Posts Tagged ‘Internationality’

International Ambassadors

Entrepreneur Women Retain More Talents in the Company

Friday, March 25th, 2011 by Adriana Bianca

A survey conducted by Endeavor has shown that innovative and high-growth companies headed by women find it easier to attract and to retain talented professionals than those headed by men, which is an item considered the biggest obstacle for any entrepreneur. While 57.7% of men have stated that they have difficulty being either in Human Resources area or in production process, such percentage decreases to 34.6% among women.

The survey has also shown that women bring more innovation to the service sector, which is an area accounting for 60% of country GNP and presenting bigger growth potential. Those conclusions alongside others are part of the survey conducted by Endeavor with innovative entrepreneurs, both genders, considered as examples to be followed by other businesspeople. That is world’s first survey about innovative entrepreneurs that has tried to understand the differences between genders.

The prospection has integrated a wider study by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), funded by Swedish government. In addition to Brazil and Sweden, Switzerland, the United States of America, Uganda and Jordan have taken part in the study as well. Complete outcomes, containing comparisons between the six countries, will be revealed in July, 2011. Endeavor interviewed entrepreneurs owning high-growth companies* and having annual invoicing from $10 thousand to $10 million. “The choice for those companies was not performed randomly. According to the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE), high-growth companies accounts for only 1.7% of businesses with employees in Brazil, but accounted for creating 57.4% of jobs generated from 2005 to 2008, totalizing 2.9 million new job vacancies. It is very important to better understand how those entrepreneurs have reached such level of success in order to multiply it throughout Brazil”, says Juliano Seabra, Endeavor Education, Research and Culture Director.

Innovation

The Survey has also shown that while men focus on more traditional areas, such as industry, and innovate mainly in creation of products – which generates higher levels of patent register among companies headed by them – women innovate in production process like the implementation of new marketing techniques, human resources and team integration. As a result, innovations from women are less visible, what makes them have more difficulty obtaining private and public financing. According to Endeavor, 38.5% of men have gotten any kind of government financing for their innovations, while only 19.2% of women have had the same thing.

“It is necessary that the business promotion institutions learn how to deal with women’s different way of negotiating. After all, a recent survey of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor showed the 51% of Brazilian entrepreneurs are female”, says Amisha Miller, Endeavor Research Manager. “Besides, IBGE has shown that the service sector is country’s biggest formal job generator. In an area in which women have innovated the most, it is naturally expected that they have a potential even bigger for growing rapidly”, she adds.

International Ambassadors

More Diversity at DAX companies / Mehr Vielfalt in DAX-Konzernen

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

Last week, the leading german business magazines had some good news: the desire for more diversity in German boards has been fulfilled – at least partly. Research conducted by the consulting firm Simon-Kucher & Partners showed, that the share of foreign board member increased. 60 percent of the board members appointed last year are not Germans. Thereby, the share of foreign board members increased to 28 percent. The author of the study, Christoph Lesch, believes a percentage of foreigners between 30 and 40 percent is desirable. The high percentage of foreigners reflects the structure of shareholders, markets and employees.
At Henkel, 60 percent of the management board are not from germany. For example, our CEO Kaspar Rorsted comes from Denmark. Employees from 48 nations work at our headquarter in Düsseldorf. Worldwide, employees from 116 different nations work for Henkel.
One objective for more diversity is fulfilled. It remains to be seen, if the desire for more women on management boards can be fulfilled as well. [DE]
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Diversity & Inclusion

Barbeque with the top management / Grillfest mit Führungskräften

Friday, July 16th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

At a barbeque for the apprentices at Henkel in Düsseldorf last week, Kathrin Menges, Corporate Senior Vice President Global Human Resources, took the chance to meet the young people and talk with them about their apprenticeship, career in general and, of course, soccer. Besides soccer, the internationality at Henkel was a big topic.

The apprentices in the different apprenticed occupations deal with many nationalities in their every day work-life. In her conversations with the apprentices, Kathrin Menges also found out, why they chose Henkel as their apprenticing company. It became evident, that Henkel has a very good reputation among young people. The apprentices agreed that the vocational trainers at Henkel are friendly, sincere, attentive and willing to help them with every problem that might occur.

One question was particularly interesting for the apprentices: How do you become Corporate Senior Vice President Global Human Resources? Many of them were surprised to hear that Kathrin Menges started her career as a teacher. The Head of Training, Loert de Riese-Meyer was thankful for the opportunity of bringing together apprentices and top management. This day was clearly one of the highlights in the first year of training, he explained. [DE]

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Diversity & Inclusion

Viva Espania

Friday, July 9th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

„Maybe this is not the best day?!“ I think this was the most often heard sentence yesterday at our fourth day of the International Week at Henkel, Düsseldorf. When we made the scheduling for this week no one could have guessed how explosive this day would be: the German soccer team lost on Wednesday against Spain. But our Spanish colleagues handled the situation with charm and high spirits.

We switched the location to another canteen at Henkel in Düsseldorf where the majority of our blue-colored-colleagues are having lunch. A complete new situation and a complete new public. The blue-colored seemed to be slightly more irritated by this event than the people we met before… but maybe that was the matter of fact because of the soccer game?!

