JUST 27 per cent of employees in the South West region see their manager as a role model, a Mori survey has revealed.

The research on management styles, commissioned by Investors in People, suggests that more inspirational managers tend to be those who are team players and involve employees when making decisions or developing new ideas, rather than those managers who simply issue orders from the top.

Twenty-nine per cent of respondents felt their line manager took little or no account of their views, nor consulted them when making decisions.

A quarter of those surveyed said their managers did not ask for any feedback, or only communicated with them when there was a personal gain to be made.

Nationally, more people saw their manager as a role model, but the figure was still only 34 per cent.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive of Investors in People UK, said: "Our research will make uncomfortable reading for many managers in the area who are failing to inspire the employees on whom they rely - the people whose motivation levels make all the difference to the bottom line.

"Employees in the region are clearly not impressed with managers who fail to communicate effectively or choose to ignore their opinions and ideas."

She added: "The region's employers invest significant time and money in recruiting the right people, but many are then failing to make the most of their skills and experience.

"They need to realise the impact that management styles can have on how employees contribute and, ultimately, on the bottom line."

Other findings of the research were that just 19 per cent of employees in the South West believe that the most effective way for their bosses to motivate them would be simply to share more information, and that very large organisations are most effective at communicating with staff.