UK Management Style

Only a third (34%) of UK employees view their manager as a role model, according to research by MORI on behalf of Investors In People. Among those who regard their boss as a role model, managers are much more likely to adopt inclusive methods such as consulting staff during decision making (85%), sharing information (82%) and developing ideas and plans (81%).

One in 20 considers their manager steals other people's ideas and one in 20 also considers their manager to be lacking the skills to communicate effectively. These practices affect around 1.1 million workers and show that bad management still exists in some UK businesses.

However, more than three-quarters of managers are seen as valuable to their organisation and managers who are seen as role models are also seen by almost all employees (99%) as valuable.

The majority of line managers in the UK are seen to involve their staff in decision making (59%), developing new ideas (58%) and sharing information (58%).

Managers are generally supportive of career progression. Nearly seven in 10 employees believe their managers take an active role in their professional development -- either through guidance (35%), day-to-day help (25%) or laying down specific requirements (9%).

Large organisations with over 1,000 employees are consistently seen to apply a more collaborative approach to management compared to organisations employing fewer than 250 employees. Sixty-four per cent of employees in larger organisations say their manager includes others in developing ideas and plans, compared to only 49% in smaller organisations.

Inclusive approaches to decision making are more common in the non-manual workforce, with 68% of 'white collar' employees saying they work with their manager to reach decisions. This drops to 45% among manual workers.

The key to improving workforce motivation is more recognition for employees (19%) and sharing more information (17%).

Technical details

Questions were placed on the MORI face-to-face Omnibus, the regular MORI survey among the general public. A nationally representative quota sample of full-time working adults, aged 15 and over, was interviewed. Those who are not-working, self-employed, do not have a line manager or are their own manager were excluded. A total of 776 interviews were conducted throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 3-7 February 2005.

Topline Results

Q1 What size organisation do you work for, in terms of the number of employees in the UK?

Q2 Which of the following, if any, best describes your occupation?

Q3 Which of the following, if any, best describes the way your manager -- that is, your immediate boss or line manager -- develops new ideas? He / she...

Q4 Which of the following, if any, best describes the way your manager makes decisions? He / she...

Q5 Which of the following, if any, best describes the way your manager communicates with you? He / she...

Q6 Which of the following, if any, best describes the way your manager assists your professional development? He / she...

Q7 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement. "I see my manager as a role model."

Q8 What one thing, if any, could your manager do you motivate you more?

Q9 How valuable do you think your manager is to your organisation?