Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1330252
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 JANUARY 2021 NEWS JAMES DEBONO MALTESE managers are among the most likely in the Europe- an Union to consider working longer hours as important, and finding it hard to source skilled staff according to a Europe-wide survey. The data from the European Foundation for the Improve- ment of Living and Working Conditions interviewed 145 Maltese managers in October and December 2020, finding Maltese respondents most like- ly to be working in companies with four tiers of management structures. The number of hierarchical levels at the workplace rep- resents the balance between workers' need for autonomy, and "managerial needs for control of the production pro- cess and of the organisation of workforce". This suggests that in Malta control is considered more im- portant than autonomy. The incidence of establish- ments with four or more hi- erarchical levels is highest in Malta (36%) and Cyprus (28%), while the incidence of one or two hierarchical layers is high- est in Denmark (44%) and Swe- den (36%). In Slovakia (67%), Croatia and Czechia (65%), an organisational structure in- volving three layers is most common. 60% of establishments in Eu- rope are organised in three hi- erarchical levels, 24% in one or two levels, and the remaining 16% have four or more levels. The study also suggests that Maltese managers were more likely to consider staying at work as more important than those in other countries. The proportion of establishments where willingness to stay longer when work demands was important is highest in Cyprus (90%) and Malta (89%) and lowest in the Netherlands (42%) and Estonia (48%). Throughout Europe working longer to meet work demands is most likely to be considered important in construction (76%), and least likely in finan- cial services (68%). Managers in small establishments are slightly more likely to consider staying longer important for a positive evaluation (73%) than managers in medium-sized or large establishments (both 70%). Maltese managers were among those mostly likely to find it hard to source workers with the necessary skills. The percentage of establishments finding it difficult to find can- didates with the desired skills was highest in Slovakia (92%), Romania (90%) and Malta (88%). The incidence of estab- lishments reporting that it is not very or not at all difficult to find candidates is highest in Denmark (44%), Greece (43%) and Slovenia (36%). Managers in Malta (100%) and Cyprus (96%) were also most likely to report that their busi- ness environment was com- petitive, while those in Croatia (22%) and Luxembourg (23%) were most likely to report an uncompetitive environment. Malta reports one of the lowest proportions of estab- lishment with employee rep- resentation in management structures. The proportion of large establishments with employee representation is highest in Belgium (98%), Fin- land and France (both 96%) and lowest in Malta (24%) and Greece (25%). Luxembourg (87%) and France (86%) have the highest proportion of medium-sized establishments with an em- ployee representation, and Greece (7%), Latvia and Malta (both 9%) have the lowest. Managers' survey: 36% report working in companies with four tiers of management where control is more important Maltese managers prize longer hours, find recruitment hard The number of hierarchical levels at the workplace represents the balance between workers' need for autonomy, and "managerial needs for control of the production process