Volvo 2007 Annual Report Download - page 39
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Please find page 39 of the 2007 Volvo annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.Geographic distribution of employees, % Share of satisfi ed employees, %
Sweden 28%
Europe, excl. Sweden 32%
North America 15%
Asia 17%
South America 5%
Other countries 3%
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Volvo Group Attitude Survey
The Volvo Group Attitude Survey is an annual Group-
wide survey documenting employee attitudes toward
their work and what improvements are required. In the
survey, employees express their views on their work
and areas that need improvement. The results of the
survey are used to identity key improvement areas.
The proportion of satisfi ed employees has steadily
improved in recent years. In 2007, the proportion of
satisfi ed employees was 86%, compared with 84% in
the preceding year, 83% in 2005 and 81% in 2004.
Other key indicators monitor how well each manager
involves and communicates with his or her team mem-
bers, provides feedback on performance and contrib-
utes to resolving confl icts.
panies, and consequently the Group, to reach
their long-term goals.
In the business plans, the companies also
describe how they intend to meet their future
competence requirements. This allows the com-
panies to guide their investments in succession
planning to the areas that are deemed to be the
most strategically signifi cant.
An internal training organization exists to sup-
port the company’s and the employees’ develop-
ment. It offers employees a wide range of courses
and training programs that help them develop
their expertise so they can better contribute to the
achievement of the business goals.
To assure access to future lead-
ers, the companies employ
a systematic approach
designed to identify,
develop and retain
employees with lead-
ership potential.
Increased diversity – a strategic goal
One of the Volvo Group’s strategic goals is to
raise awareness about and capitalize on the
diversity that exists throughout the organiza-
tion. For an international group it is essential
that the organization refl ects its customers and
understands the conditions prevailing in local
markets, different cultures and future employ-
ees’ requirements. Diversity generates creativ-
ity, which in turn leads to innovation: a prerequi-
site for success.
Training on the Code of Conduct
The Volvo Group has well-established, strong
and valuable brands. It is vitally important that
all employees are familiar with, and follow, the
Group’s Code of Conduct. Of the Group’s
employees, 81% states that they have received
information on the Code of Conduct.
In November 2006, an online training pro-
gram on corruption was launched. At year-end
2007, 21,000 employees had received the
training.
Cooperation with universities and
colleges
Sharing knowledge with others is one of the
principal objectives of the Group’s projects
and partnerships, as exemplifi ed by the
Future Urban Transport Foundation,
in which the company exchanges
knowledge with universities and
research institutions regarding
future transport in urban
areas. The Volvo Group also
collaborates extensively
with universities and col-
leges in many countries.
The Volvo Group par-
ticipates in many projects at the local, the
national and the global level, some of which
are described on the Volvo Group’s website,
www.volvogroup.com.
Product quality and safety
Safety issues are a natural component of the
development of world-leading commercial
transport solutions. The Group strives to mini-
mize the risk and consequences of accidents
and improve driver safety and work environ-
ment. Human errors or misjudgments are a
decisive or strongly contributory factor in most
accidents, a fact that refl ects the importance
of good visibility, driving characteristics and
brakes.
The Group is also a leader in designing vehi-
cles that protect the driver and passengers in
the event of a collision. Safety solutions include
rollover-tested cabs and bodies, frontal collision
protection, deformation zones, seat belts,
deformable fi ttings and airbags.
The Group is also a leader in improving safety
for other road-users. As early as 1996, the
company introduced the Front Underrun Pro-
tection System to prevent passenger cars from
becoming wedged beneath trucks in a frontal
collision. This protection system has been fi tted
as standard to Volvo’s trucks in the EU since
2001, and in 2003 the protection system
became a legal requirement in EU countries.
Board of Directors’ Report 2007 35