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International Survey Shows U.S. Bosses are Getting it Right

U.S. managers have cause for celebration on National Boss Day as majority of workers give vote of confidence in their leadership

Seattle, Wash. - October 4, 2006 - A new international survey of global consumers conducted by NetReflector, reveals that over half (58%) of American workers are confident in their company's leadership. Two thirds (66%) of them would likely recommend their company to a friend.

"An employee's likelihood to recommend their company is a key measure of the quality of the relationship the employee has with his/her employer," comments Bob Hayes, Ph.D., expert in customer satisfaction measurement and author of the book Measuring Customer Satisfaction: Survey Design, Use, and Statistical Analysis Methods. "Research on loyalty-based management systems has shown that employee loyalty is a leading indicator of customer satisfaction and loyalty. So, ensuring that employees are satisfied and loyal to a company should be a key initiative of any organization."

NetReflector's international poll revealed that 66 percent of all U.S. workers surveyed feel that their boss cares about them as a person. On the reverse, almost 60 percent of them (56.6%) feel that their boss does not set them goals that would help them achieve promotion.

"Due to new and expanding relationships in the workplace such as managing project, cross-departmental and cross-divisional teams, the demands on today's managers are less about telling subordinates what to do and how to do it, and more focused on developing the skills and decision-making capabilities of those who report to them," adds Hayes. "Today's 'boss' is often both a coach and a member of the work team."

When asked what a boss could do more of, U.S. workers' top pick (43%) was 'use my skills and abilities better'. This was followed by over a third (35.7%) asking them to 'step in and resolve conflicts', and a quarter (25.4%) asking for 'their ideas to be listened to more readily'. Less than 10 percent (9.5%) felt that bosses put too much pressure on them compared to almost a third of Chinese respondents who would like their mentors to ease off a little (27.6%).

The research also revealed that 64 percent of U.S. respondents felt that they were granted independence in regard to important decisions, while just under half (49%) felt that they were actually contributing to the company's mission.

The poll was powered by GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.) in April 2006. 9,351 full- and part-time workers were surveyed online in ten countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Russia, Turkey, the UK and the USA.

About NetReflector

NetReflector offers enterprise feedback solutions to Global 2000 corporations. It is part of GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.), a global market intelligence solutions provider. The company is based in Seattle, WA, with operations on five continents around the globe. NetReflector's scalable solutions enable some of the world's largest and most respected companies to maximise profits by transforming feedback into loyalty. Customer, employee and partner feedback, three valuable business assets, can be measured anywhere in the world, in any language, at any time, at every touch-point of an organisation. NetReflector solutions ensure a consistent customer experience, increase employee retention and enhance partner-generated revenue. For more information, please visit us online at www.gmi-mr.com or contact us.

About National Boss Day

National Boss Day was started in 1958 when Patricia Bays Haroski, then an employee at State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Ill., registered the holiday with the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. She designated October 16 th as National Boss Day because it was her father's birthday. Ms. Haroski's purpose was to designate a day to show appreciation for her boss and other bosses. She also hoped to improve the relationship between employees and supervisors, and believed young employees often do not realize the challenges bosses face in running a business.