Competitive colleagues in East of England criticised for damaging team spirit

New research reveals that competition in the workplace is in danger of undermining UK businesses

[UKPRwire, Wed Aug 29 2007] New research reveals that competition in the workplace is in danger of undermining UK businesses

With the football season in full swing, competition is straying off the pitch and into workplaces in the East of England, with more a third (36%) of employees surveyed in the region claiming that they work with colleagues who are very or fairly competitive in the workplace. According to The Assessment Network, the Investors in People (IiP) Centre for the East of England, new research published shows that less than a third of those surveyed (30%) also admitted that they actually find themselves competing with people they work with.

The research, conducted by YouGov for Investors in People - the organisation that works with companies to improve performance - also reveals that over half (51%) of those employees in the region who work with competitive colleagues believe it can destroy team spirit and a further one in ten (11%) say it leads to mistrust. Only one in five (20%) of employees see competition in the workplace as a positive thing overall.

Employees surveyed in the East of England also reveal the tell-tale signs of a competitive colleague - among those who think there is competition in the workplace, 59% say it’s someone who is always trying to get the attention of senior managers and 54% believe it is someone who only picks up work when there’s something in it for them. Employees who think there is competition in the workplace also point to someone who brags about their achievements (48%) and to colleagues who claim other people’s work as their own (51%) as signs of an employee who is competitive rather than collegiate.

When questioned about the cause of competition in the workplace, over a third (36%) of employees point the finger at bosses, believing that managers play colleagues off against each other. Other reasons cited include poor communication which leads to misunderstandings (34%) and lack of structure (23%) which means employees don’t know where they fit in the organisation.


Simon Jones, Acting Chief Executive, Investors in People said:

“Employee ambition can have a positive impact on the workplace, driving both personal development as well as business performance. Managed effectively, such ambition can create healthy competition –26% of the East of England employees surveyed who think there is competition in the workplace said that it can lead to others upping their game and a further quarter said it could improve productivity.

“But, there is a balance to be struck between personal progress that supports the business and excessive competition that can undermine it. Left unchecked competition amongst employees can be divisive, damaging team spirit and breeding a culture of mistrust in the workplace. Managers in the East of England need to be alert to the symptoms, particularly those that suggest employees only have their own interests at heart. Agreeing clearly defined objectives will help managers ensure that employee ambition and energy is channeled into delivering for the business, rather than wasted on watching what colleagues are up to.”

When asked about the best way to manage competitive people, the region’s employees felt managers needed to set clearly defined roles and responsibilities (31%) of those who think there is competition in the workplace), help create a culture of team spirit (29%) and ensure transparency around promotion and development opportunities (14%).

Other interesting UK findings:
· Male employees are more likely to see competition in the workplace as positive than female employees (24%/14%). They are also more likely to believe they need to be competitive to progress their careers (46%/34%).
· Nearly half (43%)ü of 18-24 year old employees often or sometimes see themselves competing with colleagues as opposed to just 16% of employees aged over 55.
· Employees working in the finance sector are most likely to see competition in the workplace as positive (31%), compared to employees in the public sector (education, health and Local Government) who are least likely to see it this way (all 15%)ü.
· More than half (51%) of London’s employees think they need to be competitive to progress in their career. This compares to 30% in the South West.

Notes to editor:
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,986 UK employees working for companies with 2 or more employees. Fieldwork was undertaken 14th - 25th June 2007. The survey was carried out online. The figures have not been weighted.

Investors in People:

· Investors in People is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.

· The Investors in People Standard provides a framework for improving business performance and competitiveness through good practice in human resource development.

· An organisation that has achieved the Standard has been successful in adopting and maintaining its three fundamental principles: Plan - developing strategies to improve the performance of the organisation, from business goals to leadership strategies; Do - implementing those strategies, taking action to improve the performance of the organisation; Review - evaluating and adjusting those strategies, measuring their impact on the performance of the organisation.


· The Investors in People Standard and Profile are promoted and developed by Investors in People UK – an organisation whose main stakeholder is the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

· The Investors in People Standard is delivered by a partner network:

1. In England, the network of Investors in People Centres.
2. In Scotland, Scottish Enterprise (SE) or Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
3. In Wales, the Business Skills Delivery Team at the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Welsh Assembly Government.
4. In Northern Ireland, the Department for Employment of Learning.



Contact The Assessment Network Limited at www.tan.org.uk or tel: 01480 479222


Investors in People is available for further comment. Please contact the Investors in People press office 020 7544 3118. For more information on Investors in People please visit www.investorsinpeople.co.uk