divisions. According to our 2008 survey results, now 23 % of the executives said
that they intervene frequently and extensively in operations—in parallel to their
strategic management tasks (Fig. 1). Another 8 % characterized their involvement
as very frequent and very extensive. The trend started 2008 in the financial sector
due to the economic crisis, is evident in the industrial sector as well: one-third of
executives said their involvement in operations is frequent and extensive, another
10 % specify they intervene very frequently and very extensively, while one-third
say that they intervene occasionally/moderately in day-to-day business. All three
groups therefore require more operational information such as more about stock
inventory, product quality in detail, cycle times, customer complaints, etc. Based
on our 2009/2010 survey findings this remains constant. Thus, we named it the
‘‘new normal’’.