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Organisational culture survey shows widespread mismatch between behaviour and policies
Organisational culture survey shows widespread mismatch between behaviour and policies
A large-scale survey on organisational culture by Nottingham Business School has suggested that there is a significant mismatch between the advertised values and policies of UK companies, and how employees behave on a daily basis. Organisational culture focuses on how people within a company think, feel, and behave, and can have a significant impact on achieving strategic ambitions. Its intangible nature means it is traditionally hard to define and measure.
In the first study of its kind on the topic, more than 1,170 UK managers and employees from large and small-to-medium sized organisations across a range of sectors were questioned on cultural alignment; diversity, equality and inclusion; wellbeing; and opportunities to improve company culture.
Just 18% of employees feel their organisation’s stated values or external image is very aligned to the current culture, while a quarter (25%) believe that the behaviour of their leader does not reflect values portrayed externally. The results also showed that only half of employees feel like the day-to-day behaviour at their organisation aligns with diversity, equality and inclusions policies. Just 49% said that there is a strong alignment, with a third (35%) expressing that there are inconsistencies.
Although almost a quarter (24%) stated that their current culture does not support inclusivity, 76% said that it actively encourages positive choices or behaviours and discourages negative ones. In relation to wellbeing, more than one third (38%) thought that the current culture does not promote wellbeing and 31% expressed that their organisational culture doesn’t promote ethical choices and behaviours. In 28% of cases, respondents said that unethical choices or behaviours are allowed or overlooked.
Dr Zara Whysall lead researcher and Associate Professor of Business Psychology at Nottingham Business School, part of Nottingham Trent University, said: “Recent years have seen an amplification of interest among regulators and business leaders in the impact of organisational culture on company performance, ethical conduct and other important outcomes such as inclusion.
“When you walk into an organisation, you soon get a sense of the type of organisation it is: how to behave, what is acceptable, what is frowned upon, what matters, and what doesn’t. You don’t need to read its corporate values or mission statement. We can see from these findings that writing mission statements, creating sets of corporate values, policies and procedures does not influence or reflect culture unless these aspirations are embedded into behaviours.”
“Without this, you get cultural misalignment, a mismatch between the values espoused by an organisation and the way that employees operate day-to-day. The results from this study show that cultural misalignment is widespread in UK organisations, which is very concerning.
“However, the results were more positive when it came to the opportunity to improve culture, with 59% of people feeling that their organisation is close to where it needs to be, showing that many workplaces need a cultural evolution, not revolution.”
Happy New Year from everyone at Hr NETWORK in the 20th year of Hr NETWORK Magazine
Happy New Year from everyone at Hr NETWORK in the 20th year of Hr NETWORK Magazine
We’re super excited about this years Conference & Exhibition taking place once again at Murrayfield Stadium on Thursday 15th May and the Conference Planning team have opened the Delegate Booking Form for the Conference, which is all about LEARNING. SKILLS. ENGAGEMENT. TALENT. and we have included the details for you below. We’re looking forward to catching up with you at some point in 2025.
Unbelievably, we will celebrate 20 years of Hr NETWORK Magazine this year and your commitment and support during the past 20 years has been incredible and we hope you can join us at some point during the year to enjoy one or more of the many events we have planned to celebrate this incredible milestone.
It would be great to see you and/or some of your HR colleagues attending and if you have any questions, please just let us know.
Please also let us know if you are keen to know more about the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2025 Nominations with the Awards Gala Dinner in Glasgow in November, with NOMINATIONS opening in March 2025.
SAVE £50 on Early Bird Booking NOW!!
(By booking before 28th February 2025*)
The Early Bird discount for each delegate attending the Conference & Exhibition on Thursday 15th May is £145+VAT and we have group booking discounts for groups of 6 delegates or more. Please note that the Early Bird booking discount is available until 28th February 2025. From 1st March 2025, the cost per delegate is £195+VAT.
