Research reports. Low confidence and commitment cloud managers' effectiveness

Citation

(1999), "Research reports. Low confidence and commitment cloud managers' effectiveness", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 14 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmp.1999.05014aab.002

Research reports. Low confidence and commitment cloud managers' effectiveness

Research reports

Low confidence and commitment cloud managers' effectiveness

Managers and staff share a lack of commitment that has weakened organisations' "emotional capital", according to research revealed at the Institute of Personnel and Development's national conference.

Managers' commitment to their organisations is barely higher than that of the staff they are supposed to be motivating, according to research carried out by the Marketing and Communication Agency Ltd (MCA) and MORI. The MCA/MORI study "The Buy-in Benchmark: a survey of staff understanding and commitment and the impact on business performance" was based on face-to-face interviews conducted in August 1998 with 350 employees in British organisations employing 1,000 or more people. Roughly half of respondents were managers.

Almost half of the managers among the 350 employees surveyed admitted that their understanding of organisational goals and vision was not high and that they felt little real commitment to their employer. The research branded some 40 percent of UK managers and staff as "weak links" without faith in their organisation's leadership, strategy or vision.

The research suggests that one factor behind the lack of "emotional buy-in" among managers is the constant restructuring that takes place in UK organisations. A restructuring or merger has directly affected 41 percent of managers in the last 12 months compared with 29 percent of non-managers.

Kevin Thomson, chairman of MCA, says that change which is poorly managed can undermine the hidden resources of feelings, values, perceptions and beliefs ­ the "emotional capital" that determines whether or not people apply their knowledge constructively and actively support organisational goals.

In the UK, the MCA/MORI survey found that only 27 percent of employees said the emotional capital in their organisation was very strong. Women tend to report higher levels of emotional capital. A third of women surveyed said emotional capital was very strong in their organisation, compared with less than a quarter of men. Emotions are the key ingredients that make up corporate culture, brand personality and ultimately the performance of the business.

"Companies that are driven by negative emotions such as fear, stress or anger are in a dangerous position. These emotions can manifest themselves as poor attitudes, increased absenteeism, low productivity or even industrial action, putting your business's reputation and personality at risk", Kevin Thomson argues.

In the USA, Canada and Europe, research pioneered by MCA has found that challenge and stress are the two most prevalent "emotional drivers" that shape the climate of an organisation. While the vast majority of respondents want their organisation to be driven by passion and pride, only about a third actually believe this to be the case.

According to Thomson, it is often the failure of organisations to invest sufficiently in the "emotional capital" of their businesses that leads to the negative feelings that surround people's attitudes to working life. "The emotions driving your business internally affect the way your business is perceived externally by customers, shareholders and analysis. Emotions also determine whether people will apply their knowledge and abilities in support of organisational goals. "This has a direct impact on people's performance and their willingness to be advocates for their organisation. Strengthening emotional capital offers the potential for significant improvements across a whole spectrum of business performance issues".

For further information contact: Imogen Daniels +44 (0) 181 263 3365