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Press Release |
Personnel Today, 21 Mar 03.
UK firms unprepared for lengthy war in Iraq
By Ben Willmott, Personnel Today
Nearly a quarter of UK companies are likely to close down parts of their business if the war against Iraq lasts for longer than six weeks, research finds.
A survey by management consultancy Morgan Leith Partnership (MLP) finds that three-quarters of employers predict they could continue operating relatively normally, if the war lasts for three to nine months, before considering major changes.
Almost half (40 per cent) of companies polled have no crisis plan or contingency plan in place to cope with possible terrorist action or fundamental changes in trading conditions created by the conflict.
Graeme Leith, of MLP, said: "This is staggering because leaders without a crisis or contingency team in place seriously jeopardise their organisation's chances of survival."
He added that contingency planning is simply a part of strategic planning and is not a sign of failure.
Leith said: "It is vital that UK companies of all sizes prepare the 'what if' scenario so they are able to hit the ground running and not only survive but, hopefully, thrive."
The survey of 54 employers in the UK also finds that a quarter said they did not have leaders of the right calibre to lead them during a war.
This survey called 'Are you ready for war?' was conducted by the Morgan Leith Partnership, a business coaching and management consultancy in February 2003. It is based on the responses of 54 senior executives from a representative spread of UK companies employing from 4 to 6,000 people and with turnovers ranging from £250k - £6 billion. Types of company included business services, manufacturing and engineering, building and construction, transport (automotive, aero and rail), technology, financial services, pharmaceutical and charities. |
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