Kairos Global Watching no 10-2007

Chinese youth and French Managers

– The newsletter is published and distributed by Kairos Future International AB

Issue: 10, year 2007
Date: December 5, 2007
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Content:
FEATURE:
-    Chinese Youth - Down to earth people reaching for the stars
NEWS IN BRIEF:
-    New Research Associate in the Netherlands: Senta
-    New Research Associate in Mexico: Ms. Jonna Olsson
-    French Managers – Working heroes?
-    Barcelona - A cool and fashionable mecca or simply "out"?
-    First workshop of Agora Consumer in Denmark
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Dear reader,

In this issue of Global Watching we are proud to present two new Research Associates. In the Netherlands, we are looking forward to cooperating with Senta – a company working with multisensory concepting. We are also pleased to establish a presence in Central America with Ms. Jonna Olsson Engström, management consultant. Ms. Olsson Engström will help Kairos Future follow economic and cultural trends in the increasingly important market of Mexico.  Kairos Future is now present in seventeen markets around the globe: eleven countries in Europe, four in Asia and two in South and Central America!

The Global Youth press tour recently continued to Shanghai and Hong Kong. Ms. Anna Kiefer, Director Kairos Future International, presented the results of the survey Global Youth, based on the answers of over 22,000 people around the globe, focusing on the young Chinese. The response was very positive in both cities. In this issue of Global Watching we give you Ms. Kiefer’s article about Chinese youth! Who are the young Chinese of today? How will they form the Chinese society of tomorrow? Are you interested in finding out more about how to recruit young Chinese or how to reach your target group in tomorrow’s China, please contact Ms. Anna Kiefer for more information!

Another survey that was recently presented is one on French managers. Find out how they differ from managers in Sweden and the US!

Enjoy your reading!
Best regards,

Sofia Johnsson
Editor
Kairos Future

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FEATURE:

CHINESE YOUTH – DOWN TO EARTH PEOPLE REACHING FOR THE STARS
By: Ms. Anna Kiefer

Anna Kiefer, Director Kairos Future International, writes about the young middle-class Chinese in this new article for Global Watching. The young Chinese are very optimistic about the future and they have great plans. Important in life is to have a prosperous career, high status and earn a lot of money. Material possessions and fame are much more important to young middle-class Chinese than to Europeans. At the same time they emphasize the importance of spiritual values and they are anxious to blend in. They want to be similar to their friends and it is almost as important to live up to other people’s expectations as your own. This dual loyalty is perhaps a result of the one-child policy.

Read the whole article here!
or contact Anna Kiefer for more information!
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NEWS IN BRIEF:

NEW RESEARCH ASSOCIATE IN THE NETHERLANDS

Kairos Future is happy to announce the Dutch company Senta as a Research Associate! Senta helps brands and retailers to build customer value over time by developing multisensory (brand) experiences. Everything you see, hear, feel, taste and smell should be in line with the expectations. In this way it is possible to create a consistent and reliable brand image.

NEW RESEARCH ASSOCIATE IN MEXICO

Kairos Future welcomes Ms. Jonna Olsson Engström as our new Research Associate in Mexico! Jonna Olsson Engström works in Mexico City as a management consultant, outlining strategies for major companies and organizations in the country. For Kairos Future, she follows economic, political and cultural trends in Mexico.

Read more about Senta in the Netherlands, Jonna Olsson Engström in Mexico and Kairos Future’s whole network of Research Associates here!

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FRENCH MANAGERS: WORKING HEROES?

What makes French managers succeed? What should French companies do to “dress for success”? Those were the questions asked at Kairos Future’s seminar in Paris on November 30th. Some 40 top managers and HR-directors from companies and public sector were gathered to listen to the fresh results from a study of more than 300 French managers in comparison with Swedish and American managers.

The background to the presentation was the French version of Kairos Future’s large-scale management research project Successful Managers of the Future, in which 5000 Swedish managers have been interviewed.

So what characterizes the typical French manager? Read more about French managers and how they differ from Swedish and American managers on our web!

For more information please contact Mats Lindgren, CEO Kairos Future Group by e-mail, or Anna Geist Director Kairos Future France, regarding the French study and possibilities to get a benchmark of your own organization.
 

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BARCELONA – A COOL AND FASHIONABLE MECCA OR SIMPLY “OUT”?

According to the last Report from EIBT (Global Meeting and Exhibition Incentives) which was presented on November 27, 2007, Barcelona is the number One Most Attractive Destination at this moment for companies and institutions to organize events, congresses, open new offices, live, search for new trends and just stay for a weekend as a tourist.

The creativity, high technology, access to highly qualified international professionals, authentic local stuff mixed with the coolest ultra urban, all these factors attract foreigners in masses. So if the mass is here, has the cool gone astray? At the same time the town itself suffers from infrastructure chaos, chronic conflict with Madrid and the living expenses start to hurt your wallet.

What is your opinion about Barcelona? What can you only find in Barcelona and in no other place on earth? And if you live in Barcelona, which signs of fashion do you see? Do you consider Barcelona a good city for entrepreneurs? According to Kairos Future’s survey "Global Youth", the young Spanish are the ones in Europe who are most eager to start their own companies.

Please send your comments to Heléne Olsson, Director of Kairos Future Spain,  and we will analyze them in the next Global Watching!

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FIRST WORKSHOP OF KAIROS AGORA CONSUMER IN DENMARK

Kairos Future Denmark is pleased to announce the first workshop of Kairos Agora Consumer which is taking place today in Copenhagen!
Agora Consumer Denmark is a research- and knowledge network for exploring the future consumers. The first members of Agora Consumer represent various business areas, among them the packing industry, media and communication, telecommunication and food industry.

The theme of this first workshop will be Luxury in a post modern context. We will present a brand new analysis of the trends and tendencies regarding the consumption of luxury products and, perhaps more importantly, the different scenarios for the future of luxury!

For more information please contact Marie Skov Christensen by E-mail or Tel: +45 24603279

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Kairos Future International AB is a Swedish futures research and strategy consulting firm that helps companies understand and shape their future. We have done youth surveys and values research for over a decade and possess unique methods to assess futures scenarios.