Post-recession, employee attitudes in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have evolved to demand greater communication with senior management, a global workforce survey has found.
Communication is the key in times of uncertainty. A lack of information and transparency results in de-motivation and weakens job purpose.
A new report titled Global Workforce Study conducted by Towers Watson, a professional services company, has found that 68 per cent of those surveyed in the GCC feel more highly motivated when senior leaders communicate the mission and vision of the organisation to them.
The report reveals a clear change in the responsibility of employees and employers in the GCC. Organisations that can adapt quickly to changes and create a new responsibility model will gain a competitive edge.
Debabrat Mishra, principal and consulting business leader, Middle East, Hewitt Associates, said: "Vision and mission become even more important in service organisations, where employees do not see a physical product of the organisation.
"They need to connect with the mission or vision that defines what the organisation exists for. This provides them with the intrinsic motivation to be a part of the organisation."
While the demand for corporate communication and leadership is apparent, there is a clear lack of it in the region.
Disillusioned
Crispin Marriott, managing director of Towers Watson, said: "Less than half of GCC employees believe that their senior leaders exemplify organisational values, have led effectively through the crisis, demonstrate an ability to inspire and engage others or have a sincere interest in employee satisfaction and well-being. This is a clear call for action to business leaders in the region."
"What may have worked for an organisation pre-recession just won't cut it in the workplace of today and tomorrow. There has been a shift in expectations; ‘mutual responsibility' is a key new theme."
Some however, believe that all information should not be communicated to employees.
"In times of crisis, like the current economic downturn, employees have high anxiety levels. Complete transparency could lead to panic reactions and complete breakdown of order," Mishra said.
He added that management should only provide enough information to help people managing the situation coordinate their responses effectively, but hold back information, which could spread panic.
The report also found that 84 per cent of GCC employees feel more comfortable managing their own work, but would like immediate managers enabling them to do so.
Another change found in GCC employees post-downturn is that 76 per cent of them believe employers should provide clear career paths that define the range of possible steps in their careers.
Nearly two-thirds of GCC employees believe that the results they deliver in their jobs are critical to career advancement and only 23 per cent state that length of service should have an impact on advancement.
Promotions
"Given the fact that the majority of employees believe it is their own efforts that should inform advancement, therefore, it is perhaps no surprise that over half of GCC employees are happy to shift companies whenever a better opportunity arises," Marriott said.
Meanwhile, along with a change in employee attitudes due to uncertainly and lack of job security, the UAE has experienced a drop in disposable income.
Annual disposable income per capita in 2009 fell 17.1 per cent in real terms compared with 2008, partly owing to salary cuts or lower wages for new employees, according to a consumer income and spending survey by Euromonitor International.
Per capita consumer expenditure has remained more robust, although it fell 2.2 per cent in real terms in 2009, implying that some consumers have cut back, the survey said.
The UAE and Kuwait are reported to have the highest per capital spending in the region.
Majority of workers in GCC feel more highly encouraged when top bosses communicate organisation's mission and vision
