Newsbyte: Businesses Leading in Digital Transformation Derive Greater Value from Diversity, According to Research from SAP and Oxford Economics

News provided by

Oct 27, 2016, 09:00 ET

WALLDORF, Germany, Oct. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --SAP NEWSBYTE — SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and Oxford Economics today released new research findings at the Tech Inclusion 2016 Conference, revealing executives of U.S. companies that have transformed their business to succeed in the digital economy are more likely to see the cultural value and positive financial impact that a diverse workforce has on their business.

Analysis of U.S. companies in the Leaders 2020 study affirms the business benefits of diversity, showing a correlation between those who are leading in digital transformation and those who have a heightened understanding of the importance of diversity.

The study finds that nearly half of executives at U.S. companies who are digital leaders have a positive view of diversity's impact:

49 percent of executives believe diversity has a positive impact on the company's culture
44 percent recognize diversity's positive impact on financial performance
Among U.S. companies that lack the technology, processes or workforce required to be a fully digital business, there is greater skepticism about the benefits of diversity:
42 percent of executives and 43 percent of employees believe their companies have effective diversity programs in place
24 percent of executives expect an increase in the number of diverse senior leaders in the coming years
39 percent say it has had a positive influence on culture
34 percent say it has had a positive impact on financial performance

"Diversity is no longer a 'nice-to-have' for companies," said Jewell Parkinson, head of human resources, SAP North America. "This study is evidence of the correlation between organizations that embrace diversity and have better performance because they attract better talent, generate greater employee satisfaction and build stronger unity in problem solving and innovation. And in today's hyper-competitive digital era, where customer expectations are heightened, organizations need to take steps to embrace diversity in all of its forms or be quickly left behind."

About Leaders 2020
Leaders 2020 is a survey of 4,100 executives and employees across 21 countries, conducted by Oxford Economics and SAP. The U.S. results paint of picture of digital transformation in its early stages. Only 12 percent of American companies report being a leader in digital transformation, compared to 16 percent globally.

Blueprint for Digital Success
In order for companies to improve their preparation for digital transformation, the SAP and Oxford Economics research recommends taking steps to adopt the following five best practices:

Emphasize diversity. Companies that cultivate a diverse workforce and take a broad range of employee perspectives into account are better poised to succeed in a global economy — and to keep employees happy and engaged.
Listen to young executives. The growing cohort of millennial executives has a strong vision for leadership in the digital economy. Taking their advice may be a shortcut to digital transformation.
Communicate a company-wide digital vision. The best leaders not only have a strategy for going digital — they are sharing it with employees across the organization.
Continuously update executive and employee skill sets. Everyone, from the ground floor to the executive suite, needs digital skills and the ability to learn new ones quickly.
Flatten the organization. Leadership needs to empower managers and workers across the enterprise to make decisions quickly, without bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Please visit the Leaders 2020 website for more U.S. and global research results and guidance on digital transformation.

For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

Media Contact:
Steve Collins, +1 (617) 335-5456, [email protected], ET

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110126/AQ34470LOGO

SOURCE SAP SE