The COVID-19 crisis not only represents great challenges to our healthcare system, but also puts many companies and organizations to a hard test. The uncertainty is great in many places and for many companies it is a matter of survival. Dr. Florian Keller and Dr. Benedikt Zoller-Rydzek have launched the first ZHAW Managers Barometer study together with Michael Farley and Christian Graf. The ZHAW Managers Barometer is an irregularly recurring survey focusing on business topics, primarily for MBA and MAS BA Alumni at the ZHAW School of Management.

ZHAW Managers Survey - 2022

Over the last couple of years, the Covid pandemic had us all in its grip. Now, we are slowly returning to normality and hence, companies can finally transition back to their business as usual.

As in the last two years, this year we are running the ZHAW Managers survey. In this year’s edition, we would like to explore the competitiveness of Swiss companies. Where do Swiss companies stand in global comparison after two pandemic years? Given the current geopolitical situation, we would also like to gain insights into how the Russia-Ukraine war impacts Swiss companies.

The survey is closed. The results will be published shortly.

ZHAW Managers Survey - 2021

“Corona, Digital Leadership, and Corporate Responsibility”

In this special edition of the ZHAW Managers Survey, we show how the COVID-19 crisis has affected companies in Switzerland. The study is based on over 200 responses to a survey conducted from 12 to 26 April 2021.

Main Study Results

In Switzerland, the peak of the crisis was reached at the end of April 2021. For 26 percent of the companies, the business situation already normalized before May 2021. Compared to the first ZHAW Managers Survey, the (expected) end of the crisis was pushed back by about one year, from December 2020 to January 2022.

The business situation of companies has deteriorated significantly since 2019 due to the corona crisis. In 2021, we saw a clear upward trend, yet the pre-crisis level has not yet been reached.

Digitalization Push and Working From Home

In 2021, the digitalization push was even stronger than expected in the previous year and will continue in the “new normal.” Office workers will continue to work from home, and “working from home” will remain a significant component of the working world. Compared to the 2020 ZHAW Managers Survey, the percentage of people working from home increased again in 2021, and a smaller percentage of people will continue to work from home in the future.

Digital working methods have become well established. There is a clear positive trend compared to the last ZHAW Managers Survey. The business situation of companies was significantly better between 2019 and April 2021 if investments were made in digitalization.

Leadership Quality

No improvement was noted in leadership quality. Leadership quality tended to deteriorate during the crisis, and employees also felt that they were perceived less favorably. However, employee perception and corporate communications are key points for better leadership during the corona crisis. When corporate communications improved during the crisis and the company focused more on digitalization at the same time, the perception of leadership quality improved significantly. Thus, digital communication will be an essential part of the new leadership culture in the new normal.

Corporate Responsibility

Corporate responsibility topics became more significant during the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit less so in a regional context. While the regional workforce has helped companies through the crisis, global suppliers are needed. Companies see corporate responsibility as a holistic concept. Different areas are worked on together.

A detailed overview of the study results can be found here (in German):
ZHAW Managers Survey Corona, digital Leadership und Corporate Responsibility(PDF 968,6 KB)

ZHAW Managers Survey – 2020

“Swiss companies in the Corona crisis”

In the first survey from April 7 to 13 2020, we wanted to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Swiss companies and thus contribute to a better understanding of the crisis. With over 200 managers from Swiss companies taking part, the response was very positive. We would like to thank all participants for their valuable inputs.

The Key Findings

One main reason for this is the sharp drop in demand, especially from abroad. Until the world market recovers, the crisis will not be over for Switzerland as a leading export nation.

Global Managers Survey

We are pleased that this study has met with great interest internationally and been accepted by various partner universities. In close cooperation with the International Management Institute, these universities are conducting the same study in their respective countries.

The following universities have already carried out the study:

• Czech Republic: University of Economics, Prague (VSE)
• Jordan: The University of Jordan
• Poland: SGH Warsaw School of Economics
• USA: UC Davis University of California

The following universities are currently running the survey:

• China: Hubei Normal University
• France: IÉSEG School of Management
• Turkey: Ostim Technical University
• UK: University of Leeds
• UK: Newcastle University Business School

If you would like to take part in future ZHAW Manager surveys you can register for these by registering here with your email: info.dib@zhaw.ch

Your participation does not only support research, but as well has an impact on economic policies, as we are working Expert Group of the Economics of the COVID-19 Tasksforce of the Swiss Federal government.