Vantage point: Insights from cutting-edge research

Top Asian female executives feel trapped in regional roles

Many Asian senior women business leaders with global aspirations feel trapped in regional roles at the multinational corporations that employ them, says a new study. About 90 per cent of the executives are keen to take on global roles but only 36 per cent feel “somewhat confident” they will get the opportunity. The study, by US-based consultancy Heidrick & Struggles, said the findings 

were a reminder that multinationals should “take notice of women leaders as an untapped resource for global roles”. The firm polled 138 Asian senior female executives in Singapore, India, Hong Kong, Japan and China from May to December last year.

“Although there has been a focus on subjects such as women on boards and the development of the local female workforce, the research reveals the difficulties of mid- to senior-level Asian female leaders who are limited to regional roles,” noted Hong Kong-based Alain Deniau, a partner of Heidrick & Struggles. He called the issue “the biggest glass ceiling” faced by women in this part of the world. The survey found that 54 per cent of the women executives polled believe the lack of global opportunities was due to their ethnic background, while 47 per cent felt their gender was the main obstacle. As a result, a staggering 85 per cent of the women surveyed are considering leaving their current company in the next two years.

India CIOs prioritising digitalisation over conventional technologies 

Chief information officers (CIOs) in India are prioritising digitalisation and rivalling global top performers when it comes to their commitment to digital business, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner’s annual global survey of CIOs found that average IT budgets in India are expected to grow 10.7 per cent in 2017, nearly five times faster than the overall global average of a 2.2 per cent 

increase. However, India is struggling with significant IT talent gaps. The 2017, Gartner CIO Survey gathered data from 2,598 CIO respondents in 93 countries and all major industries, representing approximately $9.4 trillion in revenue and public-sector budgets, and $292 billion in IT spending. Sixty-five Indian CIOs responded to the 2017 Gartner CIO Survey.

“India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and Indian CEOs are looking to their CIOs to deliver on the promise of digitalisation,” said Partha Iyengar, vice-president and Gartner Fellow. When asked how much their company’s revenue will grow in 2017, the Indian CIOs reported they expected average revenue growth of 12.6 per cent — much higher than the global average of a four per cent rise in company revenue among respondents.

Growth of video camera market impeded after 2009 recession

There are specialties of video cameras in the market depending on their size, quality, specifications, etc. While the market for the same has been increasing the growth has been impeded since the recession of 2009, according to a report by Ken Research titled “Global Video Cameras Industry Situation and Prospects Research report 2017”. The prominence of smart phones and digital cameras, low prioritising of high video quality, and the high price associated with high quality, all play a major role. But nonetheless, economic development, falling unemployment, rising per capita disposable income and increasing consumer sentiment have helped bolster revenue growth. The significant drivers include the relatively new appearing pocket-size designs of the video cameras associated with considerable lower prices, rising technology advancements as well as equipped with superior optical zoom quality. These features are further anticipated to continue pushing the sales of the product. The study notes given that the world economy enlarged by just 2.2 per cent in 2016, and is anticipated to extend by 2.7 per cent in 2017 and reach 2.9 per cent in 2018, it can be contemplated as a state of stagnant growth.