Contract and commercial Management: An International Practitioner Survey

The results of a global survey of the International Association of Contract and Commercial Management’s (IACCM) membership are presented. The survey sought to elicit information on topics such as job satisfaction, performance assessment, professional skills, and future challenges for the profession. The findings suggest that IACCM’s members are a “mature” group, with a high level of experience, formal education and job satisfaction. They are, however, particularly in the Americas, an aging workforce. Further, a high proportion of the respondents were dissatisfied with their potential career path and sceptical as to whether their company rewarded employees for high performance. Also, almost half the respondents stated that they wanted to leave their current position within the next three years. This was particularly true for those who supported the sales function: this subgroup was less satisfied with their current position and believed that their career path was more limited than those who support procurement and both ‘sales and procurement’. Likewise, new entrants to the profession considered their career path was more limited than both ‘directors’ and ‘managers’. These findings suggest that organisations could be faced with a potential problem in recruiting and retaining contract and commercial management professionals. To alleviate this, organisations should consider introducing (or enhancing existing) mechanisms that recognise and reward high performance and enable staff to acquire new skills and knowledge. The survey established a clear positive relationship for both job satisfaction and career path with support from the organisation in the acquisition of skills and knowledge and in providing clear and meaningful rewards for high performance.