A generation of young men is wiped out or traumatized. Perhaps it is the collective dejection and the feeling that there is nothing left to lose that creates a phenomenal mood of upheaval and change. The 1920s are not only synonymous with fast beats and beguiling trumpet sounds, they are also a decade full of remarkable inventions. The following focus themes are considered here:

Medicine: The discovery of penicillin

In September 1928, Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming accidentally notices in the laboratory that a mold has a growth-inhibiting effect on his forgotten staphylococcus cultures. Further research later leads to the antibiotic penicillin, which will significantly increase human life expectancy. For his discovery, Fleming is awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945, together with Howard Walter Florey and Ernst Boris Chain, who continue his investigations, "for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases".

Standardization does valuable work for laboratory facilities and equipment, which is what makes it possible for instruments and materials to fit together and thus for an efficient process. For example, the introduction of standardized colors and connections for gases has ensured that the anesthesiologist does not confuse nitrous oxide, oxygen and nitrogen.

Physics: Albert Einstein receives the Nobel Prize

Because the young German Albert Einstein wants to study at today's ETH Zurich, he moves to Aarau at the age of 17, where he catches up on his school-leaving exams and then completes his studies with a diploma as a specialist teacher for mathematics and physics. Did he suspect at the time that he would later become the world's best-known scientist of modern times? After various research projects and publications, his path leads him to the patent office in Bern and on to teaching at various universities. In December 1922, Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize "for his services to theoretical physics, especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.

What do innovations have to do with standards?

Standards can serve as a catalyst for innovation and help anchor solutions more quickly in the market. Bringing aspects of an innovation into standardization to prepare the market for it can be crucial to market success. In particular, innovations that span industries and value chains are becoming increasingly significant. Standards bring further advantages:

• Standards as a catalyst for innovation: Standards can serve as a catalyst for innovation and help anchor solutions more quickly in the market. Bringing aspects of an innovation into standardization to prepare the market for it can be crucial to market success. In particular, innovations that reach across industries and value chains are becoming increasingly significant.
• Standards define interfaces and compatibility requirements: In today's networked world, clearly defined interfaces and compatibility between individual components and systems are more important than ever. Cross-border suppliers in particular must ensure that they continue to fit the operational requirements of the companies they supply in the age of Industry 4.0. Those who disregard standards can quickly be excluded from the market.
• Standards facilitate market access: Standards as the global language of technology reduce technical barriers to trade and facilitate the free movement of goods. Standards serve as door openers and promote exports: European standards (EN) open access to the EU internal market, international standards (ISO) to the world market. In Europe today, the principle applies to goods: one standard - one test - accepted everywhere.
• Standards serve to save costs: Standards enable efficiency increases and cost savings across all areas of the company, such as R&D (research and development), design, purchasing, manufacturing, and quality and systems engineering. In addition, standards enable more streamlined and cost-effective production, thus meeting consumers' desire for low-cost performance combined with good quality.
• Standards improve product safety: Standards define quality and minimum requirements and provide recognized solutions for the protection of consumers, health, safety and the environment. Compliance with quality and safety standards can demonstrably reduce the risk of accidents, making a major contribution to protecting the health of consumers and workers.
• Standards reduce the risk of product liability: Standards provide clarity about the properties of a product and are regarded as unambiguous and recognized rules of technology. In contracts, reference to standards provides increased legal certainty. In addition, laws, ordinances and regulations increasingly refer to national, European or international standards in order to adapt them to the state of technical development.

Picture gallery: Those were the 1920s

Sources: Wikipedia, Stern.de, The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum (Penicillin), ABB

100 years of SNV: Anniversary competition

As part of its 100th anniversary, SNV is organizing a competition every month. Answer the competition question and win attractive prizes.

https://www.snv.ch/de/100-jahre-snv/monatswettbewerb.html

Traditionally, leadership theories emphasize the importance of a clear, central and strong vision as well as a unified goal for employees. However, in addition to pure sales goals, goals are increasingly being formulated to help solve societal challenges - the risk of conflicting goals arising within the company is great. In order to do justice to different goals, the literature has so far recommended either separating them (e.g. by founding a new department), or developing a common identity within the company. But what if this is not possible because they are too opposed or too many? This is exactly what the researchers Ali Aslan Gümüsay from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and his colleagues investigated with a 2-year case study based on the foundation of the first Islamic bank in Germany and find an answer in the just published article in the Academy of Management Journal.

