Bosses, Productivity, and Job Satisfaction An Introduction to the Scientific Evidence

1. Bosses, Productivity, and Job Satisfaction An Introduction to the Scientific Evidence Andrew Oswald University of Warwick

2. BOSSES Supervisors Managers CEOs Leaders

3. BOSSES Supervisors Managers CEOs Leaders

4. This has been surprisingly little-studied by economists and statisticians.

5. This has been surprisingly little-studied by economists and statisticians. In business schools, case studies have dominated.

6. What is an effective boss?

7. Perhaps someone like …

8. OR LIKE THIS?

9. Basil

10. Basil’s approach to H.R.

11. Basil’s approach to H.R. “This, smack on head.”

12. As in other parts of scientific inquiry

13. As in other parts of scientific inquiry We look for reliable patterns in the data.

14. As in other parts of scientific inquiry We look for reliable patterns in the data. We run experiments.

15. Regression equations

16. Regression equations y = f(Characteristics of the boss, industry type, size of the workplace, education levels of workers, ….) y= productivity or y=job satisfaction

17. Here is a preliminary taste of what new research shows ….

18. But I would like to make it clear from the outset, ladies and gentlemen…that personally:

19. But I would like to make it clear from the outset, ladies and gentlemen…that personally:

21. The first sharp finding in the modern literature is that bosses have large effects on productivity.

22. The first sharp finding in the modern literature is that bosses have large effects on productivity.

23. The Value of Bosses By: Lazear, Edward P.; Shaw, Kathryn L.; Stanton, Christopher T. JOURNAL OF LABOR ECONOMICS   Volume: 33   Issue: 4   Pages: 823-861   Published: OCT 2015

24. They study 24,000 workers, and 2000 bosses, over 5 years.

25. They study 24,000 workers, and 2000 bosses, over 5 years.

26. They study 24,000 workers, and 2000 bosses, over 5 years.

27. “Replacing a boss who is in the lower 10% of boss quality with one who is in the upper 10% of boss quality increases a team's total output by more than adding one worker to a nine-member team.”

28. “Replacing a boss who is in the lower 10% of boss quality with one who is in the upper 10% of boss quality increases a team's total output by more than adding one worker to a nine-member team.” 1 boss = 2 core workers

29. and

30. and The good bosses particularly raise the productivity of the best workers. The good bosses reduce worker turnover.

31. How does all this link with job satisfaction of workers?

32. As general background:

33. Findings on employee job satisfaction

34. Findings on employee job satisfaction Pay Large workplace Female Job security Autonomy

35. Findings on employee job satisfaction Pay positive Large workplace Female Job security Autonomy

36. Findings on employee job satisfaction Pay positive Large workplace negative Female Job security Autonomy

37. Findings on employee job satisfaction Pay positive Large workplace negative Female positive Job security Autonomy

38. Findings on employee job satisfaction Pay positive Large workplace negative Female positive Job security positive Autonomy

39. Findings on employee job satisfaction Pay positive Large workplace negative Female positive Job security positive Autonomy positive

40. On autonomy

41. On autonomy • Who controls the pace of work is important. It is OK if customers and colleagues do. Not so good when bosses or machines do.

42. On autonomy • Who controls the pace of work is important. It is OK if customers and colleagues do. Not so good when bosses or machines do. • Evidence that it pays to give employees small freedoms (like the ability to move their desk slightly).

43. A new finding on bosses

44. A new finding on bosses Boss competence is the single strongest predictor of a worker’s job satisfaction.

45. Boss Competence and Worker Well-being By: Artz, Ben; Goodall, Amanda H.; Oswald, Andrew J. INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR RELATIONS REVIEW,  forthcoming in 2016.

46. We have data on 35,000 randomly sampled employees in the UK and USA.

47. We study 3 measures of competence

48. We study 3 measures of competence • “My boss could do my job if necessary”

49. We study 3 measures of competence • “My boss could do my job if necessary” • “My boss worked his/her way up through the company”

50. We study 3 measures of competence • “My boss could do my job if necessary” • “My boss worked his/her way up through the company” • Overall assessed competence.