The State Worker: Is your workplace too competitive?

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The State Worker

Chronicling civil-service life for California state workers

August 22, 2008

Is your workplace too competitive?

gold medal.jpg As this new survey announcement notes, your workplace can be a daily version of the Olympics: a team sport with everyone pulling together for a common goal -- or a relentless battle between individual competitors grabbing for the gold.

A new survey found that almost half (46 percent) of senior executives interviewed said they believe employees are more competitive with each other today than they were 10 years ago.

The study was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by OfficeTeam, an administrative staffing service. Researchers conducted telephone interviews with 150 senior executives from some of the largest companies in the United States, according to the press release.

The executives were asked, "In your opinion, are employees more or less competitive with their co-workers than they were 10 years ago?" The tally of responses:

Significantly more competitive.................................12%
Somewhat more competitive....................................34%
No change.............................................................24%
Somewhat less competitive.....................................23%
Significantly less competitive.....................................3%
Don't know...............................................................4%

The OfficeTeam survey focused on the private sector, but would the results have been the same for California state workers? Or do civil service rules for promotions tend to tamp down individual competitiveness?

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