Looks like it’s MOM who knows best after all - Ajilon Office survey finds
mothers equally or more capable at running America’s companies

SADDLE BROOK , NJ - For many, Mother's Day is a time to remember that being a mom is probably the most important job in the world. According to a survey released today by Ajilon Office, a specialty staffing and recruiting services firm, all those years of your mother telling you to stop pulling your sister's hair made an impact – 67% of employed American adults believe their mother would perform better than or about the same as their current CEO at resolving employee disputes if she ran the show at their company. This recent survey, conducted for Ajilon Office by Opinion Research, polled full-time and part-time workers age 18 and above.

What would your mother have to say about recent accounting scandals? Almost two-thirds (62%) of those polled feel their mother would handle the company finances better or about the same as their CEO; in addition, 80% feel Mom is still the expert when it comes to what's right and wrong, finding her ethics to be stronger than or about the same as those of current CEOs.

“Mothers are often heralded as the CEO of the family, so it's not surprising so many believe their mothers are on par with or above CEOs when it comes to running a business,” said Neil Lebovits , CPA, president and chief operating officer of Ajilon Office. “Does that mean they'd actually want Mom in charge at work? That depends – their opinions might change if they got grounded for showing up late for a meeting.”

When it comes to camaraderie among employees, Mom could show CEOs a thing or two about team building, with 64% of those polled believing their mother would do it better or about the same. Additionally, nearly three-quarters (73%) feel their mother would be better or about the same than their current CEO when it comes to communicating with employees. Finally, as more families strive to strike a chord between work and life, 70% of those polled feel their mothers would provide the same balance or better than their CEO.

"America 's CEOs have taken some public hits over the last couple of years," said Lebovits. "I think this survey is an indication that America , and the world, puts a lot of expectations on how our corporate leaders run their companies. Additionally, increased CEO visibility has reminded us of the importance of strong ethics, good communication and camaraderie both in the office and at home."

The current results are based upon telephone interviews with a representative of 632 adults, 18 years of age or older, who are employed either full- or part-time. Interviews were conducted by Opinion Research Corporation's Caravan between April 25 and April 28, 2003 . The margin of error is approximately plus or minus 4%.

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