The respondents give only average marks to in-house structures and processes. Overall, 52 percent are largely dissatisfied with the way risk-taking and innovation are addressed. Some 48 percent say that crisis and change management leave a lot to be desired, as do collaboration among departments and business areas. One in two respondents says that conflicts increasingly take place when it comes to distributing resources. The overall business environment, however, is seen more positively: 77 percent of the managers queried think that demand is strong for the goods and services produced by the company they work for, up from 70 percent six months ago. More than 50 percent expect the economy to pick up in the coming six months, something only 39 percent felt was true in 2012.
Feelings about the overall atmosphere at work are also generally positive, although differences exist by area. Over 70 percent of the respondents say the atmosphere where they work is good, although fewer believe people are being treated fairly compared to last year. At the same time, only 44 percent would say the company where they work is open and flexible, a figure that remains unchanged from the last survey.
“The growing discrepancy between the positive outlook about business conditions in general and the considerably less positive feelings managers have about their own work situation could well serve as a catalyst for dissatisfaction,” says Martin Spilker of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. “It gives managers the feeling that they did what was required during the crisis, but that they haven’t been adequately rewarded for it. If managers start to feel that they are being left behind or that they are losing out, sooner or later the companies they work for will feel it in terms of economic performance.”
“There is a clear disconnect between the ongoing positive assessment of job security, on the one hand, and the poor marks given to career development possibilities and in-house bureaucracy, on the other” adds Ludger Ramme, CEO of management trade association ULA. “Companies must therefore act in their own interest. Managers want to be given the freedom to make their own decisions. The companies that best meet that expectation will have a competitive edge in a variety of areas, including attracting the highly skilled employees that are becoming harder and harder to find.”
Carried out twice a year, the Bertelsmann Stiftung survey queries some 1,200 managers in major and midsized companies in Germany. The respondents are members of the 12 ULA member associations or are part of the Manager Monitor, a survey panel organized by ULA.