Tuesday November 18, 2008

New York — Nov. 17
According to a survey of more than 100 senior human resource managers, 81 percent of companies agree that international work experience is a crucial criterion for leadership in a global organization.

The survey, "The Importance of Cultural Skills in Senior Managers," conducted by RW-3 LLC, an online intercultural training organization, and ORC Worldwide, a global human resource consulting firm, was designed to measure the importance of cultural competencies and global experience as criteria for senior management.

"During the current liquidity crisis, we've seen yet again how the global economy is entirely interconnected and how international cooperation is critical for the world's economic well being," said Michael S. Schell, president of RW-3. "Understanding and appreciating how things get done in countries around the world is crucial for success. That means gaining an appreciation and understanding of culture. This survey reinforces how important the global HR community believes those intercultural skills are for their leadership."

Respondents to the survey were primarily from U.S.-headquartered companies doing business globally. They represented a cross-section of international businesses ranging from multinationals in Fortune's Top 10 to smaller companies.

Key results of the survey included:

• Approximately 20 percent of senior leadership comes from countries outside their companies’ headquarters, 21.5 percent are foreign born, 28.5 percent have international experience and 28.6 percent have worked and lived in another country
• In the next five years, organizations expect that nearly 30 percent (27.4 percent) of corporate leaders will be recruited globally.
• Culture is essential to business success in the global marketplace: 75 percent indicated cultural implications of business decisions are sometimes or always considered when making business plans, and 57 percent indicated that culture plays a very important role in the success of the organization's business mission.

"This survey represents the growing commitment of companies to global talent management," said Ed Hannibal, senior vice president of ORC Worldwide. "Culture is seen as a 'technical' requirement for international leadership. And as more employees take on global assignments, the experience gained is a deciding factor for future career opportunities. Ultimately, culture is a required skill, not a 'nice to have.'"