McKinsey Global Surveys

Conducting research with global executives on the pressing business, economic, and management issues they face.

Since 2004, McKinsey Global Publishing’s survey team has polled our panel of thousands of executives and managers to generate new and distinctive insights on today’s critical business topics. The findings from our surveys help business leaders to understand best practices, compare their companies’ ways of working and performance with a global benchmark, and make informed and effective decisions.

If you would like to participate in future surveys, please click here to apply for McKinsey’s survey panel.

Our Latest Survey Research

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Economic conditions outlook, September 2024

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Executives are less upbeat on current conditions than they were earlier this year, though cautiously optimistic about the months ahead. Political transitions are an increasing concern for countries’ economies.

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The age of AI

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Survey
Gen AI’s next inflection point: From employee experimentation to organizational transformation
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As many employees adopt generative AI at work, companies struggle to follow suit. To capture value from current momentum, businesses must transform their processes, structures, and approach to talent.
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Survey
The state of AI in early 2024: Gen AI adoption spikes and starts to generate value
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As generative AI adoption accelerates, survey respondents report measurable benefits and increased mitigation of the risk of inaccuracy. A small group of high performers lead the way.
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Article
Companies with innovative cultures have a big edge with generative AI
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It may not be surprising that innovative organizations are ahead on generative AI, but the degree to which they’re succeeding at deploying it might be. Five practices help them stay ahead of the pack.

Transforming the business for the future

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Survey
Better together: Three ways to boost board–CEO collaboration
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As the board’s role becomes ever more complicated, stronger partnership with management, especially the CEO, can help directors create the most value for their organizations.
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Survey
How to gain and sustain a competitive edge through transformation
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Our latest research confirms that a comprehensive approach to transformation, which enables mindset and behavior changes at scale, is crucial to success—including when it comes to outperforming peers.
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Survey
Five key questions to get a tech transformation right
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The most financially successful companies approach tech transformations differently from the rest, and their methods suggest a road map for success that others can follow.

Long-term perspectives on finance

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Survey
Tying short-term decisions to long-term strategy
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A new survey confirms the well-founded principles behind the allocation of resources for long-term value creation.
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Survey
CFOs’ balancing act: Juggling priorities to build resilience
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As surveyed CFOs concurrently manage defensive and growth-oriented considerations, they expect major changes in the months ahead and see two pivotal paths for strengthening their organizations.
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Survey
In the face of volatility, CFOs—and their organizations—adapt
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Our newest survey of CFOs finds that despite their growing concern over volatility and inflation, finance leaders plan to keep their organizations moving forward.

Economic sentiment

Image of purple abstract curve chart with the central line being brightly lit.
Survey
Economic conditions outlook, September 2024
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Executives are less upbeat on current conditions than they were earlier this year, though cautiously optimistic about the months ahead. Political transitions are an increasing concern for countries’ economies.
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Survey
Survey results: Expectations for company performance, by industry
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Respondents share more cautious expectations for their companies’ workforce size, but their expectations for customer demand and profits remain positive overall.
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Survey
Economic conditions outlook during turbulent times, 2023
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With geopolitical concerns the highest they have been all year, respondents’ views on the global economy continue to sour—but remain cautiously optimistic about economic conditions at home.

People in focus

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Survey
Stop wasting your most precious resource: Middle managers
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In the modern workplace, middle managers face many challenges. A new survey finds three areas where organizations can better support their managers and help them accomplish more.
Building workforce skills at scale to thrive during—and after—the COVID-19 crisis
Survey
Building workforce skills at scale to thrive during—and after—the COVID-19 crisis
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A new survey shows that skill building is becoming common practice, social and emotional skills are in demand, and there’s a recipe for successful skill transformations.
Psychological safety and the critical role of leadership development
Survey
Psychological safety and the critical role of leadership development
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While the benefits of psychological safety are well established, a new survey suggests how leaders, by developing specific skills, can create a safer and higher-performance work environment.

MORE INSIGHTS

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Survey
CEOs’ choice for growth: Building new businesses
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Business leaders and investors see now as an opportune time to build new businesses. New survey data reveals what’s really needed.
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Survey
The seven habits of programmatic acquirers
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Our latest research shows that programmatic acquirers continue to create value from this approach to M&A and identifies the capabilities and practices these companies use to deliver their M&A strategies.
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Survey
How to implement transformations for long-term impact
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When it comes to implementing large-scale organizational change, the most successful organizations commit themselves fully to the effort from start to finish.
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Survey
ESG momentum: Seven reported traits that set organizations apart
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Survey respondents reporting increased ESG impact say their organizations focus on both protecting and creating value.
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Survey
Into the storm: CFOs pivot to managing financial headwinds
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The latest McKinsey Global Survey shows that CFOs have been reshuffling priorities as the global economy grapples with a slew of financial risks.
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Survey
The state of AI in 2022—and a half decade in review
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The results of this year’s McKinsey Global Survey on AI show the expansion of the technology’s use since we began tracking it five years ago, but with a nuanced picture underneath.
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Survey
New-business building in 2022: Driving growth in volatile times
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A new global survey finds that new-business building can boost growth and value. However, to meet revenue expectations in the future, companies must dramatically increase their efforts.
The coronavirus effect on global economic sentiment
Survey
The coronavirus effect on global economic sentiment
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In the latest survey, inflation and geopolitical conflicts remain the top perceived economic risks, while concerns about energy volatility predominate in Europe.
Puzzle connection
Survey
Five ways to increase your board’s long-term impact
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Directors are spending more time on their work, yet few say their boards are better at creating long-term value. Survey data highlight the operating models that correlate most with value creation.
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Survey
Three new mandates for capturing a digital transformation’s full value
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Most organizations achieve less than one-third of the impact they expected from recent digital investments. What can companies learn from the best performers about how to beat the odds today?
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Survey
Prioritizing technology transformations to win
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Our latest IT survey confirms the accelerating pace of at-scale core technology transformations. The road map for success reflects the practices and capabilities of leading companies.

McKinsey’s Global Survey Panel is a community of more than 33,000 participants around the world. Members of the panel receive an exclusive first look at the survey results before they are published, as well as membership in a private LinkedIn group and immediate access to carefully curated McKinsey knowledge on the survey topic.

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About us

Heather Hanselman is a senior editor in McKinsey’s Atlanta office, and Daniella Seiler is an executive editor in the Washington, DC, office.