A question of interpretation

As the study authors make clear in their paper "God at work: engaging central and incompatible institutional logics through elastic hybridity," the incompatibility of religion, the teachings of Islam, and Western, conventional forms of banking seems particularly great in the case of the Islamic bank at first glance. "A major challenge for an Islamic bank is certainly the multicultural and different religious backgrounds of its employees. The preferences and attitudes on how an Islamic bank should position itself can vary greatly," says study author Gümüsay. To avoid conflicting goals, new ways were sought and found. The study reveals that leadership uses ambiguity and ambiguity for goal formulation, strategic positioning and mission statements, as well as in internal and external communications. "Ambiguity is not only used linguistically, but affects the entire identity," Gümüsay said. This should give employees the flexibility to better identify with the bank through appropriate personal interpretation. Instead of a clear balance between religion and market logic, the bank allowed employees to develop and work with a personal balance.

Set a sign

Gümüsay and his colleagues name two mechanisms for this that the bank took advantage of. Polysemy, literally "multiple signs," describes how managers deliberately cultivated ambiguity around the organizational goal and also used ambiguous visual and literal signs - be they symbols, images or terms. Slogans such as "Islamic. Meaningful. Handeln." specifically worked with the double meaning of the word 'handeln' for 'to do' on the one hand as well as 'to trade' on the other. The latter is a core element of Islamic banking due to the prohibition of interest.

The second mechanism is polyphony, literally "multiple voices," which allowed employees, through the use of different physical locations, flexible work schedules, and multilingualism, to be individually more or less religious and thus experience the bank differently in terms of religion and profit focus.

Bending without breaking

"The interplay of these two mechanisms makes it possible for very different attitudes, opinions, values and practices to be lived out in the bank at the same time, but for the bank to still create unity in diversity," explains Gümüsay. The authors call this dynamic balance elastic hybridity. The organization represents a hybrid with different goals, achieving resilience and being able to "bend without breaking" in its vision and practices, creating unity through ambiguity. "The study also has policy implications about the extent to which societies can create and maintain unity in diversity. When neither fragmentation of society into 'divisions' nor homogeneous identity is possible, polysemy and polyphony offer the possibility of including diversity. Societies thus become elastic and can better deal with diversity without giving up their unity," according to the authors.

The results of the study are based on a more than 24-month study for which the authors analyzed 60 days of ethnographic observations, 73 interviews, and 1350 documents.

Source: Vienna University of Economics and Business

Job satisfaction and stress vary depending on the person, qualification, function and company. Working conditions and work climate influence individual motivation to work, as do perceptions of trust, recognition and prospects. Participation in operational developments and successes are also motivating factors for employees. Last but not least, external criteria influence the mood at work, for example health, standard of living, sense of community and time autonomy.

Employees criticize work situation

Apparently, work and life satisfaction are closely linked, but often not in balance. In a wide variety of surveys, there are numerous criticisms from employees about uncoordinated collaboration, unplanned work interruptions, excessive time pressure, too much overtime and reduced compatibility with private life. Feelings of exploitation, lack of information and opportunistic superiors are also repeatedly complained about, as are concentration problems, fear of making mistakes, exhaustion and insomnia. In addition, foreseeable changes in the world of work have a stressful effect on many employees: automation, digitization and rationalization of tasks and work processes.

Compensatory measures

It is obvious that such working conditions reduce the motivation and productivity of many employees. Institutions and companies that are committed to more balanced working conditions for their employees have a competitive advantage. A prerequisite for success-oriented workplace health promotion and stress prevention is knowledge of the employee's condition and personal needs: for example, self-development, performance, development, success and recognition, but also health, social commitment, family, friends and enjoyment of life. In employee surveys, suitable compensatory measures against various stress factors can be validated in addition to the company constitution and needs.

The following list does not claim to be exhaustive:

1. Integrating project and schedule planning;
2. Processes of schedule adjustment and co-determination;
3. Information rules of cooperation;
4. Transparent interface management;
5. Shorter meetings while standing instead of sitting;
6. Screened office workstations;
7. Home office options and rules;
8. Commuter-friendly work hours;
9. Deployment and overtime management, and much more.

