FOURTEEN per cent of Australia’s top 200 ASX-listed companies replaced their CEOs in 2003, compared to 17 per cent the previous year. Furthermore, outsider CEOs outperformed insider CEOs, as measured by shareholder returns delivered over their full tenure (16 per cent returns for outsiders versus 10 per cent for insiders)
FOURTEEN per cent of Australia’s top 200 ASX-listed companies replaced their CEOs in 2003, compared to 17 per cent the previous year. Furthermore, outsider CEOs outperformed insider CEOs, as measured by shareholder returns delivered over their full tenure (16 per cent returns for outsiders versus 10 per cent for insiders), while the industry sectors with low performance related CEO departures were:
Energy 29%
Materials 25%
Financial services 24%
On a global scale, overall CEO turnover was 10 per cent in 2003, compared to 11 per cent in 2002.
Source: Booz Allen Hamilton/Business Council of Australia
Female breadwinners on the up and up
EIGHTY-ONE per cent of Australian men in nuclear families were the main breadwinners in 2002, compared to 91 per cent in 1981. Furthermore, 57 per cent of such families had both parents employed (22 per cent both full-time) while 36 per cent of families with dependent children had only one income earner.
Source: Australian Institute of Family Studies
Work needed on e-learning: UK
EIGHTY per cent of British organisations believe e-learning is more effective when combined with more traditional forms of learning, however 49 per cent believe the contribution of e-learning so far has been over-hyped. As part of their current e-learning initiatives, organisations commonly use:
CD-ROMs 73%
Customised modules 57%
Generic modules 52%
Additionally, 69 per cent believe e-learning demands an entirely new skill set for people involved in training and development, while 90 per cent believe e-learning demands a new attitude to learning on the part of the learners.
Source: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
Growth opportunities for NZ workers
FIFTY-THREE per cent of New Zealand organisations believe that improving the link between performance and reward is a key issue over the next 12 months, while 39 per cent also identified managing organisational change as a challenge over the same period. A survey of 160 New Zealand organisations also found that remuneration for same incumbents (defined as the same person in the same job) increased 6 per cent for the period 2002–2004, while the cumulative market movement (average remuneration increase across the board) was only 1.3 per cent over the same period.
Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting
Global sickies is in fine health
ONE in ten workers who take ‘sickies’ have not actually been ill on any of the days they have taken off, according to a study of more than 3,200 people in 12 countries. It found that only 5 per cent of Australian employees lie about all the days they had off, compared to 24 per cent of Singaporeans who admitted that none of their sick days were genuine.
Source: Robert Walters
‘Tis the season to shop at work
TWENTY-THREE per cent of employees plan to use the their internet access at work to shop for Christmas presents, according to a survey of 2,000 workers. It also found that 28 per cent of professionals aged 18 to 29 years were more likely to shop online for Christmas presents at work, while 25 per cent of employees are planning to sent electronic greeting cards and 13 per cent would open a Christmas e-card from an unknown sender.
Source: Clearswift
‘In crowds’ exclude other workers
FIFTY-TWO per cent of Australian workers believe that an ‘in group’ exists in their workplace with 36 per cent admit that some people are purposefully excluded from lunch or drinks after work invitations. A survey of more than 1,000 employees also found that while 12 per cent openly admit to disliking one or more of their colleagues, 66 per cent feel that having good friends at work makes them far more productive and 69 per cent would leave a company if their co-workers were unfriendly.
Source: Talent2
HR on leadership styles: US
THIRTY-TWO per cent of HR professionals believe their organisation’s senior leaders communicate with employees in a guarded manner, according to a survey of 809 American practitioners. It also found that they described their senior leaders’ communication styles as:
Open and honest 20%
Closed and secretive 27%
Forthcoming with good news; quiet about bad news 19%
Source: Workforce
Australian companies offshore outsourcing
TWENTY-THREE per cent of Australian companies are considering or recommending offshore outsourcing, according to a survey of more than 2,000 HR, marketing and IT professionals. It found that the drivers influencing the decision to offshore outsourcing were costs and profitability (80 per cent), business model (60 per cent) and availability of human resources (20 per cent).
Source: HotHouse
Australians bullish on job prospects
TWENTY-SIX per cent of Australians believe it would be easy to find a similar job at the same pay if they were retrenched, according to a survey of 418 employees. The survey also found that 21 per cent of Australians believe there’s a chance they could be retrenched during the next year – a figure which has remained roughly the same for the past two years.
Source: Right Management Consultants
No holiday bonuses in season of giving: US
SIXTY-THREE per cent of US companies will not award a holiday bonus this year, while the number of organisations offering variable pay plans has increased from 59 per cent in 1995 to nearly 80 per cent in 2004. Companies eliminated holiday bonuses primarily due to:
Cost 65%
Entitlement issues 37%
Pay-for-performance program development 28%
Conversely, of those companies offering a holiday bonus program in 2004, 49 per cent will provide retailer gift certificates, 37 per cent will award cash and 21 per cent will give employees a gift of food, such as turkey or ham.
Source: Hewitt Associates
