One in three workers have never had any contact with their organisation's chief executive, a new study has suggested.
A similar number have only ever received company-wide emails from their top boss, according to a survey of almost 2,000 employees in seven countries, including the UK.
Software firm Unit4 said its research showed two out of five employees would feel uncomfortable about approaching senior management to discuss an issue.
Chief executives in the UK were said to be the most elusive, with one in 10 employees in the country describing them as untrustworthy.
More employees in the UK than in other countries said chief executives were motivated by money "and not much else".
Mike Ettling, chief executive officer at Unit4, said: "Today we really have a new board member in companies across the world - the chief elusive officer, the business leader who has not once engaged with their employees or sought to empower them to make decisions that impact the future of their organisation. This must change, and it must change fast.
"When CEOs are disconnected from their workforce, employees can be left feeling disengaged, which can lead to much lower productivity at work and ultimately impact the bottom-line.
"A rigid, hierarchical business structure is simply no longer suitable for today's workforce and CEOs need to change in order to lead more effectively.
"This old-fashioned management mindset is no longer fit for today's business and must be rejected in order to encourage the best asset a company has, its people."