Involving employees provides those responsible with an accepted basis for effective compensatory measures. It is important that they can be applied easily and transparently in the individual work areas. The result will be fewer absences and fluctuation, more focus and identification on the part of the employees.

Backlog

The results of the mentioned study were published in October 2018. Further information is available here and here (incl. interactive graphic). Other Studies Although they paint a more positive picture of job satisfaction, they also see a need to catch up in many areas when it comes to workplace health promotion.

Author:
Jens Feger is the owner of Feger Marketing, www.fegermarketing.ch

The digital transformation in Swiss companies is not yet as far advanced as it could actually be. Roger Eric Gisi, entrepreneur and founder of Swiss expert and market platforms on cloud computing, IT security, CRM/ERP, energy and digitization, believes that too many entrepreneurs are still under an illusion. They believe they are "digitized"; in fact, most companies do not yet have sufficient digital maturity.

Isn't your statement a bit provocative, Mr. Gisi? Is the situation really that bad? We're making quite good progress in Switzerland, aren't we?
Well - I'm asking the question - but yes, it's deceptive. On the digital transformation, decision-makers in the Swiss economy are deluding themselves about the progress their companies are making. It is only thanks to a customer focus that is really well centered in some cases that it is possible to channel customer wishes into digital projects and ultimately products and to implement them quickly on an individual, selective basis. Nevertheless, executives assess the digital transformation of their organization significantly differently than those responsible for implementing new technologies. They are mistaken about the status, the digital maturity of their company.

What is missing, then, for companies to anticipate this change or simply successfully create digitization?
Well, the digital economy is a seamless process landscape. This also means that in traditional business, the problems are already at the process level in many companies. The result: lack of flexibility, poor efficiency, insufficient customer orientation, rampant bureaucracy, exploding costs, growing complexity. With Internet computing as the computing model for a digital economy, the barriers to new organizational solutions with highly streamlined processes have fallen. But: the culture change, changes and tackling of new business models must be pushed much harder. The possibilities of new technologies would drive this, but the will to change is missing. The prospect of something truly new, measured against other economies, needs to be promoted much more strongly in all organizations and levels, so that we are better off digitally for the future.

What does that mean for companies in concrete terms? What do they have to tackle and which projects do they have to implement? You are appealing to digital platforms, what do you mean by that?
Yes, platforms are a central infrastructure of a digital economy and their importance will increase strongly. Because they are Internet-based, they are an important tool of the digital economies, and these in turn create new market structures through their economies of scale, scope and networks. We now know from studies and research that the more digitally mature a company is, the more it uses platforms itself, whether for infrastructure or market development. And these companies are equally aware of the importance and value of these platforms in achieving their business goals. But just: All these impacts of AI, IoT, predictive analytics and blockchain on the economy and society, even if they are so enormous and have the potential of digital solutions to improve competitiveness, are still paid far too little attention by decision-makers in Switzerland compared to other economies in Northern and Eastern Europe or in Asia. After all, computerization only becomes digitization when processes, products and services in their value chains can be digitally mapped in models, i.e. digital twins. That's what I mean by platforms and that we have to learn how to use these technologies properly in order to optimize existing business models and create new ones.

Once these platforms are in place, how can they be successfully operated yes further developed?
The technology requirements of companies are becoming more complex. Not only do they need new platforms and systems on which new innovative services can be built seamlessly and securely, but they also need an enterprise-wide shift in mindset. In this landscape, a culture of continuous learning and agility will then accelerate digital transformation across the enterprise. As a result, new subject areas, applications and solutions will emerge and platforms can be used for all sorts of purposes and businesses. Economies of scale and multiplication must be driven in a targeted manner. In this way, profits will soon fall on the relatively low marginal costs. In in-house production, infrastructure platforms enable significant quality improvements and much faster time to market, as well as more accurate knowledge about customer needs. If this expertise and data is systematically fed back, functions and services can be continuously expanded and adapted to specific customer segments.

More information: "Digitale Schweiz" / "Digital Switzerland

Do you want to improve your leadership skills? Then ask yourself the following question from time to time: "Why should someone want to be led by me?"

