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How companies act on global trends: A McKinsey Global Survey

• Almost 70 percent of executives around the world say that global social, environmental, and business trends are increasingly important to corporate strategy, according to a McKinsey survey. Yet relatively few companies act on the global trends they think will affect them most; among those that do act, only 17 percent report significant benefits.
• One reason might be underinvestment in trends. For instance, many companies that pursue growing consumer segments in emerging markets build operations there but don’t develop lower-cost products.
• Companies that don’t act on trends they think will be important cite a shortage of skills and resources, higher strategic priorities, or a lack of possible responses to these trends.