U.S. Execs Under More Pressure Than Europeans

Compared with their European counterparts, twice as many executives in the U.S. have jobs that put them under constant pressure, says a joint study by Cornell University and the Fort Worth-based Ray & Berndtson executive search firm. Some 42% of U.S. executives said they were under constant stress compared with just 20% of European executives. The biggest stress for both groups of executives: that success or failure is immediately evident to higher management. The second-biggest stress for U.S. executives: the need to influence peers at similar levels. The second-biggest stress for European executives: the need to deal with diverse clients, customers, or markets.