Canadian Public Organizations Research Articles

The Interplay Between Helping Behavior and Absenteeism in Teams: A Longitudinal Examination of Their Reciprocal Relationship in a Public Organization.

This study employed a longitudinal model to investigate the reciprocal relationships between interpersonal citizenship behavior (OCB-I) and absenteeism at the team level. The research utilized four waves of data from a sample comprising over 5,000 employees in 168 teams within a large Canadian public organization. Drawing upon the focus theory of normative conduct and the collective identity perspective, our findings indicated that a positive change in OCB-I, which encompasses helping behaviors, led to a subsequent decrease in team absenteeism. In addition, emphasizing the identity perspective and allocation of time perspective, our study demonstrated that increased absenteeism within a given period was associated with a subsequent reduction in team OCB-I.

Integrating recommendations from sustainability performance audits: moving from words to action

ABSTRACT This study explores how government organizations integrate audit recommendations and justify decoupling auditees’ commitments from organizational realities. Moreover, it examines the analysis of recommendations from 31 sustainability performance audits conducted in 20 Canadian public organizations over 12 years. The longitudinal approach adopted in this study revealed decoupling strategies in most audited organizations and a tendency to perpetuate and reproduce these practices over time. Several factors, such as political interference and problems in the dimensions considered in the audit, contribute to the emergence and maintenance of decoupling over time.

Impact of e-leadership and team dynamics on virtual team performance in a public organization

PurposeThis study examines the effect of various attributes of leadership and teams, modeled as perceived e-leadership and perceived team dynamics on virtual team (VT) performance in a public organization.Design/methodology/approachUsing a survey instrument, data were collected from 184 participants involved in a virtual workplace from one of the largest Canadian public organizations. This study uses PLS-SEM software and quantitative methods.FindingsThis research identified that perceived team dynamics, which includes team member behavior, collaboration and support, has a significant medium effect on VT member performance. However, perceived e-leadership, which includes leaders' trust, leader communication/co-ordination and leader behavior, has a significant small effect on VT performance.Originality/valueThis study contribute to literature on VTs and VT's performance specially in public organizations. As the existing literature on employee performance has mainly focused on private organizations, and more so on VTs. However, little is known about VTs in public organizations and specifically about their performance.

Investigating the Factors Affecting Virtual Team Performance in Public Organizations

Despite numerous studies in private organizations on Virtual Teams (VTs), very little has been documented about the factors affecting the performance of VT members in public organizations. To fill this gap, this paper takes a qualitative and exploratory stance to explore this topic in Canadian public organizations. Through extensive interviews with 34 managers and employees, the findings uncovered three key issues that affect VT performance: virtual leadership characteristics, team member characteristics, and task characteristics, highlighting the implications of these issues and how they could be addressed. Finally, the findings offer managerial implications to support managers involved in VT management.

Definition and Categorization of E-Government Capabilities: Lessons Learned from a Canadian Public Organization

Definition and Categorization of E-Government Capabilities: Lessons Learned from a Canadian Public Organization

Relationships between strategic performance measures, strategic decision-making, and organizational performance: empirical evidence from Canadian public organizations

ABSTRACT This study investigates the role of strategic performance measures (SPM) in strategic decision-making and their impact on organizational performance. Based on 143 online survey responses from senior administrators across Canadian public organizations, the study found that SPM of efficiency and effectiveness are positively associated with performance, as well as, the former with both strategy implementation and strategy assessment decisions. The study extends prior research by linking both SPM and their use in strategic decision-making to organizational performance.

Performance management in Canadian public organizations: findings of a multi-case study

Purpose– Performance management (PM) is now clearly a well-established practice in public sector organizations. However, increasingly scholars have been questioning its efficacy in improving organizational performance. Research has shown that the presumed benefits remain questionable and that there are many barriers, challenges and problems in implementing PM. The purpose of this paper is to report and discuss the findings of a multi-case study that examines in more depth how five Canadian public sector organizations are implementing PM.Design/methodology/approach– A qualitative multi-case study approach was used in this study. Structured interviews were carried out in each public sector organization and the interview data were analyzed using NVivo8. Individual case profiles were also written. A cross-case analysis was carried out using data from these five cases.Findings– The cross-case analysis of the data focussed on the major themes emerging from the data with respect to challenges and barriers, success factors, context and implications for practice for PM in public sector organizations. Three contextual factors are identified and discussed in explaining some of the findings. Conclusions are drawn for making PM more effective in achieving performance improvement in public sector organizations and future directions for research.Research limitations/implications– The research findings and implications for practice are based on five Canadian public sector organizations so may limit its generalizability to public sector organizations in other countries.Practical implications– Some practical implications are discussed with respect to implementing PM more successfully in public sector organizations. This included the better integration of PM to corporate strategy, leadership in developing a positive PM culture and employee buy-in and commitment to the process.Originality/value– This qualitative multi-case study of PM in Canadian public sector organizations has not previously been done. This approach allows for a more close-up look at PM in public sector organizations especially how it is implemented and the experiences of organizational members. The paper also presents new insights on context as an important variable in explaining the findings from the cross-case analysis and points to future new directions for research and in developing a contingency theory approach to PM.

The use of performance information in strategic decision making in public organizations

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the importance of different components of strategic performance measurement systems (SPMS) and their deployment influence the use of performance information from the SPMS in making strategic decisions.Design/methodology/approach– Data were collected through a survey of 143 managers of Canadian public organizations.Findings– The findings indicate that two SPMS components, namely, the importance of non-financial performance measures and the use of operational efficiency measures, have significant positive associations with performance information use for strategy implementation and strategy assessment decisions. The extent to which SPMS models were used is found to be positively associated with performance information use for strategy implementation, but not for strategy assessment, decisions. Furthermore, the relationships between SPMS variables and strategic decision making are moderated by information systems/data limitations and management’s commitment to attaining strategic goals. Managerial skills acquired through training or experience with SPMS also contribute positively to such relationships.Research limitations/implications– The results are affected by limitations associated with the survey method used.Practical implications– The findings could be useful for supporting public policy, strategic decision making, public service improvement, operational efficiency, and effectiveness.Originality/value– The study contributes to public management and performance measurement literature by investigating multiple determinants of performance information use in a cross-section of Canadian public organizations.

THE RELATIONSHIPS OF SENIOR MANAGEMENT ATTRIBUTES AND PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECTOR.

The purpose of this study is the identification of the attributes of senior executive performance in public sector. The data were collected from 846 managers in a Canadian public organization, in w...