LONDON — The workplace culture at businesses across the Middle East is delivering high levels of job satisfaction to manager-level employees, according to new research by Oracle. Posting strong scores across the board, senior staff feel proud to work for their employer and are confident in their company’s direction and future outlook.
Oracle’s “From Theory to Action” study set out to assess how employees at all levels feel about their company’s workplace culture, and to examine how culture affects both performance and attitude towards their employer. Over 250 workers across the Middle East were surveyed as part of the global research.
In one of the strongest indicators of widespread fulfillment at the manager-level, Oracle’s research found that 61 percent of managers are proud to work for their organization. This score is particularly high among directors, 80 percent of which say they are proud to work for their company.
These results indicate businesses are living up to their reputations and the expectations they set for senior hires. 63 percent of manager-level employees find their working experience meets the expectation they had of their employer’s brand.
The positive results appear to be an upshot of strong leadership. 62 percent of managers feel confident in their company’s direction. Communication and transparency in the workplace is also a contributing factor, with 64 percent of managers saying their leadership team is both visible and approachable.
The end result of this positive workplace culture is that nearly three quarters of managers are inspired to make an extra effort to meet their goals at work.
Arun Khehar, Senior Vice President, Applications Business, ECEMEA at Oracle, said: “Pay will always be a motivator for employees at every level, but today’s workforce also places a great deal of emphasis on workplace culture and it’s encouraging to see businesses are on board. There is a strong correlation between believing in the organization’s leadership and employee productivity, particularly among more senior workers who feel invested in the company’s future. More than ever, strong direction plays a crucial role inspiring employees from the top down to do their best work with pride."
The high level of satisfaction among managers is also attributable to businesses making an effort to give the tools they need to excel in their roles. Two-thirds of management-level workers say they can access the technologies and information required to make effective decisions.
Tailored employee development is also a focus for Middle Eastern businesses, with 69 percent of managers reporting their learning and training is linked to their development plan. As a result, 71 percent know what is expected of them and 68 percent feel they can make effective decisions concerning their role.
While general satisfaction scores among managers are high, those employees at the middle-management level are left wanting compared to other senior staff.
More specifically:
• Less than half of middle level managers feel their on-boarding process set them up sufficiently to succeed, compared with over 70 percent of both directors and lower-level managers
• Only 45 percent of middle managers say they have access to a range of collaborative learning tools to promote their development
Arun Khehar, Senior Vice President, Applications Business, ECEMEA at Oracle, said: “Middle managers who find themselves between promotions are keen to continue progressing. Their needs cannot be taken for granted or they will look for satisfaction elsewhere. Our research shows companies are nurturing their top talent, but they must ensure this is done at all levels. It falls to HR leaders to step up in this competitive job market and ensure their organization takes a democratic approach to development so that every employee feels valued.”
