Global senior executives expect to be cautious in 2012, according to a survey asking them about their views on the business environment.
Over 600 executives from a variety of companies and industries participated in the questionnaire compiled by Doremus, a business communications specialist, and The Financial Times.
Six out of 10 respondents revealed that they expect there to be further decline in the global economy over the next six months, with almost half saying that they don’t believe the economy will recover until/after 2013.
Additional findings include companies increasing rather than decreasing their spend – advertising and marketing spend in 2011 has increased by 10 per cent. A quarter of organisations surveyed plan to hire this year, with the same proportion expecting their company’s employment levels to decline.
Director of strategic research at Doremus, Hope Picker, commented, “As we see companies increase their spending, even at miniscule increments, we expect there will be a steady snail’s pace back to recovery. Barring any further disasters, natural or otherwise, this show of modest spending is a sign of life – and gratefully not life support.”
