Seventy-six percent of South African middle managers believe the economy is having a negative impact on their work environment.
This is according to a new online middle managers survey, conducted by Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. The survey aimed to define where middle managers stand in terms of the current economic climate.
Of the 2 600 middle managers interviewed, 60% said the economic environment is driving concern that they could lose their jobs.
“Accenture embarked on this survey to come up with broad-based conclusions, as well as where the South African middle managers are in terms of the rest of the world,” says Steve Smith, senior executive for talent and organisation performance at Accenture.
The human factor
According to Smith, the economic slowdown has had a significant impact on businesses. “It's critical for middle managers to be equipped with skills development and the right technologies to handle these challenging economic times and the importance of the role that HR has to play,” says Smith.
“Thirty-eight percent of middle managers say their employers have taken steps to help employees cope with the weak economy.”
The survey discovered that 50% of South African middle managers are satisfied with their current jobs and, according to Smith, the biggest complaint is remuneration.
However, Smith points out that creating job satisfaction is key, because - once the economy crisis has stabilised to a certain extent - many employees will gain confidence and could seek better jobs abroad.
Making connections
Another issue the survey revealed is how younger generations are using technology to manage their business communication.
Smith attributes this to the older generation's reluctance to utilise and adapt to new and innovative technologies, such as social networking structures like Facebook and Second Life.
The survey discovered new technologies result in a 30% increase in the level of productivity. “The next generation has a collaborative style of working with new technologies. It's a different mindset from previous generations and organisations need to determine how they will use the technology to their advantage.”
Smith says organisations are refocusing their talent management techniques to provide employee programmes that are more customised to individual needs.
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