Survey Gives Green Light to March Madness Activities at Work

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- In March, team spirit at the office may be more about whose favorite college is in the NCAA basketball tournament than how well coworkers collaborate. OfficeTeam recently asked more than 1,000 managers whether March Madness activities, such as watching game highlights or engaging in friendly competitions, affect morale and productivity. Forty-one percent of those surveyed felt the college basketball playoffs have a positive effect on employee morale. The majority (56 percent) also said March Madness activities do not impact productivity, and 22 percent of respondents believed the festivities actually boost workers' output.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,000 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees.

Managers were asked, "Do you feel March Madness (NCAA basketball tournament) activities in the workplace, such as watching games or participating in pools that don't involve money, have a positive or negative impact on employee morale?" Their responses:

    
    
    Very positive.................................................  9%
    Somewhat positive............................................. 32%
    No impact..................................................... 48%
    Somewhat negative.............................................  7%
    Very negative.................................................  4%
                                                                  100%
    
    
    

Managers also were asked, "Do you feel March Madness-related activities in the workplace have a positive or negative impact on employee productivity?" Their responses:

    
    
    Very positive.................................................  5%
    Somewhat positive............................................. 17%
    No impact..................................................... 56%
    Somewhat negative............................................. 17%
    Very negative.................................................  5%
                                                                  100%
    
    
    

"The NCAA basketball tournament is a common topic of conversation at the office as employees may share college allegiances," said OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. "As long as everyone remains a good sport, rooting for a favorite team should not affect morale or productivity."

Hosking pointed out that there are opportunities for managers to build camaraderie by organizing activities around March Madness -- an informal lunch or dinner at a sports bar to watch a big game, for example. "There's no question the excitement generated by major sporting events can be a distraction at work," he said. "However, it can be a healthy diversion if employers encourage team-building activities tied to the games."

About OfficeTeam

OfficeTeam is the nation's leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has more than 325 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com. For more career and workplace advice, follow OfficeTeam at www.twitter.com/officeteam.

SOURCE OfficeTeam