Working for an employee-owned company such as the John Lewis Partnership is often thought to be a more rewarding and enjoyable experience than slugging one's guts out for a corporation whose main interest is the maximisation of shareholder value.

The proposition that employee-ownership of companies leads to better management decisions and higher levels of employee motivation is one of the key findings of a research paper published earlier this month by the Chartered Management Institute.

The survey of 829 employees across 140 employee-owned firms found that 94 per cent agree that being employee-owned positively affects people's commitment to the organisation, while 86 per cent say it improves a company's ability to attract new staff.

Ninety per cent said it improves a company's overall performance, while 79 per cent said that it encourages longer-term decision making.