Despite talk of “flat hierarchies”, there are more and more bosses in Switzerland – rts.ch

Today, 8.7% of all active workers in Switzerland are managers, according to the latest figures from July 2024 from the Federal Statistical Office.

In fact, this statistic means that there are more than 400,000 people occupying managerial positions in the country. This is a historic summit. Managers are the sixth largest occupational group.

The trend may seem surprising. The era is in fact, in speeches at least, of “flat hierarchies”. The hierarchical levels of a company must be smaller, everyone must have a say and the management must be “agile”. A slogan which should mean “fewer bosses”. But the figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show the opposite.

Modern business management has led to this development. Expert Matthias Mölleney from the Center for Human Resources Management and Leadership at the Zurich School of Economics (HWZ) explains to German-speaking public television SRF: “There are smaller units that each need someone to take responsibility.” Management is different than in the past, but may ultimately mean more executives. The FSO also mentions more regulations and the obligation to draw up reports. Managers are also needed for these tasks.

“Securities inflation”, its effects and remedies

But more surprising reasons lead to this increase in employers and executives. Matthias Mölleney cites another development: titles are often awarded instead of a salary increase. “We live in an era where we cannot increase salaries indefinitely. But we have a possible enhancement in the form of granting such a title.” According to business psychologist Christian Fichter from the Institute of Applied Psychology at HES Kalaidos in Lausanne, there is a common misconception that a management position comes with high salaries. He also speaks of “title inflation”: many management tasks, disguised in English terms, did not exist before.

The implications are numerous. “Many managers have become managers when they should not have been,” defends Christian Fichter. “They may lack social skills, intelligence – intelligence is an underrated factor – and resilience. And they generally lack the ability to lead people.” These people are then often overwhelmed, which has repercussions on employees. The two experts emphasize that the idea we have of management work – influence, freedom of design – frequently does not correspond to reality.

For Matthias Mölleney, the remedy is a sincere commitment to flat corporate hierarchies, which “must have a different understanding of leadership.” A solution that would involve overturning the pyramid. Where previously the chef was at the top, there should be the mass of customers. These should be followed by employees who respond to customer wishes. In other words, indeed fewer hierarchies, but led by customers and not by countless bosses and bosses.

Manuela Siegert (SRF)

French adaptation: Julien Furrer (RTS)