78% of regional business executives say their working environment is not innovation-friendly

The survey, which was commissioned by Leaders Present, the organizer of the Management Innovation Forum, reflects the opinions of over 100 regional business leaders and key decision makers from across the region who took part in the innovation forum.

The survey found that 40% of the attendees find that their working environment is 'little' conducive to innovation while 38% say that their working environment is 'not' conducive to innovation at all.

Asked about how focused your company on developing truly innovative products and services, 37% said that their companies are sometimes focused, while 34% said that they are very focused on innovation.

"To be able to make the most of innovation companies should focus on creating an environment in which employees are open to creativity and change," said Purva Hassomal, the Conference Director.

"This environment should not be limited to just a few people but to everybody. I must add though that executives who manage innovation should well understand that getting the right people together in is also crucial in creating this innovative atmosphere."

The survey also revealed that regional companies still not aware of the potential impact and opportunities that innovative thinking can have on their businesses.

35% of the business executives surveyed said that they just spend "a step at the start of a project" thinking about innovation; while 28% argued that they spend all the time needed o come up with innovation ideas, in contrast to the same percentage of people (28%) who said that they spend too little time thinking of innovation in general.

The Management Innovation Forum 2008, which was held from June 22nd to 25th at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, is sponsored by Etisalat and AIS BrandLab.