Can Portuguese management compete?
Survey of senior expatriate managers in Portugal

Survey of senior expatriate managers in Portugal

Can Portuguese management compete?

Executive summary
Portugal is much too bureaucratic and its managers, though hard-working, are not strategic or customer-focussed in their thinking and work poorly in teams, concludes this survey of the opinions of top foreign managers working in Portugal. What is more, Portuguese managers also surveyed generally agree with these conclusions.

Senior European managers in Portugal were questioned in an extensive survey carried out by headhunters Ad Capita International Search in Lisbon, together with one of Europe's top business schools, Cranfield School of Management. Foreign managers agree that key problems lie with top management, many of whom:

• Are autocratic and do not like working in team
• Do not focus on customer or shareholder needs
• Do not have a clear strategy

General management performance is also criticised. The majority of Portuguese managers:

• Are individualistic rather than co-operative
• Are not dedicated to excellent customer service
• Prefer not to plan their work
• Are too formal in their relationships and are obsessed with academic titles

Managers in Portugal work at least as hard as their European counterparts but are not concentrated in their work or efficient with their time. 82% of foreign managers believe that business is generally disorganised and inefficient.

The report concludes that the problem is urgent. The underlying cultural barriers to change are individualism and avoidance of responsibility, preventing team-working and common strategic goals. Management education is also poor. The key findings of the report are:

• A profound reform of management education and training is essential
• Business schools must compete seriously with the rest of Europe
• Younger managers and more advanced companies must help to force the extension of the best practice that does exist here in some sectors
• Business and industrial associations must end their indefensible regional divisions and lead a new spirit of associativity and team spirit in management.