Delegate Package includes:
- 6 Keynote Speakers (Including 1 Panel Discussion)
- Networking & Exhibitor Area
- Lunch & Refreshments
- Delegate Bag and Goodies
- Official Conference Programme & Delegate List
- Plus much, much more
To secure your delegate place/s, and to take advantage of the Early Bird booking discount, please complete the booking form and we will send you joining instructions for the Hr NETWORK ‘LEARN. SKILLS. ENGAGE. TALENT.’ Conference and Exhibition 2025, which will be emailed to you in due course.
https://hrnetworkjobs.com/events/conference/
If you have any enquiries with reference to the conference, including sponsor and exhibitor opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact the Conference Planning Team on Telephone: 0131 625 3267 or email: subscriptions@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU TO THE CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION on Thursday 15TH MAY 2025.
(*Please note that there is currently a high demand for delegate places at this time and to secure your place and avoid any disappointment, you are encouraged to submit a booking form at your earliest convenience)
Working parents bankroll average £1.5K in case their children are sick or injured
Working parents bankroll average £1.5K in case their children are sick or injured
With half (50%) of working parents needing to take time off work or out of their business due to their child(ren) having had an accident, rising to 77% to cover sudden illness – new research from protection and employee benefits provider, MetLife Uk highlights how vital it is for working parents to have a financial safety net in place for childcare emergencies.
One in six (16%) of those with injured children had to take unpaid leave, increasing to one in four (23%) for those with poorly children. Both of which directly impacts their take-home pay and ability to earn for potentially long periods of time. Almost half (48%) are making positive preventative steps to help during these stressful periods by having a savings pot set aside in case they need to take unpaid time off work or away from their business.
On average, working parents have £1,540 set aside, rising to £1,787 among the self-employed and £1,734 for those on zero-hour contracts. In the last twelve months, 40% of working parents have taken a week off work to care for themselves or their child(ren) due to an accident or illness. 13% have taken 2-3 weeks and 7% have had to take off a full month.
However, with the cost-of-living pressure increasingly making it tougher for households to squirrel away pots of money for everyday emergencies, there is now another way to enhance a family’s financial security for the future if their child(ren) was unwell or recovering from an accident.
MetLife’s ChildShield product, which is the first of its kind to cover children outside of an adult policy, aims to support working parents from experiencing income gaps or job concerns should their child(ren) have an accident or become seriously ill. From just £6 per month, policies pay out cash when working parents need to take time off work to care for their child(ren), covering families in a way that isn’t a burden on their monthly income.
Rich Horner, Head of Individual Protection at MetLife UK commented: “While some households may be able to bankroll an “emergency pot” to lean on in case of a family accident or emergency – that’s not universal. Working parents are already under immense financial strain, so for those with little option but to take unpaid or reduced pay time off work to care for their child when they’re poorly or have had an accident, there can be an immediate and acute financial burden if proper support isn’t in place. And even those who may have the average pot of around £1500, this is unlikely to last very long should the child need extended care. ChildShield offers simple and effective financial protection for parents across the UK, so they can concentrate on their family’s needs without added financial stress – and it also means that those who have worked hard to amass some savings get to keep them for the things they’d rather spend them on such as holidays or treats for the family.”
OUT TODAY – January 2025 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine featuring the WINNERS from Awards 2024
OUT TODAY – January 2025 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine featuring ALL the WINNERS in the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2024
Hr NETWORK is ‘The Hub’ of Scottish HR and people development with an ‘Access All Areas’ pass to Scotland’s most influential human resource and business professionals across all sectors in Scotland. As well as readers from the world of HR, the magazine is also extremely popular within SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) organisations and is very useful for line managers, heads of department, senior management, managing directors and other professionals throughout the country who play a vital role in the development of people within all industry sectors in Scotland. Published bi-monthly, Hr NETWORK Magazine is informative and a ‘must have’ for its readers, and brings with it in every issue, great opportunities and benefits for advertisers and sponsors too.
