A majority of businesswomen in India, South Africa, China and Brazil feel they are well-equipped to succeed in the global world of 2011 compared to their female counterparts in many developed markets.
The majority of respondents in India, China and Brazil (70, 68 and 58 per cent, respectively) feel equipped to succeed in the global business world of 2011.
On the other hand, respondents in the United Kingdom and France were least likely to say they feel equipped (29 and 24 per cent, respectively).
What women want
- Younger respondents were more likely than older respondents to say they feel equipped for success in 2011
- Eight in 10 women said they were willing to learn and use new technologies, such as blogs or social networks
- Indian women say they expect to see more women in management, more equal opportunities for women and fewer boundaries where business is conducted
Overall only 47 per cent of men said they feel equipped to compete in 2011, slightly higher than the 43 per cent of women who answered similarly, according to a new report by Accenture titled: 'One Step Ahead of 2011: A New Horizon for Working Women'.
The research is based on a survey of over 4,000 male and female business professionals in 17 countries across Europe, Asia, North America and South America.
The research notes that female professionals in emerging markets are better equipped than their counterparts in developed markets. This implies that employees in the traditional powerhouse economies will have to contend with significant gaps in skill readiness if they are to match the confident outlook of their peers in up-and-coming economies.
The survey asked respondents to consider 'skill readiness' across six categories -- agility, social responsibility, global skills, technology, inclusion and diversity, and business relationships. Both women and men rated technology at the top of their skills readiness assessment -- 75 per cent women and 73 per cent men.
Additionally, more than eight in 10 women (83 per cent) said they were willing to learn and use new technologies, such as blogs or social networks, as a means of achieving future success.
More than three-quarters of women (76 per cent) forecast a high degree of importance in leveraging those technologies, and two-thirds (66 per cent) of women said they expect relationships managed through technology will change significantly between now and 2011.
The research also explored factors related to career advancement and identified some differences between male and female respondents.
Women were more likely than men to attribute their career advancement to ambition and drive (cited by 59 per cent of women versus 54 per cent of men), to passion for their chosen careers (42 per cent of women versus 39 per cent of men) and to family support (30 per cent of women versus 26 per cent of men).
Additionally, more than half of both female and male respondents reported that men and women are equally effective at building professional networks that help advance their careers.
Men, however, feel that unwillingness to sacrifice work-life balance, the failure to pursue a more advanced degree, and the lack of adequate mentoring are their main career-limiting factors.
