Public Sector Employees Research Articles

The public sector and regional development: Why public sector employment remains a black box in economic geography, and how should we open it?

Despite increasing calls on the state to manage major challenges, in the existing literature, the state – and public sector activities more generally – tends to be overlooked as an agent of regional change. The role of public sector jobs is often taken for granted, with diverse empirical findings being strongly influenced by geography and time period, if they are considered at all. We discuss two main threads of research on contemporary public sector employment that could enhance our understanding of the role of the public sector in regional development (i.e. human capital formation and diversification).

Changes in active commuting and changes in work ability and recovery from work

Abstract Background Active commuting (walking or cycling) to work may be a feasible way to increase physical activity and improve health and wellbeing also at work. There is increasing evidence on the health benefits of active commuting, but little is known about longitudinal associations between active commuting and work ability, and recovery from work. Methods We conducted an observational cohort study of 16,776 public sector employees who responded to the Finnish Public Sector study in 2020 and 2022. Within- and between-individual associations of changes in active commuting with changes in self-rated work ability and recovery from work (scale from 0 to 10) were examined using hybrid modelling. The change in active commuting was assessed with a repeated self-report of weekly frequency of commuting by walking or cycling that was multiplied with the daily commuting distance. While the within-individual part of the hybrid model accounts for all time-invariant confounders, both parts of the model were adjusted for time-varying confounders including socio-economic factors, body mass index, and health behaviors, and the between individual part with sex and age (birth year) (time-invariant). Results After adjustments, a 10 km weekly increase in active commuting was associated with a slight improvement in work ability in both within- and between-individual analyses (unstandardized B = 0.02, p = 0.01; unstandardized B = 0.03, p = 0.001, respectively). Similar increase in active commuting was associated with slightly improved recovery from work in between-individual analysis (unstandardized B = 0.03, 95%, p = 0.001), but the association was not replicated in within-individual analysis. Conclusions Our findings suggest that an increase in active commuting may have some potential for improving work ability, albeit the increase needs to be rather large to achieve even a small improvement in work ability. The results for recovery from work were inconclusive. Key messages • An increase in active commuting may improve work ability. • No conclusive evidence supporting that an increase in active commuting enhances recovery from work was found.

COVID-19-related changes at work and psychosocial work environment: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Stressful events and uncertain times are known to pose occupational risks. COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to work, work arrangements, and work environment. Prospective studies are needed to assess the potential effects of these changes on psychosocial work environment. Methods We followed a large cohort of Finnish public sector employees using biennial survey data from 2016 to 2022 (n = 22,688). Those who reported a change (over to remote work, other tasks, or team reorganization) in work due to the pandemic in 2020 were compared to those who did not report such a change. Sex-, age, and socioeconomic status -adjusted means for psychosocial factors were calculated in four timepoints separately for the groups of employees with and without changes. Multilevel modelling was applied to examine the change in psychosocial factors accounting for autocorrelation between observations. To examine the potential difference in trends between the groups, time x group interaction was tested. Results Transfer to working from home in 2020 (n = 10,587, 47%) was associated with increased work time control (b = 0.07; 95% CI 0.05, 0.08) and social capital (b = 0.03, 95% CI 0.01, 0.05) over time. A transfer to other work tasks in 2020 (n = 1660, 7%) was associated with suboptimal trend in work time control (b= -0.06; 95% CI -0.09, -0.03), and procedural justice (b= -0.05; 95% CI -0.10, 0.00), particularly in 2020 compared to those not exposed to such transfer. Team reorganization in 2020 ((n = 1067, 5%) was associated with suboptimal trend in work time control compared to those not exposed to team reorganization (b= -0.06; 95% CI -0.10, -0.02). Conclusions COVID-19 pandemic induced changes at work were associated with mixed changes in the perceived psychosocial work environment. Key messages • COVID-19 -induced changes at work may have had unequal impacts on different groups of employees in the public sector. • Promoting the resilience of the most vulnerable employee groups needs attention in the future.

