Little Confidence in Hong Kong Business Leaders

New research from TNS this week reveals a crisis of confidence in the Hong Kong workplace. Only around one fifth of employees had faith in the ability of top managers to provide clear leadership or serve as role models.

The third bi-annual TNS Hong Kong Employee Study shows that of the various factors that influence employee commitment, management leadership is one of the strongest. However, only 21% of the Hong Kong workers surveyed by TNS in the study agreed that senior management in their organisation 'were role models for leadership' or 'act consistently as one management team.' Even fewer respondents - 19% - agreed that their senior management 'consider employee interests when making decisions.' Yet these factors consistently ranked among the highest in terms of impact on employee commitment, as shown in the following table:

[table]

Source: TNS Hong Kong Employee Study

The findings reveal that employee remuneration is no longer the motivator it once was - reinforcing the relative importance of boardroom behaviour. Clearly challenging this long-standing assumption held by many Hong Kong companies, factors related to pay were found to rank comparatively low on the influence scale. Furthermore, the much-vaunted 'work-life balance' is also low in the influence scale, compared with opportunities for career development.

The latest findings highlight a number of critical steps that all employers should initiate and continually re-assess for improvement opportunities. Firstly senior managers need to be visible, accessible and behave like role models. Secondly, an inclusive and transparent working environment should be encouraged with an emphasis on internal communication and sharing of information. Finally all workers should be involved in open discussions on the company's strategy and vision.

TNS Associate Director Stephen Yap commented: 'Recent events in the business world have underscored how divisive and demoralising a split in top management ranks can be for an organisation's workers. What this study demonstrates is just how important a strong and consistent management team is in ensuring happy and motivated workers. This is an area in which Hong Kong employers receive low ratings - the consequence of which is reduced productivity and staff turnover. There has been plenty of debate lately on the impact of Hong Kong's long working hours on staff morale. Likewise, Hong Kong employers have traditionally believed that attracting and retaining staff is primarily a function of good pay. As this survey shows, however, having senior managers that work together as a team and an organizational culture that is positive and empowering are far more important for long-term job satisfaction.'

A representative sample of 1,002 full-time employees in Hong Kong was interviewed by TNS Hong Kong in January 2006. TNS HK is online at www.tns-global.com.hk

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

• TNS Hong Kong
• All news
• MrWeb info