A new global survey from Salesforce subsidiary Slack and research firm Qualtrics has revealed that workers in Asia are spending the most time on “performative work” — in other words, focusing on appearing busy more than doing real, productive work. The survey pulled data from more than 18,000 desk workers, including executives, across nine countries.
What is performative work?
Performative work is defined as “work that is done to be seen by others rather than to achieve an outcome”. According to Derek Laney, Slack’s “technology evangelist” for Asia-Pacific, performative work includes “spending a lot of time in meetings where ‘teams present achievements’ rather than making decisions or addressing issues”. Laney also said that performative work is “likely influenced” by the way leaders are measuring productivity.
The survey found that visibility and activity metrics, such as the number of hours spent online or the number of emails sent, are ranked as the top way (27%) leaders measure productivity. Employees may in turn feel pressured to work longer hours, respond to emails immediately, or sit in on every meeting. The survey also found that 63% of respondents make an effort to keep their status active online, even if they’re not working.
How does performative work affect productivity and well-being?
The survey revealed that performative work has a negative impact on both productivity and well-being. Workers who spend more time on performative work report lower levels of productivity (59%) and satisfaction (58%) than those who spend more time on real work (69% and 68%, respectively). Real work is defined as “work that is done to achieve an outcome”.
Performative work also leads to higher levels of stress and burnout. Workers who spend more time on performative work report higher levels of stress (64%) and burnout (62%) than those who spend more time on real work (54% and 52%, respectively). The survey also found that workers who spend more time on performative work are more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety (40%) and depression (36%) than those who spend more time on real work (32% and 28%, respectively).
Which countries have the highest and lowest levels of performative work?
The survey ranked the nine countries based on the percentage of time spent on performative work and real work. The results are as follows:
Global ranking for percentage of time spent on “performative work”:
- India: 43%
- Japan: 37%
- Singapore: 36%
- France: 31%
- United Kingdom: 30%
- Australia: 29%
- Germany: 29%
- TIE — United States: 28%
- TIE — South Korea: 28%
Global ranking for percentage of time spent on “real work”:
- South Korea: 72%
- TIE — Australia: 71%
- TIE — Germany: 71%
- TIE — United States: 71%
- United Kingdom: 70%
- France: 69%
- TIE — Japan: 63%
- TIE — Singapore: 63%
- India: 57%
The survey showed that workers in India, Japan, and Singapore spend the most time on performative work and the least time on real work. On the other hand, workers in South Korea, Australia, Germany, and the U.S. spend the least time on performative work and the most time on real work.
What can be done to reduce performative work and increase real work?
The survey suggested some possible solutions to reduce performative work and increase real work. These include:
- Aligning productivity metrics with outcomes rather than activities
- Reducing unnecessary meetings and emails
- Encouraging flexible working hours and breaks
- Providing clear expectations and feedback
- Supporting employee well-being and mental health
The survey also highlighted the role of digital tools in enabling real work. According to the survey, workers who use digital tools that allow them to collaborate asynchronously (such as Slack) report higher levels of productivity (67%), satisfaction (66%), and well-being (65%) than those who use digital tools that require synchronous communication (such as Zoom) (60%, 59%, and 58%, respectively).
