Research Archive
AMA has conducted surveys on a wide spectrum of management and business topics.
Agility and Resilience
November 20, 2006
Seven out of 10 executives say that their organizations experienced disruptive change during the last year. And more than 80% say that the pace of change is speeding up in organizations all over the world. That’s according to Agility and Resilience, a survey commissioned by AMA and conducted by the Human Resource Institute. Learn how organizations can become more agile and resilient in order to overcome the challenges they face.
Magnifying Customer Focus
June 27, 2006
While most companies say they have a strong customer focus, only half admit to doing a good job at creating emotional bonds with customers. That's according to AMA’s study Magnifying Customer Focus. Commissioned by AMA and conducted by the Human Resource Institute, the global study shows that 75% of respondents believe their company is “good” or “very good” at keeping promises to customers, but only 50% feel they create an emotional connection with their customers.
The Quest for Innovation
April 20, 2006
The 21st Century is fast becoming the Age of Innovation. But creating a corporate culture that recognizes and rewards innovation is not always easy. The most significant barriers organizations face are insufficient resources, the lack of a formal strategy and undefined goals and priorities. That's according to The Quest for Innovation, a survey commissioned by American Management Association and conducted by the Human Resource Institute. Learn to overcome these barriers and foster an innovative culture.
The Ethical Enterprise
January 16, 2006
If you think business ethics is crucial in today’s scandal-ridden era, then just wait a few years. The reasons for conducting business in an ethical manner are only going to get more compelling—as well as more complex—during the next decade. That’s according to The Ethical Enterprise, a survey commissioned by AMA and conducted by the Human Resource Institute.
Crisis Management & Security Issues
Crises that affect businesses come in many forms and often occur without notice. So, whether it is an accident, a scandal, a malicious act or a natural disaster, organizations should recognize the need to be prepared. But, according to AMA's recent survey, 40% of respondents say they do not have crisis management plans in place.
Leading into the Future
October 6, 2005
Too often, companies fall victim to the organizational hurdles that keep leadership development programs from being truly top-notch. Lack of measurement tools and rewards systems for leadership behaviors are commonly cited obstacles that corporations face. That’s according to Leading into the Future, a survey commissioned by AMA and conducted by the Human Resource Institute.
Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance
May 18, 2005
From computer monitoring and telephone tapping to video surveillance and GPS satellite tracking, employers increasingly are using policy and technology to manage productivity and protect resources. To motivate employee compliance, companies increasingly are putting teeth in their technology policies. Fully 26% have fired workers for misusing the Internet; 25% have terminated employees for e-mail misuse; and 6% have fired employees for misusing office phones.
Lifestyle Trade-offs and Careers
AMA surveyed its members and customers to examine the choices employees make that may affect the jobs they take and their career paths. Jobs that demand a lot of risk, have greater responsibility, require long hours and extensive travel or have performance-based pay tend to lead to higher salaries. For instance, being responsible for a company’s profits or losses is generally recognized as one of the key factors in making it to the corner office. According to AMA’s survey, 39% of respondents said they would prefer to take on those responsibilities, whereas 46% said it would require higher pay.
2004 Survey on Health and Wellness Programs
November 22, 2004
More corporations are doing their part to promote wellness among their employees, according to AMA's 2004 Survey on Health and Wellness Programs. The number of U.S. companies offering educational programs on self-care topics is up in all seven categories surveyed, including smoking cessation, exercise and fitness, and cholesterol management.
2004 Survey on Political Discussions in the Workplace
September 28, 2004
In light of the closely contested presidential election, American Management Association wanted to know how the national politics are affecting executives in the workplace. Forty-five percent of employees surveyed said that their companies have no written policies that prohibit the distribution or posting of material that endorses a political party or candidate. Another 40% said that such policies do exist at their offices; 15% were unsure.
2004 Crisis Management and Security Issues
September 3, 2003
Fewer U.S. companies have crisis management plans in place today than in 2003, an AMA survey shows. In light of the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks, AMA surveyed its members and customers to determine if companies are prepared today to handle a major crisis. According to the results, 61% of executives said their companies have established a crisis management plan, down from 64% in 2003.
