CSIRO staff have expressed concerns about the agency's senior leadership and strategic direction after years of job losses and budget cuts.
An annual survey of the workforce shows morale and communication have improved, but CSIRO chief executive Larry Marshall admits there is still a lot more work to be done.
Close to 70 per cent of the workforce said senior management did not understand the problems faced by rank-and-file scientists and researchers on the job.
Another 68 per cent said the senior leadership team was not responding to feedback, and only 37 per cent said the executive team communicated "openly and honestly" with staff.
But there was some good news for the CSIRO, with 80 per cent of staff saying their immediate manager supported their professional development and work-life balance.
Last year's survey found 97 per cent of the leadership team believed in the next year CSIRO would change for the better — compared to just 21 per cent of staff who shared that view.
That number has increased to 27 per cent this year although close to half of the workforce believe the agency will not become better or worse.
CSIRO slowly rebuilding 'shattered confidence'
In an email to staff, Dr Marshall said he was pleased to see engagement levels had improved and that new initiatives were "improving our day-to-day communication".
"However, it's clear we still have work to do," Dr Marshall said.
"We'll continue to respond to your feedback so you are empowered to focus on your science and deliver for our customers …"
Hundreds of researchers have been made redundant at the CSIRO since 2014, including those working in the climate science division.
The survey found staff continue to have a sense of pride in their work but noted there was "room to build resilience to challenges without feeling overwhelmed".
Last year, 36 per cent of workforce believed the CSIRO culture was supporting innovation but that has now increased to 45 per cent.
The CSIRO Staff Association — which has been very critical of the agency's management in the past — said the results showed the agency was slowly rebuilding its "shattered confidence".
"Communication within the organisation has improved and that's been noticed," secretary Sam Popovski told staff in an email.
"Staff confidence in immediate supervisors and line managers remains resilient and strong however confidence in CSIRO's senior leadership, strategic direction and capacity to manage change remains abysmally low."
A spokesman for the CSIRO said the survey results showed "strong positive shifts in comparison to last year, with significant improvements in almost all areas".
