News: Performance Management
'Managers have negative impact on workplaces'
17 March 2008
More than four out of ten managers have a negative effect on their workplaces, research claims.
According to a study by management consultancy Hay, six in ten managers fail to invoke a high-performance environment for employees while four in ten create an atmosphere that reduces the motivation of staff, Management Issues reports.
A study of more than 2,800 leaders across 12 sectors by the company examined the gap between what staff believed to be their ideal working climate against the reality of their workplaces.
The research found that up to a third of an organisation's business performance was dependent on a positive working environment.
Chris Watkin, UK head of talent management at Hay, told the news provider: "Up to 30 per cent of business performance is dependant on a motivational working climate. And in times of economic uncertainty, maximising staff motivation and discretionary effort will be more critical than ever.
"Yet our research demonstrates that business leaders are struggling to create the right climate to motivate employees and drive high performance," he added.
Meanwhile, a recent analysis of responses from the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For survey concluded that business leaders need to work harder to engage with a significant minority of "floating voters" if they want their staff to work more efficiently.
