The WorldBlu Blog

Recently the Workplace Democracy Association, together with Zogby International, conducted a survey of nearly 2,500 workers to find that one in four, or 25 percent, believe they work in a dictatorship rather than in a democratic workplace.

The survey also revealed that, “Adopting democratic processes can have a significant impact on employee morale and thus improve their levels of productivity and creativity: 80% of workers said they work better when they are given the freedom to decide how to best do their job.”

You can read about other findings from the survey by clicking here.

I love the results of this survey and commend the Workplace Democracy Association for this important research.

Asher Adelman, Founder and President of the Workplace Democracy Association and I were interviewed this week about democracy in the workplace on the radio show, “Everyday Leadership,” hosted by Dan Mulhern, the First Gentleman of Michigan.

Dan asked if I found the fact that that one in four Americans believe they work in a dictatorship surprising. I said not at all, especically since the Gallup Organization consistently reports that nearly three-fourths (73 percent) of the US workforce is disengaged at work.

People are clearly checking out of the traditional, command-and-control model of business.

As the survey reports, 80 percent of American workers want more freedom at work.

You can listen to the interview I did with Dan on this topic or download the podcast on iTunes.

Enjoy!