A new survey has revealed that businesses are identifying collaboration as the key to success as we move out of the recession.

The study, by Avanade and Kelton Research, which surveyed more than 500 global C-level executives, IT decision makers and business unit leaders in 17 countries, found that more than 80% of executives believe that enterprise-wide collaboration could be key to success.

But while organisations believe that employee collaboration services and software will deliver clear value, many respondents are still wary of new business culture issues created by greater collaboration in the workplace.

Employees may, in fact, be dodging responsibility over certain tasks because of readily available collaboration options to ask other people. More than one in three (38%) respondents agree that people problem solve less on their own today and instead rely on collaboration technologies to ask other people.

Although the survey results indicate an increase in the rate of collaboration technology adoption, some employees claim to dread collaborating, especially across employee levels and company departments. One in four executives and IT decision-makers say they dread collaboration because of the amount of time and energy it wastes.

Nevertheless, findings suggest that companies are becoming more open to embracing new technologies and are actively emphasising innovation and growth, even over cost savings. Across geographies and industries, respondents are reporting a gradual shift away from cost savings as a top priority, and a marked increase in pressure they feel to innovate. This shift away from costs and toward innovation and growth is even pronounced at the executive level.

Nearly 80% of respondents say that the recent economic turmoil has caused their company to become more open to new technologies, while 75% of companies surveyed plan to increase the use of communications and collaboration technologies in the next year.

“It is clear from company attitudes that the worst recession in decades is coming to an end. As companies proactively look for ways to innovate, collaboration is fast becoming a key tool in obtaining the ability to tap resources in varying markets to solve business issues and differentiate themselves,” said Tyson Hartman, global chief technology officer at Avanade.