Majority of the professionals (about 72 per cent) in the Middle East believe a healthy manager-employee relationship is crucial at work place, according to a new study by leading job site Bayt.com.

The “Manager- Employee Relationship in the Middle East Workplace” poll was conducted in order to assess the significance of employee-manager relationships in the Middle East and the level of satisfaction with managers in the region.

It also examined the effects of an unhealthy working relationship between employees and managers and explored what could be done to improve any dissatisfaction in the workplace in the future.

The study found that 72 per cent of the Middle East’s professionals- who have participated to the online poll series- consider a healthy relationship with their direct manager to be very important in the workplace, while 14 per cent consider it important to a certain extent and 10 per cent believe that it really depends on the nature of the position.

“This report has given an interesting insight into professionals’ experiences and attitudes in the Middle East with regard to employee-manager relationships. The fact that the vast majority consider a healthy working relationship with their boss to be vital illustrates the importance of this poll,” observed Amer Zureikat, regional manager, Bayt.com.

The study said about 27 per cent of professionals revealed that they rate their relationship with their direct manager in the workplace as excellent, citing their manager as not only a boss but a mentor while 31 per cent consider their relationship to be quite good, with a mutual respect and smooth communication channel between the two parties.

'However, 24 per cent of those questioned disclosed that their relationship with their manager was not stable and usually depended on the boss’s mood, while an astonishing 17 per cent revealed the relationship is bad and they are not on the same wave length with their boss at all,' he added.

“While many respondents were happy with their managers, a good number of working professionals in the Middle East seemed dissatisfied with their relationship with their boss. This indicates that there is some headway to be made in improving employee-manager relationships in the region,” Zureikat remarked.

On being asked what they thought the effects of an unhealthy manager-employee relationship in the workplace would be, 17 per cent said low employee motivation could be a knock-on effect, while 13 per cent cited a stressful work environment for both manager and employee.

About 12 per cent thought it could lead to unfinished job tasks and 54 per cent mentioned all of these as possible outcomes of an unhealthy relationship with their boss, the study added.

'In order to decipher how workplace relationships could be improved, the poll then asked which qualities in a manager would make it easiest to maintain a strong manager-employee relationship,' Zureikat said.

'Almost a quarter of respondents - 24 per cent-  said that effective communication is key, 23 per cent said good leadership skills is key, 22 per cent thought mutual respect is important, 10 per cent cited trust in employees and 14 per cent mentioned leading by example as a good management quality.

“Having assessed the level of satisfaction with management in the workplace, respondents were asked various questions on what they thought could be done to improve manager-employee relationships, revealing that many employees value managers with good communication and leadership skills. This gives some indication as to how best to improve relationships in the workplace,” Zureikat stated.

When asked what their company does to promote healthy manager-employee relationships at work, 37 per cent affirmed that their company did so on every possible occasion, 18 per cent said efforts were made from time to time, while over a third of respondents- 32 per cent- stated that they did not think their company did anything to promote good working relationships between managers and employees, the study added.

“These results show that companies in the region do take an interest in developing healthy working relationships. However, many respondents also revealed that a good percentage of companies do not make significant efforts in monitoring manager-employee relationships, which is an issue that clearly needs to be addressed,” said Zureikat.

Respondents were finally asked how they thought their company could best interfere to promote a healthier manager-employee relationship.

'About 38 per cent thought more frequent appraisals would have a positive impact, 11 per cent said more emphasis on communication, 7 per cent suggested more management training and 5 per cent said more outdoor activities to help see another side of the boss,' Zureikat explained.

'Over a third of those asked 31 per cent- thought that all of these factors would contribute to a healthier working relationship between manager and employee,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service