The Global Economy

IACCM today issued the results of its first survey on the state of the global economy.

With so many experts and pundits weighing in on whether the recession has reached the bottom, whether recovery has yet started, the IACCM team decided it was time to ask the experts. With the dramatic growth in IACCM membership – now past the 13,000 mark – together with its global and cross-industry presence, it is a unique community. And here, we felt, was a golden opportunity to get it noticed!

IACCM members are at the heart of negotiating and managing contract relationships. They have a direct finger on the pulse when it comes to the level and nature of business activity. And intriguingly, unlike other surveys, they offer views from both sides of the negotiating table – buyers and sellers.

The membership showed a high level of interest, with strong participation in this inaugural survey (next time we are sure it will be more). It offered a robust insight to variations between geography and industry. We know that many members will communicate the results to top management, raising the understanding that internal contracts and negotiation groups possess some areas of key knowledge.

More generally, this study is part of a concerted effort by IACCM to raise the profile and visibility of contracts and negotiations experts. With growing focus on contracting by major governments, as well as by many corporate executives, the community has a unique opportunity to be noticed and to gain increased investment in its professional development.

(For those who missed it, the survey confirmed that most feel the economy has stablised and a majority expect growth over the next 3 – 6 months. However, Europe is significantly less optimistic than other regions and the picture varies substantially between different industries.)