Research Methodology
The findings are based on the Economist Intelligence Unit's Societal Purpose Survey, conducted in October 2011. The sample of 390 executives was distributed across Europe (33%), North America (31%), and Asia Pacific (24%), with the rest of the world − which incorporates Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa − comprising about 11%. In terms of seniority, 57% of respondents are C-level executives, board members, vice-presidents, or directors, with the remainder occupying senior management roles. Financial services provided the largest number of respondents at 22%, followed by technology at 12%, professional services 11%, healthcare and pharmaceuticals 8%, and manufacturing 5%, with additional responses from a wide range of industries. Around 74% of respondents represented corporations with an annual revenue of over US$500 million, including 27% with revenue over US$10 billion.
