“In general, local market business leaders have a proper vision of changes that must be carried out rapidly, but their decisions are lost at the level of implementation. The speed with which Romanian middle managers implement decisions is below expectation and is devoid of a culture of performance,” added Weiss. Based on the experience of the A.T. Kearney in its advisory work with major Central and Eastern European companies, Romanian employees are more open to changes than employees in Hungary or Poland, but get lost too easily in details and lack the courage to make decisions on their own. “Romanian middle managers are always expecting the boss to make decisions, and do not make the slightest move without his approval,” said Weiss. According to Radu Furnica, one of the most experienced local headhunters, over 70 percent of Romanian middle managers are “managers in name only,” lacking know-how and experience for such a responsible position. The head of A.T. Kearny indicated that the most urgent measures to be taken now by local companies are an aligning of the business model with the new context, making internal processes more efficient, encouraging the sales force, and checking the solvency of business partners, both suppliers and clients. The main competitors of the American company on the anti-crisis advisory market are McKinsey, Roland Berger, Horvath&Partners, and the advisory departments of the Big Four.
The Bucharest office of A.T. Kearney presently has 46 consultants.
