Indian employees lead globally in pretending to be busy: Survey
What's the story
A recent global survey conducted by Slack and Qualtrics has revealed that employees in Asia, particularly in India, tend to spend more time appearing busy rather than engaging in productive work.
India topped the list with 43% of professionals focusing on "performative work." It is followed by Japan and Singapore at 37% and 36%, respectively.
The study used data collected from 18,000 desk staffers.
Details
Leaders assess productivity based on visible activity: Slack report
Performative work often involves spending excessive time in meetings where teams showcase their achievements instead of making decisions or addressing pressing issues.
Derek Laney, Slack's "technology evangelist" for the Asia-Pacific region, pointed out that leaders frequently assess productivity based on visible activity rather than actual outcomes.
This disconnect results in wasted effort as employees attempt to impress their leaders with their apparent busyness.
What Next?
Most employees demonstrate busyness by keeping online status active
The report discovered that 63% of employees demonstrated busyness by keeping their status active.
Many (53%) said they feel pressured to respond quickly to messages even after working hours or inform colleagues of their presence and productivity.
It suggests that this focus on appearing busy is likely influenced by leaders who measure productivity through hours spent online or the number of emails sent.