Executive Quiz: More Executives See Signs of Recovery

Despite acknowledging the "severe recession," percentage of executives who believe the economy is recovering nearly doubled in March.

Buoyed by a sustained stock market rally, executive attitudes about the state of the global economy ticked up in March, though the majority still feel we are in the midst of a "severe recession" according to results from the Executive Quiz released in spring 2009 by The Korn/Ferry Institute. Additional findings show that executives favor limited involvement by governments in key corporate actions such as layoffs and compensation limits, but the majority feels that bonuses should be returned by executives at companies receiving government bailout funds.

When surveyed at the beginning of March, just seven percent of executives felt that the global economy was recovering, while more than three quarters (76 percent) said it was in severe recession. However, when re-asked the same question at the end of the month, 13 percent of executives felt the economy was recovering and those believing it was still in severe recession declined by nine percent (67 percent).

Methodology

The Korn/Ferry International Executive Quiz is based on a global survey of executives registered within the firm's online Executive Center, ekornferry.com. Respondents from more than 70 countries, representing a wide spectrum of industries and functional areas, participated in the most recent Executive Quiz in March 2009.