processes and execution and 36% want to collaborate with innovative start-ups to pursue growth.

The study also reveals that 70% of Global Female Leaders are optimistic about the growth of their own company, yet only 38% are optimistic with regard to the global economic development and 50% expect headcount growth in the next three years. Furthermore, 63% trust data models for decision-making and expect positive ROI from AI/RPA over the next three years. Only 27% expect a slight reduction in employee numbers. Unsurprisingly, 70% of respondents see finding suitable employees as a top-3 risk to growth. With regard to the effects of the comprehensive use of artificial intelligence applications on employee numbers, Female Leaders are divided equally with 50% believing it will create jobs and the other half afraid that AI will have a negative impact.

Companies need to take responsibility for fostering cultural change. The 35% of Global Female Leaders believe they will make their  next career move within their current company, 58% have encountered or continue to encounter gender discrimination or stereotyping in their daily work lives and 67% believe that companies are the most important factor in the push for gender equality.