Economic uncertainty ‘increasing worker mistrust of managers’

The uncertainty currently pervading the UK’s financial markets has raised the level of mistrust among staff concerning their managers.

This is according to research conducted by BlessingWhite, which found that while 71 per cent of employees trust their immediate bosses, only 48 per cent feel the same level of confidence in their senior management team.

It was also found that 29 per cent of middle managers do not trust their bosses.

"Our research has revealed that many senior managers appear to be issuing strategies from an ivory tower. Their direction can’t filter through middle managers that don’t trust them," warned Tom Barry, European managing director at BlessingWhite.

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He added that the results show how important it is for leaders to engage with their team members.

Research published last month by Ashridge revealed that the motivational approaches adopted by organisations are failing to have a constructive effect on managers and their colleagues, with 55 per cent of bosses critical of the techniques used.