February 7 2006 - Stress levels among senior managers are declining, their work-life balance
is improving and more people are working long hours because they enjoy their jobs, according to
Roffey Park's Management Agenda 2006 survey.
With heavy workloads and the longest working hours in Europe and while it is no secret that this
is due to heavy workloads, it also seems that a majority (6 out of 10) of British senior managers work long
hours simply because they enjoy their jobs. The survey of 967 middle and senior managers also reports lower stress levels and a more
satisfactory work-life balance.
A staggering 85% of respondents said they worked consistently longer than their
contracted working week. Of these, nearly a quarter (24%) of men - compared to
8% of women - said they
worked an extra 15 hours per week. Apart from enjoying their work,
the reasons given for working longer hours than contracted included:
- having a heavy workload (65%)
- needing to work long hours to be successful (26%)
- being expected to by senior managers (12%), and
- doing so simply because others do (6%)
Stress
The survey also found a reduction in reported work stress for the first
time in recent years. Two-thirds (67%) claimed to have
experienced stress in 2006 compared with 78% in 2005, 74% in 2004 and 70% in 2003.
However, public sector managers had a higher level of reported work stress (72%) than those in other sectors.
Commitment
In the 2006 report, for the first time, a majority (57%) of respondents said that their senior
managers were committed to achieving a work-life balance, compared to a mere
33% in 2005. Additionally, the number of senior managers and leaders practising a work-life
balance has increased from 22% in 2005 to 32% in 2006. Women were the most
likely to have different perceptions of work-life balance - 69% of women felt that senior
managers were more committed to achieving a work-life balance compared to only 48% of men.
Loyalty
The research showed evidence of organisational loyalty from managers with
82% of
respondents feeling quite committed or very committed to their organisation and 57% saying
they are prepared to go the extra mile to get things done. Over two-thirds (69%) also believed that their
organisations are committed to them in return.
Motivation
The report also looked at major motivators and demotivators in the workplace.
The most significant motivators include:
- Making a difference (88%)
- Job enjoyment (79%)
- Personal achievement (75%)
Demotivators include:
- Lack of recognition (43%)
- Lack of time to achieve workload (41%)
- Bureaucracy (40%)
Dr Valerie Garrow, Principal Researcher at Roffey Park and co-author of The Management
Agenda, commented: "Managers continue to work long hours, but many say they do so because, as
well as dealing with heavy workloads, they enjoy their job. People are clearly motivated
by making a difference and having a sense of achievement in the workplace and they are
prepared to go the extra mile to get the job done."
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