A controlling and inflexible leadership style is making oil and gas workers feel powerless and devalued, according to global research by workplace culture expert, O.C. Tanner. The findings reveal that 42 percent of oil and gas workers have their working time strictly monitored, with 45 percent admitting that leaders are always watching whether they’re on task during work hours. When employees are given freedom in how they accomplish their work, it’s all too often given to a limited number of job roles or ‘favourite employees’.
These are the findings from O.C. Tanner’s 2024 Global Culture Report which gathered data and insights from more than 42,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners, and executives from 27 countries worldwide including 241 from the oil and gas industry.
Robert Ordever, European MD of O.C. Tanner says, “Work realities have shifted over the past few years. Employees now expect some level of flexibility and autonomy over their working day, including the tasks they focus on, and when and how they accomplish them. Whether they work in an office or on an oil rig, employees need to feel empowered and considered, not micromanaged. Unfortunately, there are still leaders who believe power and control get things done, signaling high levels of distrust and a lack of care.”
The report reveals the damaging impact of a command-and-control leadership style, with workers that have little or no flexibility in their roles feeling that their opportunities for personal and professional growth are limited. 40 percent of oil and gas workers even admit to having their break times strictly monitored, making them feel undervalued and mistrusted, with burnout and exhaustion more likely. In fact, burnout is five times’ more likely when employees are dissatisfied with their level of flexibility at work.
The recommendations from the report include giving every employee some level of job flexibility and influence, while recognising the limitations of certain job roles. It’s not possible to repair a pipeline from home. However, leaders can still empower workers, such as by adjusting work schedules, accommodating changing life circumstances, providing time for personal appointments, and giving workers a greater say over their workload.
As it stands, organisations commonly provide job flexibility to some but not all employees with 66 per cent of oil and gas workers saying that flexibility is not available in the same way across all job roles. Plus, 35 per cent admit that leaders only allow ‘favourite employees’ to be given flexibility and freedom in their role.
Ordever adds, “Providing all employees with some level of autonomy and flexibility at work is key, ensuring they feel seen and valued, which in turn leads to thriving workplace cultures and better business outcomes.”
About 2024 Global Culture Report
The O.C. Tanner Institute, O.C. Tanner’s research, analytics, and education team, uses multiple research methods to support the Global Culture Report, including interviews, focus groups, cross-sectional surveys, and a longitudinal survey.
Qualitative findings came from 18 focus groups among employees and leaders of larger organizations.
Quantitative findings came from online survey interviews administered to employees across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The total sample size was 42,446 workers at companies with 500+ employees. The O.C. Tanner Institute collected and analyzed all survey data. This sample is sufficient to generate meaningful conclusions about the cultures of organizations in the included countries. However, because the study does not include population data, results are subject to statistical errors customarily associated with sample-based information. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from the O.C. Tanner Institute.
