Duke University/CFO
Global Business Outlook Survey
Fourth Quarter 2013

No individual firms are identified and only aggregate data are made public. Please respond by December 4. 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 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
   Corporate tax rates
   Cost of fuel
   Input costs
   Credit markets/interest rates
   Currency risk
   Electricity supply
   Environmental regulation
   Financial market regulation
   Foreign competition
   Global financial instability 		   Government budget deficit
   Growth in unsecured online lending
   Inflation
   Labour instability
   National economic growth rate
   National employment outlook
   Policy uncertainty
   Potential for stock market correction
   Price pressure from competitors
   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
   IT governance
   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)
   Research and development spending
   Revenue
   Share repurchases
   Technology spending
   Wages/Salaries

6. Have economic conditions for your company or industry changed or do you expect them to change? (Select one per column.)
  During the last year Expected for 2014
  For your firm For your industry For your firm For your industry
  Significantly worse
  Somewhat worse
  No change
  Somewhat better
  Significantly better

7. Does your company have a corporate budget for charitable donations?
  Yes 
  No 

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   (< 245 million ZAR)
       $25-$99 million    (≈246 � 980 million ZAR)
       $100-$499 million   (≈981 mlllion - 4.9 billion ZAR)
       $500-$999 million   (≈5 - 9.8 billion ZAR)
       $1-$4.9 billion   (≈9.8 - 48 billion ZAR)
       $5-$9.9 billion   (≈49 - 97 billion ZAR)
       More than $10 billion   (> 98 billion ZAR)		       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.

 

      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. Return on assets (ROA=operating earnings/assets)
      (e.g., -5%, 6.2%)		     i. Your job title (e.g., CFO, Asst. Treasurer, etc.)
   % Approximate ROA in 2013?
   % Expected ROA in 2014?


     




� Duke University, 2013