Tilburg University - CFO - Duke University
Global Business Outlook Survey
First Quarter 2012

No individual firms are identified and only aggregate data are made public. Please respond by March 1. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact us.

1. Are you more or less optimistic about your country's economy compared to last quarter?
More optimistic
Less optimistic
No change
Rate your optimism about the your country's economy on a scale from 0-100, with 0 being the least optimistic and 100 being the most optimistic.

2. Are you more or less optimistic about the financial prospects for your company compared to last quarter?
More optimistic
Less optimistic
No change
Rate your optimism about the financial prospects for your own company on a scale from 0-100, with 0 being the least optimistic and 100 being the most optimistic.

3. What are the top three external concerns facing your corporation? (rank #1, #2, #3)
   Consumer demand
   Cost of fuel
   Cost of non-fuel commodities
   Credit markets/interest rates
   Currency risk
   Environmental regulation
   National budget deficit
  
National government agenda/policies
   Financial regulation
   Foreign competition
   Global financial instability
   Global political instability
   National employment outlook
   Price pressure from competitors
   State or local government budget deficits
   Other:    

4. What are the top three internal, company-specific concerns for your corporation? (rank #1, #2, #3)
   Ability to forecast results
   Ability to maintain margins
  
Attracting and retaining qualified employees
  
Balance sheet weakness
  
Cost of health care
  
Counterparty risk
  
Data security
   Maintaining morale/productivity
   Managing IT systems
   Pension obligations
   Protection of intellectual property
   Supply chain risk
   Working capital management
   Other:    

5. Relative to the previous 12 months, what will be your company's PERCENTAGE CHANGE during the next 12 months? (e.g., +3%, -2%, etc.) [Leave blank if not applicable.]
   Capital spending
   Cash on the balance sheet
   Dividends
   Earnings
   Health care costs
   Marketing/advertising spending
   Number of domestic full-time employees
   Number of
domestic temporary employees
   Number of offshore outsourced employees
   Prices of your products
   Productivity (output per hour worked)
   Technology spending
   Research and development spending
   Revenue
   Share repurchases
   Wages/Salaries

6. During 2012, does your company plan to:  (Please make a selection in each column)
  Acquire another company or companies?
  Acquire part of another company or companies?
  Both
  Neither
  Sell your company?
  Sell part of your company?
  Neither

7. How would you rate the overall performance of your company over 2011?
  Better than expected
  On target
  Worse than expected

8. What are your expectations for 2012 on the overall performance of your company compared to 2011?
  Better than 2011
  About the same as 2011
  Worse than 2011

9a. What proportion of your growth in 2012 will be from market development versus product development? (percentages should add up to 100%)
   % Market development
   % Product development
   Total

9b. To achieve this we allocate our efforts and resources to (percentages should add up to 100%):
   % Organic growth
   % M&A activity
   Total

10. Compared with 2011 would you be willing to take on more risk in 2012 to execute your corporate strategy and achieve your targets?
  Yes, we are prepared to take on more risk in 2012
  No, we will maintain the same risk profile as we did in 2011 (even if this means that we have to adjust our targets and objectives)
  No, compared with 2011 we are decreasing our risk exposure (even if this means that we have to adjust our targets and objectives)

11a. Are you actively looking to fill one or more vacant positions now?
  Yes 
  No

11b. In the past year, have you had difficulty filling an open position?
  Yes 
  No

12. How much time does your finance function spend performing each of the following roles?
      (Percentages should add up to 100%)
   Maintaining records
   Auditing/controlling
   Developing financial systems and practices
   Providing finance and accounting services
   Strategic business partnerships
   Total

 Please check one from each category that best describes your company:

     a. Industry

       Retail/Wholesale
       Mining/Construction
       Manufacturing
       Transportation/Energy
       Communications/Media
      Tech [Software/Biotech]
      Banking/Finance/Insurance
      Service/Consulting
      Healthcare/Pharmaceutical
      Other:  
  b. Sales Revenue  c. Number of Employees
       Less than $25 million
       $25-$99 million
       $100-$499 million
       $500-$999 million
       $1-$4.9 billion
       $5-$9.9 billion
       More than $10 billion
      Fewer than 100
      100-499
      500-999
      1,000-2,499
      2,500-4,999
      5,000-9,999
      More than 10,000
  d. Where are you personally located?   e. Ownership
  (Other specified)
  

If your company headquarters is located in another country, please indicate which country.

  (Other specified)
 

      Public
      Private
      Government
      Nonprofit
  f. Foreign Sales     g. What is your company's credit rating?
       0%
       1-24%
       25-50%
       More than 50%

  Check here if you do not have a rating, and please estimate what your rating would be.
  h. Your job title (e.g., CFO, Asst. Treasurer, etc.)
     


 




© Duke University, 2012