Leading and being led

I know that the answer is often not easy. And it doesn't only refer to formal managers, but to every human being: It should matter to you that people want to follow you (and horses and dogs, too, if that's your passion). Whether you like it or not, leadership is influencing toward positive outcomes.

I used to dance seriously for a long time. There it is the case that the men have the leadership responsibility on the floor (at least when I danced). I never met a dance partner who thought weak, unclear leadership was good - on the contrary. (Important: This is about not around gender roles!)

Three tips for the essence of good leadership

That's how we all feel: We are happier and achieve more when we lead ourselves and others well. So what does that mean exactly? Here are three important reminders that many people forget from time to time:

1. Self-Leadership. Leadership begins within yourself. You can never lead others better than you do for yourself. This includes, among other things, clarity about your own goals, consistency in implementation and recognition of success.
2. Clarity. The number one criterion for good leadership is clarity: clarity about goals, clarity about "why," clarity about first steps, clarity about decisions, clarity about values, clarity about everything. The quality of leadership is directly proportional to the clarity of the leader.
3. Consequence. This comes right after clarity: bad leadership is often characterized by a lack of consistency, by "egging on", by delays. Attention: Consistency starts with yourself (see point 1). If you are lax to yourself, you cannot expect consistency from others.

Extra tip: Rate yourself on each of the three points on a scale of 1-10. How good are you really at it? Then have others rate your leadership. Again, you don't have to be a formal manager to do this.

 Well then, let's increase the quality of leadership together! The world needs it more than ever.

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch

Microsoft works with various implementation partners in Switzerland. One important business partner is also the Oftringen-based company GIA Informatik AG.

Marianne Janik, what are the reasons for the partnership between Microsoft Switzerland and GIA Informatik AG?
Microsoft is a technology platform provider and has worked closely with business partners since its inception. GIA Informatik is a long-standing partner and has the expertise and confidence to advise its customers on their technology decisions. Especially in today's era of digitalization, such partnerships are more important than ever to jointly innovate and transform the Swiss market for the future needs of our customers.

Why is this collaboration a benefit for you?
GIA Informatik has trained professionals and customer relationships that Microsoft Switzerland, as a sales company, could not build or maintain on its own. We work closely together to provide Swiss customers with the services and advice they expect and need to derive maximum benefit from the technologies available today.

Why is the reputation of the cadre crucial in a partnership?
Technology is taking on an increasingly important role in our society. For us, trends such as artificial intelligence and cloud services mean taking more responsibility for the intended use of these technologies and the data processed. The reputation of the cadre of both companies is elementary so that our customers continue to place their trust in us and our products and services. "Ethics & Compliance" are essential foundations for Microsoft and our partners.

How valuable are the IT services of GIA Informatik AG for your company to position itself on the market?
In terms of consulting, conception and integration of Microsoft technologies, they are indispensable. Only through a close customer relationship can we respond to specific needs and bring technology developments to advantage.

How important do you consider corporate strategy to be for IT companies to survive on the market?
A corporate strategy derived from the vision is an important basis for every successful company. It enables targeted operational planning of all activities. At the same time, it gives employees and business partners the opportunity to orient themselves to it and to implement all measures in a targeted manner.

GIA Informatik AG celebrated its 30th anniversary in the fall of 2018. Why are anniversaries important for companies?
They are proof of sustainable customer relationships, resulting from careful and future-oriented corporate planning. Such an anniversary is a testimony to success that any company can be proud of.

What are your partnership goals for the near and distant future?
Innovation cycles in IT are getting faster and faster and the digital (r)evolution requires the entire ecosystem to rethink the way we drive our business. At Microsoft, we want to walk this path together with our business partners by not only fulfilling our role as a technology company, but also by accompanying our partners in the development of the associated new business models.

More information: GIA Informatik AG, Microsoft

The basic prerequisite for the use of AI to become a success for companies is customer acceptance. The digital consultancy elaboratum suisse has therefore developed a Study on the acceptance of artificial intelligence using the example of AI-supported online services in the financial services and insurance industry. The survey of 633 Swiss citizens showed: Young, high-income Swiss are particularly open to artificial intelligence. To increase acceptance, companies should make the initial use of AI as simple as possible and provide customers with strategic support. After all, their positive attitude toward AI increases significantly once they have already used it.

