Research Reports

At the Centre for Executive Education (CEE), our mission is to assist leaders in the commercial, public, and non-profit sectors towards developing their readiness to survive and thrive in the post-pandemic era of a digital-driven world of work. Together with our research affiliate, the Disruptive Leadership Institute (DLI), which places cutting-edge research at its core, we produce rigorous, independent thinking to offer fresh perspectives on managing the leadership and organizational challenges in a highly disruptive and everchanging workplace of the future.

Combining the power of innovative research techniques with a deep understanding of our client’s industries, our team of researchers and analysts from our extended global network of established human resource management and executive development consulting firms, including our strategic partner, Executive Development Associates (EDA), we publish best practices and benchmarking research reports, articles and points of view every year. EDA’s thought-provoking biennial Report on Trends in Executive Development allows us to offer real-world solutions for our clients.

Research Report on “Crisis Leadership Lessons Learned from the Front Lines: Navigating the Disruptive Leadership Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic & the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) at the Workplace”

Overview

The leadership skills of the future should be built on what was needed in the past years – the ‘human’ side of leadership, including compassion, empathy humility, and vulnerability.

In our global research, interviews with CEOs, c-suite and business by the team of c-suite executive coaches and organizational development consultants from the Centre for Executive Education (CEE) in collaboration with the Disruptive Leadership Institute (DLI) have uncovered exemplary leaders who have been able to manage effectively the various crises impacting their organizations. They have demonstrated the competencies, behaviors and traits of a “C.R.I.S.I.S.” leader result in the development of the “C.R.I.S.I.S.” Leadership Model.

Leaders can no longer shy away from leading in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environment as our latest research has revealed and will be published in the upcoming book “Leadership in Disruptive Times: Negotiating the New Balance” (Business Expert Press, 2023).

Data collection included both qualitative and quantitative analyses conducted in the 2nd Half of 2022. Our research team held in-depth interviews with over 529 C-suite executives (CEOs and their direct reports) around the world (North America, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), and APAC (Asia-Pacific) and identified the top disruptive global trends that senior leaders anticipate affecting their organizations and also the specific plans implemented to address the crises resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the technological revolution & innovative disruptive technologies impact at the workplace.

Further details of the research is available here.

2021 – 2024 Trends in Executive Development Report

Overview

It turns out we can be very innovative and adaptive – when we have to be. That is one of the great lessons from the tumultuous 2020 that is revealed in the trends research. As organizations everywhere were reeling with the impact of the global pandemic, it sparked innovation, because for many if they did not adapt quickly, they would not survive. This innovation spark even impacted those who were suddenly in growth mode due to an in-demand service or product that suddenly rose to high priority in the lives of the homebound masses.

The Trends Report is about leadership at the top, what it takes to get there, and what companies need from their executives today and in the next few years. As we share our insights, please keep in mind that it is impossible to analyze trends without looking back as well as forward to the coming years and outward to the social, business, and governmental landscape.

This is a vital time to think about what is needed, because, great leadership is always important, but when in a crisis, it is crucial. We saw this during the pandemic as some leaders did an exceptional job immediately and others took longer, but all were stretched beyond anything imagined, and there is a lot to learn from this experience.

For further details on the Report, visit here.

2020 – 2021 Quarterly Research Briefing on Future of Work

Overview

The future of work is now. Digitalization and globalization have sparked radical shifts in how we live and work. The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has accelerated these beyond anything we could have imagined.

The Disruptive Leadership Institute (DLI) Quarterly Research Briefing Series published exclusively for our clients, provide policymakers, business leaders, and academician a fact base to stimulate discussion on the future of work which is a key contemporary area of debate both in business and management research, but also in wider social, political and economic discourse.

Each Briefing Note includes global issues including the ageing workforce, gig economy, workplace automation, changing forms of business ownership, and of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is all regularly the subject of debate in both academic research and the mainstream media, with wider professional and public policy implications.

Contact Us if you wish to have further information on the DLI Quarterly Research Briefing Series.

The 2019 Trends in Executive Development Report

Overview

After more than 30 years of research and reports, the Trends in Executive Development Benchmark Report published by Executive Development Associates Inc. (EDA) has become a trusted resource and industry benchmark created for talent and leadership development professionals as well as executives who believe in developing their organization’s talent in a way that they become a competitive advantage.

The 2019 study was based on the direct input of those who oversee the development of the organization’s leaders for 270 medium and large organizations as well as the insights and analysis of executive development experts and executives. Our team of contributors has decades of combined expertise across an array of business landscapes.

The 2019 survey results identify both current and future trends impacting the executive development industry, some of which have made the list in years past, while others have come to the forefront in this year’s research. The top 5 current factors influencing executive development, as identified by the organizations surveyed, include:

  1. changing business strategies,
  2. digital transformation,
  3. economic conditions,
  4. changing customer requirements, and
  5. the need for increased innovation.

In addition, the top 5 future trends include a focus on business ethics and integrity, innovation, cognitive readiness, community outreach, and competitive positioning. More importantly, a collective look at the trends points toward an overall need pause and review what is working and what isn’t and make the appropriate adjustments.

The Executive Summary is available upon request here.

For further details on the Report, visit here.

The Press Release could be viewed here.

2015 Inspiring Your Future Workforce Report

Overview

The “Inspiring Your Future Workforce: How to Lead and Engage Gen Y and Z Effectively” Research Report highlighted the attributes that distinguish Gen Z and Gen Y employees from a talent management perspective. This study provides an insightful picture and practical recommendations of what Singapore employers can use to inspire, motivate and engage this newest generation as part of their overall talent recruitment and retention strategy.

The study queried both Gen Y and Z respondents whose views were obtained via an online survey and the results further validated during focus group interviews. The study both confirmed and dispelled stereotypes about Gen Y who are also known as the Millennials – who increasingly are making up a larger part of today’s workforce; and also shed new insights on Gen Z who are on the verge of joining the corporate world.

The Executive Summary is available upon request here.
The Press Release could be viewed here.
The Media TV Interview on ChannelNews Asia (CNA) could be viewed here.
The Media Radio Interview on MediaCorp CNA 938 LIVE could be heard here.