Women in developed nations, more than their counterparts in emerging markets, find the global market challenging. Find out which skills you need to improve to compete on the global playing field.

Are you prepared to compete in the global economy? A recent study prepared by the management consulting firm Accenture reveals a startling trend: Women in emerging markets such as Brazil, China and India are more likely than their counterparts in developed countries, such as the U.S., to answer “yes” to that question.

One Step Ahead of 2011: A New Horizon for Working Women is based on a survey of more than 4,000 male and female business professionals in 17 countries around the world. According to its findings, 68 percent of businesswomen in India, for example, believe they are ready to compete in the future global market, while just 46 percent of U.S. businesswomen felt the same. One reason the report cites for this difference is the sense in emerging markets that one must work harder to achieve the levels of success found in more developed nations.

The survey asked respondents about “skill readiness” across categories considered to be vital to success in a world in which the traditional geographic centers of economic power are giving way to a “multi-polar” economy. Women’s results were compared to men’s, and the study also contains nation-by-nation breakdowns of the responses of each gender.

1. Agility. While versatility, willingness to take on additional responsibilities and complexity, and stretching beyond your comfort zone are considered critical skills for competition in a global economy, women feel less prepared than men in this area, largely citing family concerns surrounding international travel or relocation.

2. Social Responsibility. Understanding and addressing how business impacts the environment and contributes to the greater good is a category in which women generally scored higher than men.

3. Technology. Learning and leveraging communication tools such as e-mail and social networking to manage relationships was considered the most important skill by respondents. It’s also the area in which both men and women are most confident overall, with women outpacing men in embracing new technology globally. And although emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil lead the way, nearly every country studied scored “very ready” in this area.

4. Inclusion and Diversity. In understanding cultural differences, valuing diverse opinions and embracing a culturally diverse team, women exhibited greater sensitivity and confidence than men did overall, with those in emerging markets generally scoring better than those in developed nations.

5. Business Relationships. Developing global professional and social networks and willingness to travel to build relationships is the area in which both women and men overall reported feeling ill-equipped for the future, and the report cites it as the area most requiring improvement.

The report concludes with recommendations for raising the level of these skills in your organization, particularly by creating and maintaining an atmosphere conducive to developing and retaining good employees—regardless of their cultural background. Besides broadening the talent pool, it recommends exposing employees to different cultures, developing global networks of expertise and encouraging collaboration across national boundaries.

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