Article at a glance:

The McKinsey Global Survey of Business Executives , March 2004

Executives around the world believe that the global economy has improved over the past six months, but many think the improvement will level off during the next six. The economy tops more executive agendas than any other topic, although the hunt for talent and the sustainability of consumer spending are also significant issues. These are among the results of a January 2004 McKinsey Quarterly survey of some 7,300 executives—12 percent of them CEOs—from 115 countries. A summary of the results offers a barometer on senior management's top concerns.

The take-away

Executives regard outsourcing as beneficial, but more for entire economies than for individual companies. Asia is considered the region with the most promising growth prospects in the upcoming year, and executives agree that national policies on foreign direct investment are important to their investment decisions. Finally, executives around the globe expect that the pace of merger activity will continue to increase.