AMA Research Reveals Growing Gap Between Manager Engagement and Employee Perception

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- American Management Association (AMA), a global leader in professional development, today released new research examining how the role of the manager is changing as AI becomes more embedded in the workplace, and why managers and employees continue to perceive manager engagement differently.

The report, The New Management Reality: AI, Engagement, and the Invisible Work of Managers, draws on responses from 1,088 professionals across seven global regions and builds on AMA's previous management research.

The findings reveal a persistent disconnect—62% of managers say their engagement increased during the past 12 months, while 51% of employees say their managers' engagement remained constant and 20% say it decreased. The research suggests the gap may be driven by the increasing amount of managerial work that employees cannot readily observe.

Managers are spending more time making decisions, solving problems, navigating uncertainty and reviewing AI-assisted work. Employees, meanwhile, are more likely to judge manager engagement through visible behaviors including regular communication, clear direction, listening, coaching and support for professional development.

"In many organizations, the nature of management is becoming less visible," said Manny Avramidis, President & CEO, AMA. "As AI accelerates work and organizations become more complex, managers are spending more time evaluating information and exercising judgment."

Key Findings from the Report:

• The Engagement Perception Gap Persists: 62% of managers report increased engagement, while a majority of employees say manager engagement has either remained the same or decreased.
  
  
• AI Is Becoming More Urgent: Employees reported a 63% increase in the urgency of AI adoption compared with AMA's 2025 findings.
  
  
• AI Is Raising Productivity Expectations: 41% of managers say their use of AI has increased expectations for the amount of work employees should be able to complete in a given period of time.
  
  
• AI Is Changing Managerial Work, Not Eliminating It: 36% of respondents say they use AI to handle routine or administrative work, while 36% report spending more time reviewing AI outputs. And 31% of managers say AI has changed the types of tasks they delegate, while 30% rely more heavily on AI-generated data and insights when making decisions.
  
  
• Employees Define Engagement Through Visible Behaviors: 53% of employees say communicating openly and regularly signals manager engagement, 42% point to clear direction and expectations, and 37% identify listening to employee concerns and supporting employee growth and development.
  
  
• Decision Making and Problem Solving Remain Central: Managers continue to identify decision making and problem solving among the established responsibilities requiring the greatest increase in attention and effort.

Implications for Organizations

Manager performance increasingly includes both observable behaviors such as coaching and feedback, and less-observable cognitive work, including planning, deliberation, judgment and emotional regulation.

As AI becomes a greater part of managerial work, organizations should focus not only on AI adoption but also on strengthening the human capabilities required to interpret information and make sound decisions. The findings point to an increased need for critical thinking, communication and coaching skills—and for managers to explain the reasoning and priorities behind their decisions, not simply communicate outcomes.

The research also recommends that organizations establish clearer expectations for manager success, measure both coaching and decision quality.

"AI can help managers process information faster, but it does not remove the need for judgment," said Avramidis. "In many cases, it increases the amount of judgment managers must exercise. Organizations that develop both strong decision-making capability and strong communication capability will be better positioned to succeed."

The Whitepaper, The New Management Reality: AI, Engagement, and the Invisible Work of Managers, is available for complimentary download here.

About AMA

The American Management Association (AMA) has helped millions of professionals, through its world-class training and development programs, bring about positive change in their performance in order to improve business results. Learn more: amanet.org

Media contact – William D. Smith

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SOURCE American Management Association International