1. Dr. Pendl & Dr. Piswanger
Personal & Managementpartner
P&P
Strategy Barometer 2012
International top managers on traits of a CEO, HR strategies and
expansion strategies in various markets for the next 3 years
What really matters to top managers in 2012 shows the current survey by Pendl & Piswanger,
carried out between Sept. 3rd and 14th. 611 international top managers from Austria (n=272) and
CEE (n=339), covering CZ, HR, HU, RO, RS, SI and SK, participated.
We would like to thank Headquarters Austria for supporting us in distributing the questionnaire.

2. Dr. Pendl & Dr. Piswanger
Personal & Managementpartner
Graph 1: What makes an effective CEO – Austria
n=272
results oriented analytical skills
integrity
7% 6% creativity
5% charisma
authenticity 3%
5%
9% intellectual agility
3%
communication skills change agent
9% 3% drive, power
2%
courage
2%
inspiring pionieer
1%
interpersonal skills
11% tolerance for risk
1%
strategic thinker
decisive
21%
12%
Graph 2: What makes an effective CEO – CEE
n=339
inspiring
pionieer
authenticity analytical skills
drive, power 5% charisma
6% 5%
6% 5%
decisive interpersonal skills
6% 4%
integrity tolerance for risk
7% 4%
creativity
3%
intellectual agility
2%
change agent
courage
7%
2%
communication skills
7% strategic thinker
results oriented
20%
10%
2

3. Wanted: Strategic thinkers
The vote was clear – with around 20%, the most mentioned and most important trait of a CEO (out of 16) is
„strategic thinking“. This result is the same across all countries where the survey was carried out.
After this, the picture becomes regionally diversified: while a CEO in Austria has to be quite „decisive“ (12%),
has to have good „interpersonal skills“ and „communication skills“ (11% and 9%) and a high degree of
„authenticity“ (also 9%), the focus in CEE lies – with sometimes great differences between the countries –
on „results orientation“ (10%) ahead of „communication skills“, being a „change agent“ and „integrity“ (each
7%).
Remarkable is „tolerance for risk“: Top managers are generally expected to be careful: In most CEE
countries this value is between 1% and 2%. The exceptions are Hungary with 6% and the Czech Republic
with 5% (Austria 1%).
Massive differences in mentality can be seen at the following traits: „Decisiveness” is important for 12% of
the CEOs in Hungary, but only for 2% in the Czech Republic or Slovakia.
„Interpersonal skills“ are seen relevant only for CEOs in Austria with 11%. In Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia,
this lies below 2%.
„Results orientation“ ranges far on top in Serbia (25% – most important), followed from Romania (17%) and
the Czech Republic (14%).
„Authenticity“ is seen important only in Hungary (13%) and Austria (9%), while this is completely
irrelevant in Serbia or the Czech Republic.
„Analytical thinking“ is for only 5% of all respondees a trait for a CEO, in Croatia and Hungary even only for
3%.
„Integrity“ is important in Slovakia (10%) and the Czech Republic (9%), while in Hungary and Serbia, this is
important only for 3%.
3

4. Dr. Pendl & Dr. Piswanger
Personal & Managementpartner
Graph 3: HR issues of strategic importance 2012/13 – Austria
n=272
improving working climate/ staff
establishing/ expanding performance establishing/ improving performance commitment
succession planning, defining career
management oriented salary system 6%
paths in the organisation
7% 7%
4%
strengthening employer branding
8% lean management
3%
talent management
8% sustainability management
3%
health management
3%
recruiting specialists/ experts from
other markets/ countries
3%
gender/ diversity management
personnel-, team- and organisational 1%
development further developing leadership
14% supporting entrepreneurial thinking competence
16% 17%
Graph 4: HR issues of strategic importance 2012/13 – CEE
n=339
succession planning,
defining career paths
strengthening
in the organisation
establishing/ improving performance talent management employer sustainability
6%
oriented salary system 9% branding management
6% lean
9% 5%
management
3%
supporting
entrepreneurial thinking optimising
10% fringe benefits
2%
recruiting specialists/ experts from
other markets/ countries
1%
health management
1%
improving working climate/
staff commitment gender/ diversity management
10% 1%
personnel-, team- and organisational
development
further developing leadership
15%
competence establishing/ expanding
10% performance management
12%
4

