Companies and government agencies are typically hierarchical organizations, and leadership plays a central role in their management. However, leadership depends largely on the individuals involved—on their routines, habits, and behaviors. Managers therefore have a major influence on employees’ working conditions—and, consequently, on the extent of the stress employees experience.
A new study by the DGB’s “Good Work” Index now shows that appreciation from supervisors, the atmosphere for expressing opinions within the workplace, and how supervisors plan work—all of these factors have a direct and significant impact on employees’ well-being. If leadership is characterized by open communication—for example, if there is transparent information sharing, clear responsibilities, and the granting of autonomy and respect in interactions—this has a positive effect on employees.
On the other hand, a lack of leadership culture can become a burden that makes work more difficult and impairs employees’ health. This is particularly true when managers organize work in a dysfunctional manner, when information is withheld, when employees do not feel valued, or when they are subjected to authoritarian, aggressive, or even psychopathic behavior by their supervisors.
One-quarter of respondents suffer from poor leadership
A total of 44 percent of the employees surveyed rate the leadership culture in their company positively. Just under a third (31 percent) fall into the middle range. However, one in four respondents gives a negative assessment of the leadership culture in their own company: For 25 percent of employees, their supervisors’ behavior makes work more difficult and causes stress.
It is noteworthy at this point that significant differences become apparent in relation to the level of job demands. The study shows that the lower the job demands, the less frequently employees receive recognition from their supervisors. Among employees who work in unskilled or semi-skilled roles, only 59 percent report that they are valued for their work. Conversely, the proportion of employees who receive a (very) high degree of appreciation is highest among the group of highly qualified workers, at 82 percent.
An Open Climate for Expressing Opinions Has a Positive Effect
The assessment of the climate of open communication also shows a clear correlation with the level of demands of the job performed. Overall, 19 percent of respondents perceive a very high degree of open communication in their own company, where problems can be addressed without fear. Another 43 percent experience this to a high degree. However, just under 40 percent of respondents perceive an open climate for expressing opinions only to a small extent (26 percent) or not at all (12 percent). In these cases, the management culture apparently does not allow employees to openly express their opinions to their superiors.
The DBG study now shows that the lower the required skill level, the higher the proportion of those who view the workplace climate critically. In unskilled and semi-skilled roles, just under half of the respondents experience a climate in which they cannot speak openly with their supervisors about workplace issues.
Good Work Planning Is Fundamentally Important
However, leadership is not limited solely to issues of recognition and communication. It also plays a decisive role in the planning and organization of work areas and tasks. Here, the findings show that 36 percent of respondents view their supervisors’ planning as problematic—and critical assessments of supervisors are more common among highly qualified employees. For highly complex tasks, the proportion of those who rate work planning negatively is 41 percent. Conversely, the lower the qualification requirements, the lower this proportion becomes. Among employees performing unskilled or semi-skilled tasks, 28 percent report that their supervisors’ work planning is poor.
The importance of work planning for employees’ stress levels is extremely clear: More than half of all respondents (52 percent) report working under high time pressure very frequently or often. When planning is rated poorly, two-thirds of them are affected. If the supervisor plans well, this proportion drops to 45 percent. Another example: Disruptions or interruptions at work are widespread. A total of 55 percent are affected by these very frequently. With good planning, the proportion is 49 percent; with poor planning, it rises to 66 percent.
Poor Planning, Conflicting Demands
The DGB study also clearly shows that one-third of all employees (34 percent) are confronted with conflicting demands very frequently or often in their day-to-day work—and that this is closely linked to work planning by supervisors. For example, among those who rate planning as good, the proportion facing conflicting demands drops to 25 percent. When planning is poor, more than half (51 percent) report being very frequently or often exposed to demands that are difficult to reconcile. The same pattern emerges regarding the provision of information: When planning is good, 26 percent report a lack of information. When supervisors plan poorly, however, that proportion is more than twice as high, at 54 percent.
All these factors have concrete effects on employees and on the stressors they face while working. They also influence the extent to which leadership culture and employees’ desire to change jobs are correlated. The study clearly shows that among respondents who report a good leadership culture, only 8 percent express a desire to change jobs. However, the more negatively the leadership culture is rated, the higher this percentage becomes. Of the employees who are confronted with a poor leadership culture, just under half (48 percent) state that they want to change employers.