2004 Medical Testing Survey
September 3, 2003
Nearly 63% of U.S. companies surveyed require medical testing of current employees or new hires, AMA's 2004 Medical Testing Survey shows. This figure is down from 68% in 2001 and from 70% in 2000, when AMA conducted similar medical testing surveys. Medical tests of all newly hired personnel are required in 47.5% of surveyed firms, and an additional 12.8% of companies test new hires in selected job categories. For current employees, the figures are lower: 7.4% of companies report that all employees are subject to periodic medical examinations, and an additional 23.6% require periodic exams of employees in selected job categories.
2004 Workplace E-Mail and Instant Messaging Survey
July 13, 2003
One in five U.S. companies (20%) has had employee e-mail subpoenaed in the course of a lawsuit or regulatory investigation, up from 14% in 2003. Another 13% have battled workplace lawsuits triggered by employee e-mail. That's according to the 2004 Workplace E-Mail and Instant Messaging Survey of 840 companies conducted by American Management Association (AMA) and The ePolicy Institute.
2004 Summer Vacation Plans Survey
May 27, 2004
As signs of the economy continued to improve and hiring appear to be on the upswing, US employees were planning to take more time away from the office compared to 2003. twenty-eight percent of respondents were taking more days off than in 2003. About 55% were planning to take the same number of vacation days as last year. Also this year, the survey shows that while on vacation fewer employees would be contacting their office.
2004 Importance of Leadership Survey
The “increasingly competitive business environment” was overwhelmingly cited as the top reason leadership is more important than ever in a survey conducted among 225 AMA customers and members. The survey also indicated by a nearly four to one margin, that employees at all levels are having to devote more time, rather than less, to leading than in the past. Click here.
2004 Administrative Professionals Survey
Administrative professionals continued to assume more responsibilities in the workplace, including coaching, training and supervising other staff members. As a result, more than half of respondents of the survey said more training is needed to improve their overall job performance. The survey also found that more than a third of respondents worked longer hours or more days than they did in the past two years. Click here for full report.
2004 Job Outlook Survey
U.S. business executives were optimistic about the economy in 2004, projecting higher corporate performance and anticipating an increase in hiring in the new year. More than half (52%) of those surveyed anticipated their company's domestic ( U.S. ) workforce would increase in 2004—up from 38 % surveyed in 2003. Thirteen percent expected to have fewer employees in 2004, down from 22 % in 2003.
2003 Survey on Leadership Challenges
October 31, 2003
Getting people to work together who have different agendas is among the biggest obstacles facing business leaders today, according to a recent survey conducted by AMA. Sixty percent of executives who responded listed lack of collaboration as one of their top leadership challenges.
2003 Survey on Health and Wellness Programs
October 13, 2003
Do corporations have a responsibility to promote wellness among employees? Seventy-one percent of executives say “yes,” according to AMA 2003 Survey on Health and Wellness Programs. But less than half of the companies that responded offer educational programs on self-care topics, including exercise and fitness (47%), weight management (34%) or nutrition (25%).
2003 Crisis Management and Security Issues Survey
September 3, 2003
More U.S. companies have crisis management plans in place today than they did in 2002, an American Management Association survey shows. In light of the second anniversary of the September 11 attacks, AMA surveyed its members and customers to determine if companies are prepared today to handle a major crisis.
AMA 2003 Corporate Governance Survey
Since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, many publicly traded companies have revised their financial reporting and accounting practices and updated their corporate codes of ethics. But what about nonpublicly traded companies? Although not directly affected by the new legislation, some privately held firms and nonprofit organizations are taking steps to avoid any of the ethical dilemmas that have recently plagued a number of publicly traded companies.
2003 Views on Administrative Professionals' Tasks and Competencies
Both administrative professionals and their managers generally agree on the components of administrative support staff jobs, but there is a significant difference of opinion on the competencies that are most important for administrative professionals.
