Senior management executives are increasingly concerned about managing regulatory risk, according to a recent online survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd.

Survey respondents were 320 senior executives, half of which worked in the financial services industry, with professional services, healthcare, technology and manufacturing firms also represented. Other findings from the online survey:

>> 53 percent said problems caused by new or existing regulations are a "very highobCrLf or "highobCrLf risk to their company's operations>> Terrorism and natural disasters pose a "very highobCrLf or "highobCrLf risk to 19 percent and 18 percent of respondents, respectively>> 43 percent said their businesses had "significantlyobCrLf increased time and resources to regulatory risk in the last 3 years, while 41 percent reported a "slightobCrLf increase>> 66 percent cited complexity as the largest impediment posed by regulatory regimes, with another 46 percent blaming discrepancies between regulations in different jurisdictions>> More than six in 10 respondents expect the recent credit crisis to provoke new liquidity standards and higher capital ratios to account for off-balance sheet vehicles>> More than five in 10 expect tightened regulation of loan originators and stricter oversight of rating agencies.