Experienced users are more open-minded

Interestingly, more than half of the consumers do not even know whether they have ever had anything to do with artificial intelligence. It seems to be difficult for the test persons to even recognize artificial intelligence in customer service on websites. As the study shows, only 28 percent of all subjects who have not yet had any contact with AI have a positive attitude toward AI. The figure for experienced users is quite different: 49 percent of them said they were open to artificial intelligence. But who are these users who already use AI and have a positive attitude toward it? The study shows that those responsible for AI services should focus on younger, male or high-income customer segments.

Most important acceptance criteria for AI: quality and data protection

But what factors increase the acceptance of artificial intelligence? According to the study, quality and data protection are the most important acceptance criteria for online services with artificial intelligence. The respondents also attach great importance to ease of use and user-friendliness. In terms of implementation, companies can establish good user guidance for a chatbot, for example, by means of predefined response options so that users do not have to interact exclusively via more complex free-text entries. Also important: Since only a few users currently trust an AI rather than a human, companies should counter user skepticism with explanations and the combination of services with a human contact as a fallback solution. Nevertheless, AI is not to be considered absolutely defeated in the question of trust. Even though the majority of users clearly trust a human more, it is astonishing that more than a third already trust AI and humans equally. Study author Marco Schulz, Director elaboratum suisse GmbH, emphasizes: "There is huge potential here for meaningful and customer-centric AI services that meet with broader acceptance."

Artificial intelligence in customer service: five tips

 What can Swiss companies learn from the study results? And what should they consider if they want to introduce artificial intelligence? elaboratum gives five tipshow the introduction can succeed:

1. No use without use: Companies should not offer an AI service just for the sake of AI. The customer does not use a service just because AI is above it. The focus must therefore be on the benefit of the service for the customer! This can be a faster processing of his inquiry or the immediate, appropriate answer of a service chatbot at 11 p.m. at night.
2. Man and machine - things work better together: Customers trust a human contact person much more than artificial intelligence. E-commerce companies should therefore convey to the customer that there is an employee at the end of the service who will check a conspicuous result again or to whom the chatbot will divert a muddled dialog in time. Co-study author Claudia Brinkmann, Senior Consultant at elaboratum, advises: "The desire of many test persons to have the option of contacting an additional human contact person in addition to the interaction with the AI should already be taken into account by companies during the requirements analysis and planning of AI-supported services."
3. AI does not replace the user experience (UX): For services that integrate AI, the same applies as for other online services and functions: Design and implement in a customer-centric way. In order to develop high-quality AI services, a combination of meaningful AI integration, holistic thinking in customer journeys, and good user experience is crucial. This combination is often not trivial, as the disciplines are already sufficiently complex when considered individually.
4. Quality and data protection - dream team for more acceptance: As the study presented above shows, quality and data protection are the most important acceptance criteria for online services with AI for the customer. Although this is also the case for services without AI, companies should take their customers' concerns seriously: For example, customers tend to react with surprise and uncertainty when a chatbot in the customer portal refers to existing contracts or purchases already made. Even if this information about customers is available in the customer portal, companies should carefully check whether all technical implementation options regarding personal data are really mandatory in the first step.
5. This product may contain traces of AI: Am I actually dealing with AI now? Almost half of all respondents in the survey stated that they often do not know whether they have already used a service with AI or not. Therefore, when using a chatbot, for example, companies should inform the customer at the beginning of the communication that they are using AI with this tool. If the customer knows that the person they are talking to is merely a machine, they are more likely to look past it if an answer sounds a bit rude or unwieldy. They are also more likely to forgive a bot for a misunderstood question. But beware: the information alone does not entitle the e-commerce company to try the customer's patience. If a customer repeats his question, the chatbot should recognize the repetition and then either admit its limited knowledge or hand over the conversation to a service employee.

The study shows that customers often have a misconception about artificial intelligence and its potential applications. Those who educate their customers and accompany them during initial use can significantly increase acceptance of their AI services. This is an important first step toward being able to exploit the potential of AI in the future.

