What the evidence means
The estimate comes from the ONS Management and Expectations Survey of firms with 10 or more employees. Agriculture, financial services and the public sector are excluded.
Survey estimate for firms with 10 or more employees.
G&G verified business evidence
UK firms acting to improve management quality in 2023
In 2023, 89% of surveyed UK firms took action to improve the quality of their management practices.
89
percent
Original source
Office for National Statistics
Management practices in the UK: 2016 to 2023
The management-improvement section reports that 89% of surveyed firms took action in 2023.
View original evidence
Office for National Statistics. Management practices in the UK: 2016 to 2023. 13th of May, 2024. https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/productivitymeasures/bulletins/managementpracticesintheuk/latest
Why this matters to UK SMEs
The result shows that management improvement was a mainstream activity among surveyed firms rather than an exceptional intervention. For SMEs with at least 10 employees, it provides context for investing time in clearer processes, performance measures, people management and decision-making.
Key breakdowns
Among surveyed firms, 89% reported taking some action to improve management quality. The most common reported approach was consulting employees about areas for improvement (64% of firms taking action). Formal online training was used by 43% and in-person training by 42%; 13% used government-funded training and 13% hired management consultants. Across the wider survey, average management-practice scores rose with size, from 0.51 for firms with 10 to 19 employees to 0.65 for those with 100 to 249 employees and 0.68 for firms with 250 or more employees. Too little time to consider or implement changes was the most common barrier, reported by 36% of firms.
How to interpret this evidence
Most eligible firms said they were trying to improve management, but the measure uses a broad definition of action and does not show that every intervention was sustained or effective. The lower management-practice scores among smaller firms make structured improvement relevant, while also highlighting the time and resource constraints those firms face.
Limitations
The ONS Management and Expectations Survey covers UK production and service firms with at least 10 employees. It excludes agriculture, financial and insurance activities and public-sector organisations, so it is not representative of all UK SMEs. Results are weighted, but the 2023 survey response rate was 27%. Actions are self-reported, respondents could use several approaches, and the statistic does not measure the quality, cost or outcome of the action.
Practical considerations
G&G perspective: choose a small number of management improvements tied to a clear business problem, assign ownership and measure the result. Useful starting points include regular review of key indicators, clearer targets, structured responses to underperformance and employee feedback. Avoid treating a workshop or consultation as the outcome; follow through with documented changes and review whether they worked.