New Global Workplace Study Finds Organizational Success Linked to Four Key Factors

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A new global study of the workplace, released today by Mars Drinks, found that 90 percent of respondents worldwide believe that their organization's success is dependent on four key pillars:  collaboration, engagement, well-being and productivity. While more than three-fourths of respondents agreed that each individual pillar is critical, the research reveals a new workplace paradigm at the intersection and heart of it all – Workplace Vitality™.  

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The study also shows that while Workplace Vitality crosses geographic and job function boundaries, a significant difference exists in perception levels of Workplace Vitality among varying organizational roles. For example, respondents that self-identified as "executives" rated performance in all four areas of Workplace Vitality between 12 and 20 points higher than those that self-identified as "associates" – pointing to an opportunity for increased dialogue and engagement among executives and associates, that can help create increased understanding of gaps that exist and lead to more thriving, vibrant workplaces.

"There has never been a more relevant time to talk about Workplace Vitality," explains Tracy Brower, Ph.D., newly appointed global vice president of Workplace Vitality at Mars Drinks. "The workplace, the way we work and the work itself is changing while at the same time, businesses face increasing pressures from globalization, competition and the war for talent. As a result, Workplace Vitality has become the lynchpin between positive elements in the workplace and positive organization results."

Mars Drinks commissioned the study to assess the critical components of a successful work environment and is introducing Workplace Vitality as way to contribute to business success, empowerment and belonging.  More than 3,800 people working in various industries, jobs, roles and companies from the United States, United Kingdom, China, Germany and France universally identified these pillars and the importance of each.

At the core, Workplace Vitality is about nurturing a work environment that strengthens its most important asset:  people.  Recent studies illustrate how employee engagement in the workplace is declining; non-engaged workers cost organizations billions of dollars, and for American organizations, as much as $50 to $550 billion in lost productivity (according to Gallup[i]). In this landscape, Mars Drinks aims to help organizations across the globe rethink the average work experience by inspiring employees and organizations to connect, collaborate and get things done, which may help to close the gap in perceptions identified in the research.

"As a global company that is 100% dedicated to the workplace, we believe we are uniquely positioned to  catalyze a conversation and help share the concept of Workplace Vitality with others, delivering unique insight and knowledge that can help them ultimately enhance their business," said Brower.

In addition to Workplace Vitality as a universal concept, other highlights from the research include:

• Seventy-eight percent (78%) of respondents agreed that Workplace Vitality accurately describes the condition in which a workplace is able to sustain success due to effective collaboration, engagement, well-being and productivity.
• Eighty-seven percent (87%) of respondents agreed that three of the four pillars – collaboration, engagement and well-being – positively impact the fourth pillar, productivity; the reverse relationship was not reported.
• Eighty-six percent (86%) of respondents agree that people who feel appreciated are more engaged at work, and 75 percent (75%) agree that providing coffee and other drinks in the workplace makes people feel more valued at work.
• U.S. respondents (95%) are more likely than those in Germany (86%) or France (84%) to say that productivity is important to organization success, while respondents in China (93%) and the United States (92%) are more likely than those in France (87%) and Germany (85%) to say well-being is important to organization success.

"Employers want their organizations to be great places, and they want their teams to be energized, engaged and working together to achieve results," explains Brower. "Collectively, the study sheds light on new ways to understand what makes a workplace enjoyable for people, and how simple actions like grabbing a cup of coffee with a coworker can play a vital role in building Workplace Vitality within an organization." 

To learn more about the research findings and to download a full copy of the Mars Drinks' Workplace Vitality white paper, visit: http://www.marsdrinks.com/workplace-vitality.

ABOUT MARS DRINKS
Mars Drinks creates great tasting moments at work by being at the center of workplace engagement, collaboration, productivity and well-being. Throughout North America, Europe and Asia, Mars Drinks supports businesses who want to provide great working environments for their people. Part of Mars, Incorporated Mars Drinks focuses its energy and resources on the workplace, with the belief that people are the most important asset to any business. In 1973 Mars Drinks introduced KLIX® the first-ever fully automatic in-cup drinks vending machine that serves large manufacturing channels across Europe. In 1984 Mars Drinks pioneered the single serve hot drinks category, introducing FLAVIA®, the first system for making hot drinks using fresh ground coffee and leaf teas sealed in individual servings. Through its ALTERRA® Coffee Roasters coffees, THE BRIGHT TEA CO.® teas, and DOVE® Hot Chocolate, Mars Drinks creates more than 1 billion great tasting moments at work! Find Mars Drinks online at www.marsdrinks.com.

ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED
In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a "mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders" – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance. Mars, Incorporated is proud to have been ranked 85th in the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list, compiled by the Great Place to Work® Institute, for the third consecutive year.

ABOUT MARS DRINKS' WORKPLACE VITALITY STUDY
Mars Drinks commissioned a series of workplace-related research initiatives in early 2015, beginning with U.S.-based qualitative research (conducted through online bulletin boards with 39 workplace decision-makers) and a U.S.-based quantitative study (conducted through online surveys with 272 workplace decision-makers) fielded in February 2015.  In June 2015, Mars Drinks commissioned a multi-country quantitative study with 3,813 workplace executives, leaders/influencers and associates in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France and China. All research questions were translated in local markets to ensure relevance while maintaining question intent; the U.S. English version is presented in this report. The study further examined respondents from a mix of industry types (finance, healthcare, government, manufacturing, legal services, insurance, consulting, etc.); an array of business sizes (20-149, 150-499, 500-999 and 1000+ associates); a variety of workplace formats (office, manufacturing, warehousing/logistics, healthcare, education, mobile, retail, etc.); and finally, a range of  respondents in terms of ages, genders and ethnicities, with a cap of 44 years of age for associates to ensure greater representation of the future workforce.

[i] "Report: State of the American Workplace," Gallup.com

SOURCE Mars Drinks