English version:
C. You are consulted before objectives are set for your work

German version:
C. Sie werden gefragt, bevor Ziele für Ihre Arbeit festgelegt werden

Nein

Again, self-employed are much more likely than employed to indicate that this statement does not apply to them, though this difference is most pronounced in the UK, followed by Germany and then Poland (UK: 48% vs. 5%; DE: 43% vs. 13%; PL: 31% vs. 5%).
Again, self-employed are much more likely than employed to indicate that this statement does not apply to them, though this difference is most pronounced in the UK, followed by Germany and then Poland (UK: 48% vs. 5%; DE: 43% vs. 13%; PL: 31% vs. 5%).
Again, self-employed are much more likely than employed to indicate that this statement does not apply to them, though this difference is most pronounced in the UK, followed by Germany and then Poland (UK: 48% vs. 5%; DE: 43% vs. 13%; PL: 31% vs. 5%).

• “I determine my own goals because I work alone” (R147DE, self-employed, “never”)
• “Because I make my own goals, for instance a book project – who could consult me beforehand?” (R342DE, self-employed, “never”)

However, the majority of both employees and self-employed answer this question in a manner that they are at least rarely consulted. The answers were coded according to two dimensions. The first dimension depicts who the respondents are consulted by or who is setting their objectives. Interestingly, a total of 16 respondents, all of whom are self-employed, explicitly answer that they set their own objectives. They give answers ranging from “always” to “never” being consulted regarding work objectives:

• “Because I’m a freelancer, I can decide for myself”(R370DE, self-employed, “always”)
• "As the owner, I make all decisions” (R698PL, self-employed, “always”)
• “I determine my own goals and implement them on my own”(R328PL, self-employed, “some-times”)
• “As I set my own goals, for instance a book project – who should consult with me in advance?” (R342DE, self-employed, “never”)

One respondent is actually answering that he consults with his employees before setting their objectives:

• “I always consult with my employees and teams regarding projects.” (R268UK, self-employed, “always”)

When answering this question, it is also only self-employed who state that their objectives are directly set by their clients:

• “The client determines everyday work” (R593PL, self-employed, “always”).

Unsurprisingly, only employees specifically name their boss as the person who sets their objectives (n=15), regardless of whether and how often they are consulted before the objectives are set:

• “My boss always runs through work that needs doing and how to complete the task before setting it” (R382UK, employee, “most of the time”)
• “There are requirements for the upcoming fiscal year and targets are set. Employees are allowed to contribute to this. But in the end, the management decides” (R61DE, employee, “sometimes”)
• “The employer sets the goals” (R93PL, employee, “rarely”)

The second dimension of coding refers to the type of objective. Most of the objectives that are named consist of generally worded goals, such as “getting the job done”, “daily/ weekly/ monthly chores” or “project work” (n=158, 43%). They differ according to the industry the respondent works in, and range from concrete chores to more abstract, strategic business goals:

• “The chore of the day, for instance which meal should be prepared today and which other products there are” (R51DE, employee, “sometimes”)
• “That all orders and jobs are done before I leave” (R57DE, employee, “sometimes”)
• “Pupil attainment” (R24UK, employee, “sometimes”)
• “Quality objectives” (R92UK, employee, “most of the time”)
• “Increasing efficiency” (R333PL, employee, “sometimes”)

Meeting deadlines or a achieving a certain work pace is named by 22 respondents and sales targets are named by another 16 respondents. These answers apply to employees and self-employed alike.
There is no indication in the answers that being consulted before objectives are set is viewed negatively.

Cognitive Interviews:
Respondents used the entire scale from “always” to “never” to answer this question. In Germany, three respondents (DE05, DE09, DE13) felt that this statement did not apply to them and chose “not applicable”; in Poland, this was the case for two respondents (PL01, PL08). Four of these five respondents are self-employed. Though the case numbers are very small, self-employed respondents seem to either agree with this statement or decide that it does not apply to them.
The probing question examined respondents’ understanding of the item. Employed respondents name a wide range of objectives, referring to daily tasks (DE01, DE05, DE12, DE14, DE15), project goals (DE07, DE16), or also long-term or yearly goals (DE01, DE06). Two respondents specifically name their annual employee appraisal interviews, in which goals are written down (DE04, DE11). Examples of objectives include:

• “For instance, which bicycle I wish to repair. So whether I would prefer to carry out an inspection for five bikes or spend my entire working day with a more complex automation” (DE14)
• “So, for instance, whether I want to plan a new type of seminar, or how many courses I have planned for the upcoming year“ (DE04)
• “We get our tasks from the priest, so how he wants a certain event to be organized” (DE15)
• “I work in a big company. The objectives there are varied, both global ones of the entire company, and the objectives of my unit. […] This is usually set by […] upper level managers and that’s why it hardly involves a graphic designer” (PL03, “sometimes”)

Self-employed respondents generally recall situations that make it clear that they make their own objectives; however, they don’t state this explicitly. They also refer to specific work-related tasks or customer satisfaction, but are much more likely to focus on goals related to business development:

• “My objectives are my orders, my clients” (DE08, “most of the time”)
• “I have to make a profit, so I can pay my assistants. So I need to decide on measures to make this profit. Those are my objectives” (DE10, “most of the time”)

Self-employed respondents who did not answer the question directly relate this to their self-employed status:

• “When I heard objectives, I thought of the personal goals that I decide on with and for my employees. But that obviously doesn’t count for me, as the owner” (DE09, “not applicable”)
• “I do not know who I could possibly consult objectives of my work or who could consult it with me” (PL01, “not applicable”)
• “I understood them as objectives the client sets and his expectations. They are not consulted with me in that I define them with a client myself” (PL08, “not applicable”)

One respondent in multi-activity (DE16) again refers to both of her activities when answering the question, instead of focusing on her main paid job only.

In the current wording, this item should only be shown to employees.
However, there are also other possibilities of revising this item. Even em-ployed respondents sometimes have difficulties answering this item, as they don’t feel that they have objectives that they are measured by. Therefore, another solution could be asking respondents whether they have work objectives, and what type (daily business, annual development), and consequently, who sets them (themselves, direct superior, predetermined by business goals). Such a question could potentially also be asked to self-employed respondents.

false