Lack of Trust between Staff and Management

One in three workers have little or no trust in their management or senior managers, especially those in large public sector organisations, according to a new study.

A survey of 5,600 workers found that chief executives were significantly less trusted than line managers, with the level of mistrust increasing in larger companies.

The Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and Management Today magazine said their research revealed that company bosses had to work very much harder to inspire trust in their staff.

Senior managers in local and national government and the media were the least trusted, while those in the charities and retail enjoyed higher levels of trust.

The two most important factors for chief executives were said to be ability and integrity, while line managers were expected to demonstrate understanding, fairness and integrity, said the report.