October 12, 2023
Here are this week’s headline findings:
The ninth McKinsey Women in the Workplace report, conducted in partnership with LeanIn.Org, shows substantial leadership gains for women, with C-suite representation climbing from 17 percent in 2015 to 28 percent in 2023, but continuing underrepresentation for women of color at nearly every step on the corporate ladder. Senior partners Alexis Krivkovich, Lareina Yee, and coauthors spotlight several other noteworthy findings. For instance, women are now more ambitious than before the pandemic as a result of new workplace flexibility, the biggest barrier for women is the first step up into management ranks (perhaps better characterized as a “broken rung” than a “glass ceiling”), and workplace microaggressions against women can have a large and lasting effect, making women who endure them more likely to think about quitting their jobs.
A study examining large American corporations reveals that very few have been able to beat market TSR by 5 percent or more over a ten-year period. Partner Tim Koller and coauthors identify five main routes to TSR success. Among them: offer new or enhanced products (for example, a breakthrough medicine), undertake a turnaround (such as by revamping core operations), or simply outmanage peers (through superb strategy and execution).
Consumer package delivery via drone is already a fact of life in some places—especially Asia–Pacific. Globally, the number of packages delivered by drone grew by more than 80 percent from 2021 to 2022. Partner Robin Riedel and coauthors project that commercial drones will complete more than one million deliveries by the end of 2023. Expanding use cases (including healthcare and restaurant deliveries), coupled with greater regulatory clarity, are making drone deliveries an increasingly viable option.
Here’s some further notable analyses from McKinsey:
The case study collection Rewired in Action illuminates companies that have launched digital transformations to build value. Supported by technical and industry expertise from McKinsey, these organizations have changed their trajectories through the integration of digital and AI.
This briefing note, based on McKinsey’s latest published insights, was prepared by Seth Stevenson, a senior editor in McKinsey’s New York office.
Do these insights resonate with you? What else should we be writing about now? Tell us by emailing insightstoimpact@mckinsey.com.
October 5, 2023
Are new concerns reshaping global expectations for growth?
This week’s headline findings:
A McKinsey Global Survey that was in the field from August 31 through September 8 finds overall economic sentiment leaning more positive than negative for the second quarter in a row. But senior partner Sven Smit and coauthors note that differences emerge when results are examined on a regional level. European respondents report a more negative collective outlook than their North American counterparts. And while inflation fears remain top of mind across the globe, apprehensions about slowing economic activity in China have come to the fore for Asia–Pacific’s respondents. Private sector respondents were, on the whole, increasingly optimistic about their own companies’ prospects.
Advances in AI could profoundly alter how the travel industry serves customers, develops products, and manages operations. In collaboration with Skift Research, senior partner Ben Ellencweig and coauthors explain how AI can help travel companies use data to more narrowly segment customers, aiding efforts to hyper-personalize marketing and services. AI can also identify promising product niches while empowering workers to find operational solutions to complex problems.
In an episode of McKinsey’s Deal Volume podcast, partner Brian Vickery speaks with David Steinbach, global chief investment officer of Hines, one of the world’s largest real estate investors, developers, and service providers. Steinbach compares the upheaval of this real estate moment to the disruption that e-commerce brought to the retail sector. As city tax bases erode and office space tenants discover different needs, Steinbach predicts that real estate industry change will accelerate.
Further notable analysis from McKinsey:
The case study collection Rewired in Action illuminates companies that have launched digital transformations to build value. Supported by technical and industry expertise from McKinsey, these organizations have changed their trajectories through the integration of digital and AI.
A recent edition of the Inside the Strategy Room podcast features partner Emma Gibbs speaking with John Horn, professor of practice in economics at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, about his new book, Inside the Competitor’s Mindset (MIT Press, April 2023). Horn details how to predict competitors’ future moves by stepping into their shoes.
This briefing note, based on McKinsey’s latest published insights, was prepared by Seth Stevenson, a senior editor in McKinsey’s New York office.
Do these insights resonate with you? What else should we be writing about now? Tell us by emailing insightstoimpact@mckinsey.com.
