APA Survey

Overview:                                                                       

For the third year in a row, Asia Society is conducting a national benchmarking study to understand where Asian Pacific American (APA) leaders are on the corporate leadership ladder at Fortune 500 and other large companies. This survey continues to fill a critical information gap relating to the growth, development and advancement of Asian Pacific American employees. The survey helps to identify which companies are perceived as best at successfully attracting, developing and retaining APA leaders and to highlight the best practices that are enabling them to do this.

KEY SURVEY FACTS:

  • Only research survey to compare responses from participating companies’:

Diversity & Inclusion/Human Resources departments

Perceptions and opinions from the APA employees themselves.

  • First survey to exclusively measure and recognize practices related to developing Asian Pacific Americans working at Fortune 500 level companies. (Inaugural survey took place in 2010.)
  • Questions written specifically for the APA audience, going beyond general diversity questions.
  • Best Practices section provides examples of real life programs that are working in corporations today.
  • Developed in close consultation with Asia Society’s Corporate Diversity Council comprised of two dozen Chief Diversity Officers and other corporate diversity leaders from Fortune 500 companies who are Corporate Members of Asia Society.
  • Survey is administered by an independent third-party research company to ensure impartiality and statistical significance of data and scoring.
  • NO COST to participate: Complimentary participation for companies.

2011 KEY FINDINGS:

The 2011 APA Corporate Report shed important light on approaches to APA employee engagement, including:

“Time in US” is a key differentiating factor: APA employees who have been in the US for over 11 years, or who were born in the US, view their companies less favorably than more recent arrivals. Together these groups account for approximately 76% of the Asian American population, according to the 2010 Census. Our research suggests that this may explain some of the perceived differences between countries of origin.
TAKEAWAY: Current APA development and engagement activities may be missing an important element of success.

Evolution has to come from both the employee and the company: Our Best in Class companies demonstrate that successfully providing for APA employee success has many facets.  Efforts to change the corporate culture, teaching managers to value differences, and professional development and training for APA employees are all equally important.
TAKEAWAY: It’s not simply a matter of addressing APA employee behaviors.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

  • Confidentiality of company data: Company-specific responses to the survey are kept strictly confidential by the research company. Company-specific data is shared only with the participating company itself.  Asia Society only sees aggregate data.
  • Company-specific report: All participating companies will receive a top-line confidential report on their own company based on the results, benchmarked against other comparable companies at NO cost, as a courtesy for participating.  This report comes directly from the research company, in order to maintain confidentiality.
  • Full Report: The in-depth report will include analysis of the overall results at the item and dimension level as well as analyses of strengths and areas for improvement seen across participating companies.
  • Best in Class Awards: Finalists and winners are chosen based on a combination of the employee survey results (80%) and scores from a panel of expert judges (20%). Employees of Asia Society are not involved in the ranking/awards decisions.
  • Diversity Leadership Forum: The finalists and the winners will be announced during Asia Society’s 2012 Diversity Leadership Forum, hosted by Time Warner, to be held on June 11, 2012 in New York City.

 

2011 Best in Class Employers: Cardinal Health, Inc.; Colgate-Palmolive; GE; KPMG LLP; PepsiCo

2011 Best in Class Finalists: 3M; Cardinal Health, Inc.; Cisco; Colgate-Palmolive Company; Corning Incorporated; Freddie Mac; GE; Goldman, Sachs & Co.; HSBC Bank; Kaiser Permanente; KPMG LLP; Kraft Foods, Inc.; Lear Corporation; McDonald’s USA; New York Life Insurance Company; PepsiCo, Inc.; Pfizer; PG&E Corporation; Sodexo; Time Warner

 

2012 Survey Period: Through February 24, 2012

2012 Survey Participants: Asian Pacific American employees; Chief Diversity and Human Resource executives of Fortune 500 and other large companies.

Benefits to Participating Companies:

  • Insightful vehicle for communicating with your Asian Pacific American employees
  • A deep dive into specific, actionable Best in Class practices
  • Complimentary summary report of your own employee data benchmarked against comparable companies
  • Opportunity to be selected and recognized as 1 of 20 Finalists and/or 1 of 5 Best in Class Employers
  • Opportunity to attend the 2012 Diversity Leadership Forum &z Awards Ceremony