Asia Society's Landmark '2010 Asian Pacific Americans Corporate Survey' Examines Barriers to Career Advancement

NEW YORK, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- (http://www.myprgenie.com) -- Asia Society's groundbreaking "2010 Asian Pacific Americans Corporate Survey" of 2,000 Fortune 500 employees -- the first to exclusively measure the corporate success of Asian Pacific Americans -- answers the questions of how companies can create an inclusive workplace that promotes APAs to corporate leadership positions as well as draw on APA talent to grow their business at home and abroad.

The survey showed that Asian Pacific Americans overwhelmingly care about the futures of their companies (88 percent of respondents) and most would recommend their companies as good places to work to other APAs (73 percent). They also gave high marks to their firms' diversity efforts. Yet, while APAs are among the most highly-educated employees, they largely feel underrepresented among the ranks of corporate leaders.

This disparity -- or so-called "bamboo ceiling" -- can be seen in the types of departments where APAs in the sample are employed, with nearly half of respondents working in either financial or technology related departments. Overall, APA employees are less likely to feel they are able to employ all of their skill sets or feel they have the opportunities for career growth and development. And in an era of globalization, less than one-third of those surveyed felt their company encourages its employees to pursue careers in Asia.

"The resulting report is an insightful, fact based portrayal of APAs' leadership development challenges," says Asia Society President Vishakha Desai. "The report showcases best practices with specific, actionable activities that Best in Class companies use to successfully attract, develop, and retain their APA leaders."

The survey identified four Best in Class companies:

PepsiCo. -- "Overall Best Company for Asian Pacific American Professionals to Work For"

McDonald's -- "Best Company for Promoting Asian Pacific Americans to Develop Workforce Skills"

Cardinal Health -- "Best Company for Support of the Asian Pacific American Community"

KPMG -- "Best Company in Promoting Asian Pacific Americans into Senior Leadership Positions"

For more information, contact Asia Society's communications department at [email protected] or 212-327-9271 -- or go to http://asiasociety.org/diversityreport, which includes an abridged version of the report as well as links to purchase the full report.

The survey was supported in part by Credit Suisse, GE, Goldman, Sachs & Co., IBM, MasterCard Worldwide, and PepsiCo, Inc.

About Asia Society

Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of the United States and Asia. The Society seeks to increase knowledge and enhance dialogue, encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas across the fields of arts and culture, policy and business, and education.

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SOURCE Asia Society