However, with sweeping Spanish music around bad mood had no chance. And our Spanish colleagues accost everybody who entered the canteen to participate in the every day lottery, with a difficult question: “How many languages are spoken in Spain?” – I would have answered: one (or maybe two). But actually the Spanish team members weren’t quite sure while preparing the answer if there are four or five languages used in Spain: Spanish, Aranese, Catalan, Valenscian and Galencian. And that’s the reason why in fact some members of the Spanish team spoke English with each other. And that’s the reason why some kids in Spain get their Christmas presents on December, 25th while others get them just on January, 6th.

The other obligatory must-have-question: Do Spanish people really make siesta? “I never had siesta in my life!” was the answer of one colleague, but in fact Spanish people take the opportunity to run some errands during lunch hours. That’s why Spanish people return from work just at 9 or 10 p.m.; and that’s why TV films regularly start at 10 p.m. That’s the time when Spanish families usually are having dinner too.

Today our last host of the week is France.

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International Ambassadors

National and Religious Holidays in May / Nationale und Religiöse Feiertage im Mai

Monday, May 3rd, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

The merry month of May starts with the May Day, or labor day, a national holiday which is celebrated in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Mexico, China, Brazil and various countries worldwide. This holiday has its origin in political demonstrations by the workers unions, who fought for an eight-hour-day back in 1886.

In Germany in many places there is the tradition to set up trees decorated with colored masking tapes. These trees are usually set up by young men who dedicated it to the girl the fell in love with.

In the United Kingdom, May Day is celebrated as a bank holiday on the first Monday in May. In the UK there is another bank holiday which is celebrated on the last Monday of the month. This year the Spring Bank Holiday will be celebrated on the 31st of May.

In the US, the 31st is the Memorial Day that commemorates US people who died in the military service. It was originally introduced as „Decoration Day“, a memorial day for soldiers of the civil war, but was expanded in 1971.

France celebrates on May 8 the “Fête de la Victoire“. This day commemorates the victory over Hitler. This holiday controversial. In 1975 it was even disastablished.  

Turks celebrate the Commemoration of Atatürk and the Youth & Sports Day on the 19th. This holiday commemorates the beginning of the Turkish independence war in 1919.

The „Ascension Day“ is a Christian holiday celebrated on the 13th. It takes place 40 days after Jesus Christ resurrection of death. On this day Jesus Christ ascends to heaven. 10 days later, it’s Whitsun, a holiday that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit. Whitsun originates from the Jewish holiday Shavout. It commemorates the day, God gave the Thora to Moses. [DE]

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Best Practices, Women in Business

Women – The Time is Now!/Frauen, eure Zeit ist da!

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

Today our second Women’s Networking Day will take place at Henkel, Düsseldorf. The event will include introductory speeches from our CEO Kasper Rorsted and our Global Diversity Director Anke Meier as well as presentations of our Women in Leadership working groups and eight interesting workshops. We especially looking forward to our final speaker, bestseller author Avivah Wittenberg-Cox. She founded the European Professional Women’s Network and is CEO of 20-first, one of Europe’s leading gender consultancies. Today she will give a speech on the topic “Women – The Time is NOW!”. [DE]

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Best Practices

An exemplary raven mother does not make a summer – Eine vorbildliche Rabenmutter macht noch keinen Sommer…

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

 By the way… does anybody know, what a raven mother is? Ask a German! But as you may assume, it’s no good! Where does the German attitude that working mothers are bad mothers come from? Why are the German schools offering afternoon classes in the minority? What has to change in Germany to increase the birth rate, level of education and economy? An article in the International Herald Tribune deals with these questions. Sometimes it’s eye opening to see your reflection from a different point of view! [DE] (more…)

Diversity & Inclusion, International Ambassadors

Nationale und Religiöse Feiertage im Januar / National and Religious Holidays in January

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 by Astrid Bosten

On January 6th we celebrate Epiphany in various countries. In Germany children disguised as Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar will bless people’s houses, in Spain kids are excited about getting their Christmas-presents and in Italy the good witch Befana will bring them chocolate and toys.
People in the USA celebrate the birthday of Marthin Luther King Jr.  on the 18th. [DE]

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Diversity & Inclusion

Henkel Ibérica signs “Charter de la Diversidad”

Thursday, November 5th, 2009 by Astrid Bosten

Diversity is a strategic key factor for Henkel’s success. It refers to different cultures, ethnic backgrounds, religions and attitudes. For Henkel, a company that operates in 125 countries, diversity & inclusion is an essential success factor.

To express this committment, Beltrán Francesc, Vice President HR of Henkel Ibérica and Latin America, signed the Charter Diversity in Spain on November 4th in Barcelona. He follows CEO Kaspar Rorsted, who signed the Charter for Diversity on behalf of Henkel Germany 2006. 

The Spanish “Charter de la Diversidad” was launched in March 2009. Since then, more than 50 spanish companies have signed. Coca-Cola, CEVA Logistics España, KPMG, Microsoft, NH Hoteles, Peugot Automóviles España, Deutsche Bank, Danone, Ford, IBM, Telefónica, L’Oreal España and Sodexo are just some of the companies who committed themselves to diversity by signing the charter. [ES]

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