What’s Distracting People at Work in the Middle East?

Distraction at work is hardly new, but as screens multiply and bosses push employees to do more with less, companies say it’s epidemic and is hurting their business. In order to evaluate the seriousness of this problem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Bayt.com has conducted the Bayt.com ‘Distractions at Work in the MENA’ poll.

Poll highlights:

• Six in 10 MENA respondents consider that having their attention snatched away from work is a ‘big problem’.

• 30% professional feel that a more professional work environment would help reduce distraction at work.

• Eight in 10 professionals have their long-term goals set in sight when they go about their day.

• 59% of professionals take short breaks from work only once or twice a day.

• 45% of professionals plan their tasks a week in advance.

Data for the Bayt.com ‘Distractions at Work in the MENA’ poll was collected online from October 27 – November 20 2013, with 6,704 respondents from the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Comment by Keith D. Halperin on December 9, 2013 at 5:00pm: Thanks, Apeksha. Here are a few things which might be "distractions" at various MENA locations:

1) An ongoing very bloody civil war in Syria displacing millions of people, with spillover effects in Jordan and Lebanon.

2) Continuing violence in Iraq

3) Fear of a developing Iranian nuclear weapons capability and attacks by Hamas in Israel

4) Worker deportations in Saudi Arabia

5) Government crackdowns in Egypt

Other than those petty distractions, not too much....

:(

Keith

Comment by Apeksha on December 10, 2013 at 12:46am: Yes true! Even if you are not directly affected, or are in any of the regions you mentioned, news and current happenings in the region are a cause of anxiety. That is why when we conducted this poll we did include a question to gauge how distracting are news and current events in the region. The results are compiled on the last blue box on the infographic. I hope it was insightful.