Workforce, environment, inclusion, digitization and artificial intelligence are the main issues that CEOs and industry leaders analyze on their agenda of priorities, where, apart from what would be expected due to the massive publicity it has received in the last year, the metaverse lags far behind ESG strategies at most global companies.
And it is that, according to the 2022 CEO Survey: The Year Perspectives Changed , directors and senior executives of brands are changing their social focus and moving away from the virtual trend, with at least 63 percent of those surveyed consider that the metaverse is not yet a stable technological tool that could be key in their organization, although they do not highlight its scalability in the future, while 74 percent believe that commitment to areas of a social nature is the way to do more attractive companies in the eyes of investors.
For managers, increased environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts and sustainability is the true differentiator that will create value in the eyes of consumers in 2022 and 2023. In fact, 80 percent intend to to focus the functional performance and the general quality of its processes with values of ethical and moral impact.
However, while the ubiquitous metaverse is slowly closing in on connected users, global CEOs seem to be shrugging it off for now and want to wait to measure its true impact before considering injecting assets into its implementation. And although the majority do expect to see results in the medium and long term, 12 percent of the leaders believe that the metaverse will not play any role in the companies they lead or that this technology will not be applicable to their business in particular.
“ 2022 is a year that has changed the perception of CEOs in an extraordinarily remarkable way. The pandemic has gradually brought to the surface a plethora of far-reaching social trends, such as the need to implement changes at work or the fragility of global supply chains. The war in Russia and Ukraine has also amplified the macroeconomic factors that are hitting CEOs hard, particularly inflation,” explains Mark Raskino, Distinguished Research Vice President at Gartner.
In this regard, the study highlights inflation as the main concern in the industry, with 62 percent of the CEOs interviewed envisioning a long-term global financial conflict; 51 percent willing to respond to inflation with price increases; and 22 percent are confident that increased productivity and efficiency can mitigate the impact of this problem on their business.
In contrast, CEOs do consider Artificial Intelligence (AI) among their main implementations as the technology that could change the future of their companies. According to the executives, in addition to innovative experiences, this tool will urgently help address digitization, cybersecurity and talent retention issues.
“’ What’s new is in the eye of the beholder. Neither digitization nor e-commerce, in second and fourth place respectively, are very new in relative terms. However, these are technologies that many business leaders still perceive as new and disruptive in their situations”, warns Raskino.
Among Gartner’s recommendations to CEOs, the report emphasizes “plan ahead for concepts that can take many years to deliver substantial value to an enterprise at scale,” while keeping an eye on research and small forays that can offer “business ideas specific to your industry.”
For managers, increased environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts and sustainability is the true differentiator that will create value in the eyes of consumers in 2022 and 2023. In fact, 80 percent intend to to focus the functional performance and the general quality of its processes with values of ethical and moral impact. You can check more information here ESG software reporting.