Managers in Asia Younger, Make Less, U.S. Study Says

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Asian business managers are younger, make less money and are far less likely to be satisfied with their life styles than American executives, a University of Michigan study says.

Asian executives also sleep more and smoke and eat less than their slightly overweight American counterparts, said the study conducted by researchers Herbert W. Hildebrandt and Dee W. Edington of the university’s school of business administration.

The study surveyed 300 managers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea. The report was published by the school’s executive education program and released Monday.

Both American and Asian managers agree that the fastest route to the top is marketing and sales, the area in which both groups most often started their careers, the study found.

Managerial duties may appear similar on both sides of the Pacific, but pay scales do not.

Asian male managers were paid an average of $27,722, compared to the $46,501 figure for American managers. Asian female managers earned $19,983, compared to $31,702 for comparable American women.

Researchers attributed the salary differential in part to the more youthful Asian managers, whose mean age was 32.6 years, nearly six years younger than the mean age of 38.3 years for their U.S. colleagues.

The authors of the study say that while Eastern managers begin their careers at a considerably younger age than Western executives, they also tend to retire earlier. Most U.S. managers intend to retire at 65, but the target age for Asian managers appears to be 60.

In both cultures, managerial ranks are 80% male and 20% female.

On the personal side, Asian managers are approximately 4.2 pounds underweight by North American standards--the women are 11.6 pounds underweight--contrasted with a comparable U.S. group that is on average 4.4 pounds overweight, the study said.

Because of their younger age, the researchers conclude, fewer Asians are divorced or in their second marriage, and only an insignificant number of males, 0.3%, have live-in girlfriends.

About two-thirds of Asian executives’ spouses work full time, compared to 3.3% for U.S. managers. Spouses on both sides most often work in professional, office or managerial positions.

Both Asian and U.S. managers depend on their spouses to maintain a satisfying home, but more than half of American managers surveyed consider their spouse’s emotional support of primary importance, compared to 28% of Asian respondents.

Asians reported smoking and drinking less than American executives but exercise less and sleep more than U.S. managers. Twice as many Americans feel their health is excellent.

While the two groups are almost identical in terms of job satisfaction, only 13% of the Asian sample said they were completely satisfied with life, compared to 54.8 of American managers.