Hr NETWORK Magazine January 2025
LEARN. SKILLS. ENGAGE. TALENT.
The perfect blend for a thriving workforce in 2025
Empowering growth through learning, skills, engagement and talent will be the perfect blend for a thriving workforce in 2025. According to prolific American author, Robert Greene, “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways”. Andy Moore explores these key topics in more detail….
Also in the latest issue:
- Showcasing ALL the winners from the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2024
- The regular sections of the magazine include: News, STATS and EXTRA
- The ‘Insights’ section features first class comment from those in the know on a range of subjects including: AI’s impact on HR, Emotional Intelligent Leadership, Leading Effective Teams, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
Companies that reduce the flexibility for their employees are seeing an exodus of their people
Companies that reduce the flexibility for their employees are seeing an exodus of their people
Recruiters have reported a talent exodus from companies now offering their employees less flexibility in where they work. Research among more than 500 in-house and agency recruiters revealed a surge in applications from employees at companies requiring their teams to be in a city centre office five days a week. Two thirds (67%) had seen an increase in candidates looking for new positions following mandates from current employers that require them to spend more time at a central office.
The study, undertaken by International Workplace Group, the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace, follows announcements from a number of companies in recent weeks, while others are doubling down on offering more flexible hybrid policies to cement their positions as attractive employers.
The research demonstrates the growing importance of hybrid working to businesses that want to attract and retain the best talent. Three quarters (75%) of recruiters said they have had candidates reject job opportunities that don’t offer flexible working, while 72% said firms, which don’t offer hybrid working are becoming less competitive in the job market.
Mark Dixon, CEO and Founder of International Workplace Group, said: “Flexibility is no longer a nice to have for employees. Many will not consider new roles that require long daily commutes, they want access to workspaces closer to where they live in an environment that allows them to remain motivated and productive.”
One in two young people have missed work in the last year because of stress
One in two young people have missed work in the last year because of stress
Ipsos has released the fifth edition of the Ipsos World Mental Health Day report, a 31-country study looking at people’s perceptions to mental health and how they think their healthcare system treats mental wellbeing.
Key UK findings include:
- Six in ten (60%) Britons say they often think about their mental health.
- Over half (59%) of Britons say that they have felt stressed to the point where it had an impact on their daily life.
- 54% say that physical health is treated as more important than mental health by the healthcare system in the UK. This is 13pp higher than the global average.
- Nearly eight in ten (79%) Britons believe that mental and physical health are equally important.
- 36% of Britons say that they felt stressed once or several times to the point where they could not go to work for a period of time. Great Britain ranks 8th out of the 31 countries surveyed for this.
- Over half (56%) of Gen Z women have needed to take time off work due to stress, versus 29% of Gen Z men.
Key global findings include:
- Younger generations missing work due to stress. One in two of Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (47%) say they have felt stressed to the point that they could not go to work during the past year.
- Gen Z women struggling more than their male peers. 40% say in the last year there have been several times where they have felt depressed to the point that they felt sad or hopeless almost every day for a couple of weeks or more. 29% of Gen Z men say the same.
- Moreover, most people say stress has affected their daily life. Almost two-thirds (62%) on average across 31 countries, say they have felt stressed to the point where it had an impact on their daily life at least once. Levels of reported stress range from a high of 76% in Türkiye to a low of 44% in Japan. Overall, a slightly higher proportion of women (66%) say they have felt stressed than men (58%). In our Health Service Report mental health is seen as the biggest health issue.
- Health of mind and body seen as equal. Just over three in four (76%, global country average) say mental and physical health are equally important, with a majority in all 31 countries saying this is the case. While mind and body are seen as equal people are more likely to say they often think about their physical (72%) than their mental wellbeing (60%).
- Healthcare systems prioritise physical issues. The public believe the emphasis by healthcare professionals is often still on the body. On average across the 31 countries, 41% say physical health is treated as more important than mental health by their country’s current healthcare system, 13% say mental health is treated as more important and 31% say both are treated equally.