Impact of new management practices on working conditions

The results of the 2008–2009 works council survey, carried out by the Institute of Economic and Social Research within the Hans Böckler Foundation, highlight the effects of various management practices on work strains in German companies. The survey findings provide a new insight into health risk management at establishment level, also highlighting that only a minority of companies are carrying out health risk assessments, albeit being prescribed by law.

About the survey

Up until now, the effects of management practices on working conditions have rarely been examined. Within the framework of its 2008–2009 works council survey (in German), the Institute of Economic and Social Research (Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut, WSI) – part of the Hans Böckler Foundation (Hans Böckler Stiftung) – investigated this issue. The works council survey forms part of a research project on participative management of workplace health promotion (Partizipatives Gesundheitsmanagement, Pargema), which was carried out by a network of German research institutes over the period 2006–2009.

The telephone-based survey covered 1,700 works council members in a representative sample of establishments employing more than 20 employees and in all sectors of the economy in Germany. This article outlines some of the research findings as published on the Pargema website (Ahlers, E., ‘WSI-Betriebsrätebefragung 2008/2009 zu Innovationsfähigkeit, Arbeitsbedingungen und Gesundheit im Betrieb’, Informationsblatt (40Kb PDF), 2009), while the results of the multivariate analysis are published in the 2010 annual report on ‘Good work’ (Gute Arbeit – Ausgabe 2010).

Survey findings

Innovative, efficiency-oriented management practices are widespread

The survey findings show that a significant number of companies apply new management practices; more specifically, of all companies surveyed:

• 63% implement extensive controlling measures;

• 60% manage their workforce according to key production ratios in order to set objectives;

• 53% manage their staff according to individual performance plans which mostly set out economic targets and/or customer satisfaction goals:

  • in 39% of these companies, the entire staff is managed through such performance plans,

  • in 32%, these performance plans are unilaterally determined by management;

• 51% carry out project work;

• 46% benchmark the results of individual departments or teams;

• 16% manage their units like profit centres – that is, benchmarking their profitability within the company.

Time and efficiency pressure depends on management practices

Some 70% of the works council respondents stated that mental stress had increased over the past three years, while 26% of these respondents also reported an increase in physical stress. According to 37% of the respondents, some employees work more than nine hours a day.

In 84% of all companies surveyed, a substantial proportion of employees, corresponding to 43% on average, work under considerable time or efficiency pressure. Most of these employees are skilled white-collar workers. Works councils most often indicated the following reasons for this pressure: staff shortages (84%), personal responsibility and accountability (79%), dependence on customer demands (75%) or management behaviour (63%).