The effect of the recession on the quality of working life of UK managers: an empirical study

This paper explores the effect of the post–2007 recession on UK managers using a unique data set derived from the Quality of Working Life Project. This project has been running since 1997 in partnership with UK's Chartered Management Institute. The paper compares a wide range of measures from surveys run in 2007 (immediately before the 'credit crunch') and in 2012 as the UK was slowly emerging from the recession. Data from the surveys are used to examine the extent, pace and nature of organisational change, to assess the effect of change on managers' views of their organisation as a place to work and to assess the effect of changing patterns of work on their physical and psychological well–being and their working hours. The paper reveals that the effect of change has overwhelmingly been seen as negative with declining levels of job satisfaction, work intensification and growing levels of ill health.