5. Developing leadership competence
For 17% of the Austrian top managers, „developing leadership competence“ is the most important
HR strategy for 2012/13.
This is closely followed by „supporting entrepreneurial thinking“ with 16% and 14% for „personnel-, team- and
organisational development“, followed by „talent management“ and „employer branding“ (8% each). Both is-
sues have gained importance compared to 2011, showing clearly that these issues are now relevant not
only for large multinationals.
In Eastern Europe, the focus lies also on developing people, but the focus is more on „personnel-, team- and
organisational development“ with 15%.
Already 12% of the top managers in the CEE region emphasize the relevance of „establishing performance
management“. In Serbia (16%), Hungary (15%) and Romania (14%), this is much more important than in
other countries. Only 7% in Austria mentioned this as an HR strategy for the coming year.
Coming in third are „further developing leadership competence“ along with „improving working climate“ and
„supporting entrepreneurial thinking“ (each 10%). The latter is even more important in Austria (16%) and
also very much in the Czech Republic and Serbia (14% each). In Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia only 7%
share this view. On average, however, „supporting entrepreneurial thinking“ has gained substantially com-
pared to 2011.
Establishing „talent management“ has greatly increased importance in the CEE region with 9% in total.
Dedicated activities for improving the working climate have clearly declined – instead, other strategies which
will support this indirectly, are taken into consideration.
Lagging far behind, exactly as last year, with 1-3% are strategies for „health management“ or „diversity
management“ – these seem to be currently of importance for only a few multinationals.
5

6. Dr. Pendl & Dr. Piswanger
Personal & Managementpartner
Graph 5: Market strategy in Austria
n=272
The following graph shows the interests of Austrian companies in different regions/countries within the next
3 years.
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90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
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6

7. Movement ahead – 23% of the responding companies plan investments
or expansions
More than 2/3 of the respondees will invest in activities in Austria or expand the existing ones – this is
extremely high. And, almost nobody plans to leave. Investments are also planned in 17 other countries
or regions (out of 21).
Slightly more than 50% are also active in the neighbouring countries Slovakia, the Czech Republic and
in Western Europe. And 2/3 out of those (around 30-35% of the total) invest or expand their activities in
these countries; only a few plan to leave.
Future markets: Russia, Asia, South America
In Russia and Asia, also 30% of all respondees are investing or expanding – but these are almost 90%
of the companies already present and apparently successful there. Additionally, nobody of them plans
to leave. Therefore, Russia and Asia are future growth markets not only from Austrian point of view.
The picture is similar for South America: approximately 23% of the respondees strengthen their
activities or invest (these are 80% of the companies already knowing this market). Still going strong
also the interest in North America and Canada: 19% plan to expand activities, and nobody is retreating.
The CEE in focus
In the CEE-countries Croatia, Romania and Slovenia, 23-25% plan to invest – but 4% of all respondees
are also reducing their activity. Investments in Hungary will drop further; nonetheless, still almost 50%
of the respondees are active in Hungary, with 5% cutting back their engagement. No or hardly any new
investments are taking place in the Ukraine and in Bulgaria. Some companies stated business interests
in Macedonia (21%) or the Caspian region (15%) – however, roughly 50% of those mentioning
Macedonia will start or increase activities; similarly in the Caspian region. In both of these markets, P&P
joins the companies starting activities – new offices in Baku and Skopje will open in Q4/2012.
Even more expansion
Summarizing all trends in all markets where Austrian companies are present, more expansion than
reduction is planned (23% on average plan investments or expansions vs less than 2% plan reductions
or exits).
7

8. Dr. Pendl & Dr. Piswanger
Personal & Managementpartner
Impressum
Dr. Pendl & Dr. Piswanger GmbH
A-1010 Wien, Bartensteingasse 5
Tel.: +43 (1) 402 76 08, Fax DW 31
E-Mail: pp@pendlpiswanger.at
www.pendlpiswanger.at
Firmenbuchnummer: 100266a, Handelsgericht Wien
Kammer: Wirtschaftskammer Wien / Fachorganisation Unternehmensberatung und Informationstechnologie
Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer: ATU 37560509
1st edition October 2012
For detailed country information please contact Sigrid Hüttner (s.huettner@pendlpiswanger.at)