If that's the case, there is some fundamental change needed in the CEO selection process and board composition. It's another reason why a revolution failed to materialise. Then there's the often neglected issue of cultural differences. While the Booz Allen survey evidently found some international CEOs were ditching their new softer guise at the first signs of trouble, the situation here has probably been a little different from the start, according to Rod Hanratty, head of Human resources at HSBC Bank Australia. Sometimes our expats have struggled.
People here are a little bit harder to handle.
It's very much a culture here of involve, not tell. Australian workers are more likely to challenge orders and demand explanations, compared to the US workforce where respect for hierarchy prevails. It's an attitude which has its roots in our industrial relations heritage, along with other social factors. But he believes the economic conditions at the moment are a far cry from the early 1990s, and it is unlikely collaborative Australian managers would react by going back to the old ways. But it's not an argument Brown buys.