As markets shift and technological breakthroughs disrupt business models, what is the ‘secret recipe’ of a company that makes it ‘a great place to work’? Against the backdrop of a hypercompetitive landscape, how are successful, productive and high-performing teams within an organisation created?

Richard Smith, Deputy Dean for Programmes and Professor of Strategic Management at the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, conducted a study in collaboration with consultancy group Great Place to Work Institute Singapore. The project aimed at identifying the critical element that companies need to focus on to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

This robust study surveyed over 400,000 employees from more than 800 organisations across eight countries in the Asia-Pacific. It found that the more comfortable employees feel about speaking up at their workplaces, the more productive they are likely to be.