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CEO’s role, not attractive enough

As aspiring chief executives compete for their ‘‘dream jobs’’ on television shows such as ‘‘The Apprentice,’’ in real life few workers actually want to rise to the top of their company’s ranks, according to a recent study.

The research, conducted by Burson-Marsteller, a New York public relations firm, and the Economist Intelligence Unit, a business research and analysis firm, found that 54% of current corporate executives don’t want to lead their companies.

Lesley Gaines-Ross, chief knowledge and research officer at Burson-Marsteller, said the results of the survey come as more workers, including recent college graduates looking for jobs, say that balancing work and home is important to them.

‘‘One of the main barriers for people looking to reach the top is the work/life balance,’’ Gaines-Ross said in a telephone interview last week. ‘‘It’s a big issue that might give a lot of people a reason to pause before taking advantage of an opportunity.’’

She cited other recent research that showed that for the first-time college graduates are taking their lives outside of work into consideration as a main factor for selecting what career to go into and how far up the corporate ladder they want to climb. With many having grown up with baby boomer parents who ‘‘worked themselves practically into the grave,’’ she said, ‘‘they’re saying, ‘I just want to have a nice life.’’’

In the most recent survey, 64% of workers currently not in a top position said that having a poor work/life balance was their top reason for not wanting to become a chief executive or other corporate bigwig.

Some workers also cited worries over quarterly earnings, stress, and intense public scrutiny. Gaines-Ross said many times those pressures only serve to exacerbate stresses between work and home life.

‘‘Especially with younger workers, many are thinking there are a lot of reasons to stop being at the head of their divisions,‘‘ she said. ‘‘A lot of this stems from poor leadership development, but there’s no chance to be in charge without being in the public spotlight.’’

As boomers slowly retire from top corporate positions, making the jobs they leave behind more appealing to younger workers could pose a problem for companies looking for high-quality leadership.

‘‘This is a huge problem. The talent pool for the next round of CEOs is much lower than it is now,’’ Gaines-Ross said. ‘‘To have 54% saying they’re going to pass is a real crisis.’’

However, for the 46% of workers who would consider taking charge of their companies, there is hope. Many of those workers - 56% - are looking for opportunities to tackle complex problem solving and another 43% of that group see the opportunity to rise through the ranks as a chance to have an impact on their business.

Gaines-Ross said for companies to start wooing younger workers to top positions, there must be a fundamental shift in what America’s corporate world expects from its leaders.

‘‘There are definitely needed shifts within the corporate structure,’’ she said. ‘‘For example, the corporate board is getting more involved. Collaborative management is one thing that will become a survival tip in the future. It’s really going to be a greater understanding that a senior management team can definitely help.’’

Workers throughout the nation are concerned about keeping their jobs through the next year. Right Management Consultants of Boston surveyed workers across America last month about their confidence in their companies and their jobs. It was the first such study conducted after the devastation that followed hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, according to the company.

Research results showed that American workers are feeling much less confident than they did in the last such survey, conucted six months ago. Nearly 24% said they felt losing their jobs would not be out of the question within the next year. This figure represented a fairly significant jump from the 19% who responded similarly just six months ago. A total of 79% of respondents said they expected the nation’s unemployment rate to rise in the next year.

‘‘After recording the highest confidence levels in the three years we have been tracking this, Americans have reversed their optimistic outlook,’’ said Chuck Mollor, regional vice president of Right Management, in a release. cane Katrina.