Source: www.elaboratum.ch

The Internet of Things (IoT) is of particular interest for the further development of facility services at ISS. For example, individual rooms or entire properties can be equipped with intelligent sensors. The data collected can be used to analyze and optimize building management more comprehensively.

Sparring partner in the IoT sector

In order to intensify the development in the area of smart facility services, Hivemind and ISS Switzerland have entered into a partnership as of the beginning of February 2019. From this, the service provider for facility management expects a continuous dialog with a strong, specialized sparring partner in order to develop digital solution concepts in the facility management sector in collaboration and to launch them for customers in the future. "Thanks to the experience of Hivemind's technology specialists and our Digital Transformation team, coupled with our expertise in facility management, we have the best prerequisites for implementing smart solutions for our customers. Our headquarters in Zurich serves as a real environment to test and implement the solutions developed," says Giuseppe Cristofaro, Managing Director Sales and Business Development at ISS Switzerland. And he adds: "Thanks to this cooperation and our internal set-up, we, as market leader, make an important contribution to the further development and customer-oriented improvement of facility management on a national and international level."

Service Champion meets Tech Champion

Hivemind is a Swiss technology company that develops IoT services and supports companies and cities in their digital transformation. For the simple and secure management of smart devices, connectivity and sensor data, the technology company offers an IoT platform that enables the rapid market introduction of innovative and digital technologies. Developed in Switzerland, the Hivemind solution meets the highest data protection standards and works with state-of-the-art security mechanisms. The fact that the developers work in Switzerland is particularly valuable for the collaboration. "Hivemind gains an important strategic partner through the cooperation with ISS Switzerland. We are pleased to be able to support ISS Switzerland in the implementation of new smart business models. As part of the further development and continuous improvement of our smart facility solution, we benefit from ISS Switzerland's many years of experience. Through the close cooperation, we gain important insights into the needs and requirements in facility management," says Vikram Bhatnagar, CEO Hivemind AG.

Source: www.iss.ch. More information about Hivemind is available in this article from ORGANISATOR 1-2/2019

Continuum AG has been advising and supporting medium-sized and larger companies in their long-term development and helping families to solve their challenges in the succession process for 16 years. In addition to Zurich, the company has existed in St.Gallen since 2013 with Partner & Location Manager Rolf Brunner and Senior Manager Stefan Schneider. Starting in February, Matt Moser will join the team as Associate Partner and expand the network into the region of Northwestern Switzerland. Matt Moser has broad experience in management consulting, with a focus on, among other things, financing structuring as well as supporting boards of directors. In addition, he already brings a broad range of experience to his consulting work.

Growing up in Lenzburg and Wynental, Matt Moser first completed an apprenticeship as a bank clerk followed by various international further education courses in the fields of
Finance and Risk Management. He has many years of experience in corporate finance, especially in the mortgage and credit area. From 1984 to 2012, he worked for Credit Suisse in Switzerland and abroad. His profound knowledge in the creation and implementation of financial models and scenario analyses for corporate succession will beneficially complement Continuum AG's range of services for our clients.

Rolf Brunner, who has been assisting companies in development and succession processes as a partner in St.Gallen for six years, is pleased about the reinforcement: "The already wide
Continuum AG's field of expertise is ideally complemented by the addition of Matt Moser."

www.continuum.ch

A strong and open corporate culture is one of the most important topics for boards of directors to have dealt with in the last 12 months - and will be prioritized even more in the future. This is shown by the swissVR Monitor I/2019, compiled by the swissVR association together with the consulting firm Deloitte and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Topics are constantly changing

While topics such as talent and compliance have lost importance, the topic of corporate culture, which was surveyed for the first time, makes it straight into the top 10 - displacing risk management. Strategic topics such as digitalization, competitive behavior and transactions have also gained in importance among Swiss boards of directors over the past 12 months. "The issues that boards of directors have to deal with are changing rapidly. Strategies are now being adjusted at ever shorter intervals. Such strategic changes in direction require an equally rapid alignment of corporate culture. Today, boards of directors need to place issues such as culture even higher on their agenda," said Reto Savoia, designated CEO of Deloitte Switzerland. "The swissVR Monitor shows that the role model function of management is absolutely central to the culture and thus the success of a company. I see it as one of the most urgent tasks of the board of directors to keep a close eye on culture and compliance and to take corrective action, even if the numbers are right."

