On the question of satisfaction with information from managers about what is going on within agencies, the governmentwide score sunk to 44.8 percent positive. That compares with 60 percent satisfaction rates in the private sector, according to the Hay Group.

The governmentwide score on whether leaders communicate on goals and projects with different agency units dropped from 54.5 in 2009 to 48.2 in 2013, the study found.

Managers rated the highest in the category of communicating the goals and priorities of the organization, with a governmentwide score of 57.5 in 2013, down from 59.7 in 2009.

The top-ranked agencies in communications by leaders for 2013 were NASA, the Intelligence Community and the Treasury Department. The worst communicators were the Homeland Security, Interior and Agriculture departments.