2003 Job Outlook Survey
December 20, 2002
More than 60% of business executives believe that their workforce in the U.S. will stay the same or decrease in the year ahead. Only 38% foresee job growth and those that do generally predict modest growth in the 1-5% range. Also noted, internal reorganization and economies, along with reduced demand, are cited as the reasons for job contraction. However, in spite of the lack of robust job creation, respondents believe that nearly 90% of their organizations will offer raises in 2003 and more than two-thirds will provide promotions and bonuses.
2003 E-Mail Rules, Policies and Practices Survey
May 28, 2003
More than half of U.S. companies engage in some form of e-mail monitoring of employees and enforce e-mail policies with discipline or other methods. In fact, 22% have terminated an employee for e-mail infractions. Three-fourths of all organizations have written policies concerning e-mail, but fewer than half train their employees on them. AMA's new book E-mail Rules by Nancy Flynn, Randolph Kahn, Esq., provides an in-depth look at the policies and practices companies can employ to address e-mail security and legal issues.
2003 Consumer-Driven Healthcare Survey
May 15, 2003
Consumer-driven healthcare plans are all the rage in trade journals and Websites these days. Pundits predict that these programs, through which consumers, not the company or insurance provider, determine where they will spend their healthcare allotments, will revolutionize the industry. The most significant finding of the survey is that HR professionals are not very familiar with consumer-driven healthcare programs and not sure if they are appropriate. Therefore, very few plan to offer them.
2003 Economic Conditions Survey
March 24, 2003
American business people are more pessimistic about the U.S. economy than they were one year ago and are anticipating job eliminations, hiring freezes and cutbacks. And more than 60% believe that the conflict in Iraq will have at least a moderate impact on their businesses.
2003 Survey on Workplace Dating
Feb 10, 2003
Most organizations do not have a written policy on employee dating, but workplace dating is widely practiced throughout American business. In fact, two-thirds of managers and executives say it's okay to date someone from work and 30% have done so.
2002 Survey on Challenges Facing Marketers Today
With the proliferation of communications and distribution channels, and intensified domestic and international competition, marketers are facing ever-growing challenges. But what exactly are they? To determine what marketers themselves are thinking today, AMA teamed with Braun Consulting and Deep Customer Connections, Inc. to survey over 50 senior marketing executives who are AMA members and participants in AMA’s Corporate Branding 2002 Conference online during October and November 2002
2002 Crisis Management and Security Issues Survey
Business crises come in many forms and can occur any time without notice. So, whether it is an accident, a scandal, an act of nature or a malicious act, organizations recognize that they need to be prepared. Or do they? AMA surveyed 428 Executive Members and customers in August 2002 to determine if crisis management plans were, indeed, in place.
2002 Corporate Values Survey
June 26, 2002
Has corporate America acquired a “bottom-line” management style with a “win at all costs” mentality? Or is there room in the corner office for a little integrity? This survey shows that many organizations are making a commitment to a set of core values and are holding their employees accountable to them. Take a look at our findings and see how your company stacks up.
2002 Survey on Internal Collaboration
One of the first new business clichés of the 21st Century is the word “silos” as applied to organizations in which some units tend not to work cooperatively with each other. To determine if “silos” do actually exist, AMA surveyed its Executive Members and customers in June and July.
2002 Summer Vacation Plans Survey
May 20, 2002
Despite layoffs and a slow economy, nearly 98 percent of managers plan to take a vacation this summer, but many will remain in contact with the office while away, according to a new AMA survey of 645 business executives.
2002 Economic Conditions Survey
March 21, 2002
AMA conducted an online survey of its Executive Members in January and February 2002 to obtain a quick snapshot of how executives were feeling about the state of their organizations and the economy.
2002 Administrative Professionals Survey
Over the past year, administrative professionals have assumed more responsibility, are doing more work than before and have taken on more of a leadership role. As a result, more than ever, administrative professionals say they need more training to improve their performance.