Corporate culture as a competitive advantage

For almost two-thirds of the board members surveyed (64%), a good, open corporate culture is an important competitive advantage and driver of corporate success. However, more than one-third of the respondents (36%) tend not to adapt the corporate culture at all or not at all in the case of strategic realignments. This may also be due to the fact that boards of directors see the responsibility for corporate culture clearly with the CEO and management: For the vast majority (88%) of respondents, it is clear that corporate culture is predominantly shaped by management. They should do this - according to around 67% of respondents - by exemplifying the values of the company ("Tone at the Top").

"Digital transformation and innovation are a critically important competitive advantage today. For sustainable corporate success, it is important that the board of directors shapes a corporate culture that not only promotes change but also demands it from employees. In addition to shared values and an open culture of discussion, this includes empowering and motivating employees to explore new paths - and this across all levels of the company," explains Cornelia Ritz Bossicard, President swissVR.

Internal and external observations important

Board members want to assess the corporate culture. They particularly like to rely on employee surveys (74%) or on impressions gained from company visits and interactions with employees (65%). They have great confidence in being able to make a good personal assessment of the corporate culture without themselves being active in day-to-day operations. In some cases, external assessments are also consulted: The company's reputation in the media and among the general public (41%) and impressions from feedback from customers and suppliers (31%).

Economic outlook clouds over

The board members surveyed see clouds gathering in the economic sky. In the last swissVR Monitor (summer 2018), fewer respondents had already given a positive assessment of the outlook than a year ago today. This time, their share has almost halved again from 54% to 28%. At the same time, the proportion of neutral and negative assessments has increased. The significantly more pessimistic picture overall is therefore relatively close to the economic outlook in the swissVR Monitor from the beginning of 2017. The mood of uncertainty worldwide seems to have reached the boards of directors.

However, respondents are somewhat more confident about the prospects for their own industry and, above all, their own business. Still 42% instead of 46% assess their respective industry prospects positively. 14% (six months ago: 10%) believe that worse times lie ahead for their industry. Overall, therefore, there is a slight but clear negative trend. When it comes to assessing their own business, however, the picture is quite different: surveyed board members continue to be predominantly optimistic about the prospects for their business (59% compared with 60% in the last survey). This has hardly changed in the last four editions of the swissVR Monitor.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Lengwiler, lecturer at the Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and Vice President of swissVR: "The more pessimistic assessment of future economic development that has become apparent within six months makes one sit up and take notice. Apparently, geopolitical tensions and negative reports from companies are leading to serious concerns. An economic downturn would increase the pressure on companies and further accelerate the digital transformation. Those organizations that also take cultural aspects into account in strategic realignments would score points. Boards of directors would therefore do well to think more deeply about the current corporate culture and possible changes to be introduced for the future success of the company."

Source: Deloitte

Matthias Rebellius is the new CEO of Siemens Switzerland. He is also Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Smart Infrastructure (SI), the new operating company of Siemens AG. From April 2019, SI's global headquarters in Zug will manage the company's 70,000 employees worldwide who work in building services and power distribution. With a business volume of around €14 billion (pro forma figures), SI is one of the world's largest industrial headquarters based in Switzerland.

"Siemens has already been active in Switzerland for 125 years," says Matthias Rebellius. "Thanks to our broad portfolio and our expertise in digitalization, we will continue to play a formative role here in the decades to come. In addition, the fact that we manage Smart Infrastructure's global business from Zug is of course very positive for our country."

Matthias Rebellius has headed the globally active Siemens Building Technologies Division (BT) for the past four years. Under his leadership, the building technology activities have developed into one of the most important earnings drivers of Siemens AG. Rebellius, who has a degree in engineering, had already worked in Switzerland for almost ten years. Rebellius then worked in the U.S. from 2012 to 2015, where he was responsible for BT's business in the Americas region as a whole.

Siemens employs more than 5700 people at over 20 locations in Switzerland, making it one of the country's largest industrial employers. The company has a strong market position in this country, particularly in the areas of building and energy technology, industrial automation and drive technology, rail automation, and road traffic and medical technology.

www.siemens.ch