How do you define a general manager given how much titles vary?

We define general managers by functional criteria - management scope, number of direct or indirect reports, P&L accountability and cross-functional authority - rather than by title. This ensures consistent recruitment across markets where the same role may carry very different titles.

Can you distinguish general managers from department heads or functional managers?

Yes. Screening confirms whether respondents have cross-functional management responsibility or are limited to a single department or function, so the sample reflects the operational breadth your study requires.

Can you recruit general managers across multiple European countries?

Yes. We support multi-country recruitment with criteria applied consistently across markets so data is directly comparable by country. We navigate local title conventions by screening on management scope rather than job title.

What company sizes can you recruit general managers from?

We recruit across all company size bands. Feasibility and panel coverage vary by size, sector and country and are assessed upfront so fieldwork targets are realistic before work begins.

Can general managers be combined with C-level or other senior audiences in one study?

Yes. Many studies benefit from data across seniority levels. We manage recruitment and screening for each tier separately within a single fieldwork programme so quotas are maintained across all audience groups.

B2B Data Collection from General Managers & Managing Directors

B2B data collection from general managers & managing directors

General managers and managing directors hold broad operational authority across business functions — strategy execution, supplier relationships, budget control and team leadership. They are a strategically important B2B audience for studies on business sentiment, operational decision-making, supplier selection and market priorities. Norstat recruits and verifies this audience across Europe through panel, custom outreach and screening tailored to company size, sector and management scope.

How we recruit general managers & managing directors

This audience sits between C-level executives and functional managers. We define and recruit them based on operational scope, reporting line and decision-making authority rather than title alone.

01

Define by scope, not title

General manager titles vary widely. We screen on actual management responsibility – number of direct or indirect reports, P&L accountability, and whether the respondent has cross-functional authority – to ensure the sample reflects genuine operational leadership.

02

Company size and sector targeting

We define the target by company size band, sector and, where relevant, revenue range or number of locations to ensure respondents manage businesses that match the study context.

03

Panel and custom outreach

For broader general manager audiences, panel recruitment with screening works well. For specific sectors, company sizes or geographies with limited panel coverage, we extend reach through targeted digital outreach and LinkedIn-based identification.

04

Verification and quality controls

Verification confirms company affiliation, role and management scope. Business email checks, company-domain matching and, for senior definitions, LinkedIn profile review are applied as required by the study.

Data you can collect from general managers

General managers have visibility across multiple business functions in a way that specialist or departmental managers do not. This makes them a reliable source for studies on business outlook and investment intentions, operational priorities, supplier selection and management, cross-functional buying decisions, market entry and expansion plans, and the impact of regulation and external conditions on day-to-day operations.

Their cross-functional view is particularly valuable for market-level studies where you need a single respondent to represent the whole business rather than one department.

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General manager data collection across 22 countries

Management structures and title conventions differ significantly between European markets. What is called a general manager in the UK may be called a Geschäftsführer in Germany, a directeur général in France or a daglig leder in Norway. We navigate these differences by recruiting to functional criteria — management scope, reporting line and operational authority — rather than relying on title matching, which varies too much to be consistent across markets.

Feasibility is assessed upfront by country, sector and company size so fieldwork targets are realistic before work begins.

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Use cases that benefit from operational leadership perspective

General managers are the right audience when a study needs someone who can speak to the whole business — not just one function. This includes SME market studies and business barometers, commercial due diligence studies on mid-market companies, supplier and vendor evaluation studies where decisions are made at the operational level, studies on regulation and administrative burden, and market entry or expansion feasibility studies where a single decision-maker represents the company.

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B2B data collection in numbers

15

European markets with local expertise

800

B2B projects every year

22

countries covered

100

percent flexibility across quant and qual

B2B data collection from general managers & managing directors

How we recruit general managers & managing directors