Academics in management – Germany's hidden advantage

2012

German companies are admired around the world for their success in these times of globalization and economic and financial crisis. This is partly thanks to German managers and their excellent training. For top managers, it is a big advantage to be from Germany.

For the study "Academics in management – Germany's hidden advantage", experts from Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and Innsbruck University examined the educational careers of 181 DAX managers, asked them about their experiences and compared them with companies' demands on future managers.

The result: The skills of the top managers stand in strong contrast to the demands that companies place on their next generation of young managers. Most of the managers hold doctorates and have research experience, but only around 14% gathered practical experience during their studies.

Yet this work experience is just what companies consider to be so important today. That's why the experts at Roland Berger advise rethinking recruiting strategies and making the education system more flexible, in order to keep Germany a preferred place to become a manager.