European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) (English Version)

English version:

C. numerical production targets or performance targets?

German version:

C. von vorgegebenen Produktions- oder Leistungszielen

The term “numerical production targets or performance targets” is not translated consistently across the tested languages. Therefore, differences in responses may be due to differences in translation. Professional translators should look into this in detail. Then, regardless of translation, a clear definition of the term should be given to respondents to help respondents decide whether or not the statement applies to them. Currently, clear cases such as sales-related targets seem to be answered correctly by most respondents. Deadlines seem to be less clear already, and other targets are sorted according to the understanding of the individual respondents.

In Germany, employees are more likely to agree that their work depends on production and performance targets than to disagree; for the self-employed, the opposite holds true. In Poland, employed and self-employed show identical responses to this question, with more than half of all respondents agreeing that this is the case.
The type of targets named by respondents can be divided into several distinct categories (see Table 2). Meeting deadlines or a certain required pace of working are named by 20% (n=31) of those respondents who answered with yes – this is named by self-employed slightly more often than by employees. Sales-related targets are named by 14% (n=22). Other numerical targets, such as production numbers, orders, or general KPIs are named by 29% (n=45) – these are more likely to be named by employees. But also general targets, such as “getting the job done” and other targets, which cannot be described as necessarily numeric, are named by 32% (n=50) of the respondents.
The differences in response behaviour may be a result of translation. The English questionnaire speaks of “numeric” targets – the Polish translation of “quantitative” targets and the German one of “set” or “predefined” targets. In line with this, German and Polish respondents named more examples of targets in response to the probing questions (number of examples named: UK 39; DE 54; PL 55).
Examples for deadlines / work pace related numeric targets:

• “I have to stick to deadlines” (R13UK, self-employed)
• “Harvesting and delivering on time” (R315PL, self-employed)
• “I have to stick to deadlines, whether they are required by the law or by the client” (R371DE, self-employed)
• “Call handling times” (R83UK, employee)

Examples of sales and revenue related targets:

• “Sales targets” (R71UK, employee)
• “Commissions” (R378UK, employee)
• “Responsibility for revenue” (R325DE, self-employed)

Examples of other numerical targets:

• “A factory in which we work at the assembly line” (R367DE, employee)
• “Meeting caseload targets” (R247UK, employee)
• “The amount of orders and repairs” (R594PL, self-employed)

Examples of other targets:

• “Taking care of customers” (R85PL, employee)
• “Keeping my customer happy” (R232UK, self-employed)
• “Finishing the software that I am developing” (R352DE, self-employed)

However, several respondents who answer “no” or “not applicable” indicate that they have no numeric or production targets because they do not produce products or are not responsible for sales:

• “I do not work at an assembly line” (R1199PL, self-employed)
• “Sales targets- not applicable” (R187UK, self-employed)

Job and career/ Job situation & professional activity

Work intensity

English version:

D. automatic speed of a machine or movement of a product?

German version:

D. von der automatischen Geschwindigkeit einer Maschine oder einer Transporteinrichtung?

The translation of item D should also be verified by professional translators.

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Job and career/ Job situation & professional activity

Work intensity