Teamwork in times of crisis

A new IW brief report shows impressively how much economic crises strain cooperation within companies. When uncertainty grows, budgets are cut, or the future of the business is in question, this has a direct impact on teamwork. The relationship between employees and managers suffers particularly: In companies facing economic hardship, cooperation is rated as poor twice as often as in economically stable companies.

At the same time, the analysis makes it clear that crises do not necessarily have only negative effects. Where communication works and trust exists, difficult phases can even strengthen cohesion. Many employees report that their sense of belonging to the team has grown, especially in times of increased stress. The lesson here is that companies should not focus solely on costs and efficiency in times of crisis, but should consciously invest in leadership culture, open communication, and team resilience.

We were also interested in the following topics:

• 3-day week: According to t3n, more and more top CEOs are relying on AI chatbots and agents to take on so many tasks from humans that a four- or even three-day week is becoming feasible.

• Compensation systems on the rise: A new IW report examines how compensation systems are currently structured in German companies and what effect they have in view of the low labor productivity in Germany.

• Trend toward voluntary resignation: The Handelsblatt article (€) sheds light on why employees resign without having a new job lined up—and lets three people describe their very personal reasons.

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