Advancing the frontiers of genomic public administration: From genetics to administrative attitudes, behaviors, and practices

AbstractBiology's increasing applicability to the social sciences can inspire new approaches to public administration research and practice. Drawing on advances in behavioral genetics, genomic public administration may push its frontiers by examining the genetic foundations of administrative behaviors. While public administration scholars have pioneered the use of the twin design to assess the heritability of public sector employment and public service motivation, they may also use molecular genetics to explore how specific genes interact with environmental factors to shape administrative attitudes, traits, and behaviors. We highlight how relevant studies in management and political science may serve as models for similar explorations in public administration. We also outline four research agendas for genomic public administration. In addition to complementing traditional public administration theory by examining the genetic roots of administrative behaviors and practices, genomic public administration may enrich genetic inquiries by adding public sector applications.

Taking shape within the structural and the personal: sustainability accountability within a Swedish public sector organisation

PurposeThis paper aims to better understand how accountability for sustainability takes shape within organisations and specifically, what makes employees act in a Swedish local authority. This aim moves beyond the prevalent external face of accountability in social and environmental accounting research by observing how employees understand and act upon their multiple accountability demands.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a single case study approach within a Swedish local authority, drawing from qualitative data including semi-structured interviews, site visits and governing documents.FindingsSustainable action is not only the product of hierarchically enforced structural accountabilities and procedures but often must be reconciled with the personal perspectives of the public sector employees involved as part of an accountability dynamic. Additionally, the findings reveal that hierarchical accountability, rather than serving to individualise and isolate employees, acts as a prompt for the more practical and personal reconciliations of accountability with the ethics and experiences of the individual involved.Practical implicationsGreater consideration to employee socialisation processes in public sector organisations should be given to reinforce organisational governance systems and controls, and thus help ensure sustainable behaviour in practice.Social implicationsEmployee socialisation processes are important for the development of sustainable practices both within and beyond organisational boundaries.Originality/valueThis study considers the interrelatedness of hierarchical and socialising accountability measures and contributes towards the understanding of the relationship between these two accountability forms, contrary to previous understandings that emphasise their contrasting nature and incompatibility.

Changes in active commuting and changes in health: Within- and between-individual analyses among 16 881 Finnish public sector employees

BackgroundActive commuting, such as walking or cycling to work, can be beneficial for health. However, because within-individual studies on the association between change in active commuting and change in health are scarce, the previous results may have been biased due to unmeasured confounding. Additionally, prior studies have often lacked information about commuting distance. MethodsWe used two waves (2020, T1 and 2022, T2) of self-report data from the Finnish Public Sector study (N = 16,881; 80% female) to examine the within- and between associations (in a hybrid model) between active commuting and health. Exposure was measured by actively commuted kilometers per week, that is, by multiplying the number of walking or cycling days per week with the daily commuting distance. The primary outcome, self-rated health, was measured at T1 and T2. The secondary outcomes, psychological distress, and sleep problems were measured only at T2 and were therefore analyzed only in a between-individual design. ResultsAfter adjustment for potential time-varying confounders such as socioeconomic factors, body mass index, and health behaviors, an increase equivalent to 10 additional active commuting kilometers per week was associated with a small improvement in self-rated health (within-individual unstandardized beta = 0.01, 95% CI 0.01–0.02; between-individual unstandardized beta = 0.03, 95% CI 0.02–0.04). No associations were observed between changes in active commuting and psychological distress or sleep problems. ConclusionsAn increase in active commuting may promote self-rated health. However, increase of tens of additional kilometers in commuting every day may be required to produce even a small effect on health.

E-procurement adoption in Nigeria: perceptions from the public sector employees

PurposeThis study attempts to examine the factors that influence user intention to adopt e-procurement in the Nigerian public sector.Design/methodology/approachA well-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 278 procurement and information technology (IT) departments’ officials of key federal government ministries and agencies. The technology acceptance model (TAM) model was adopted and extended with security-related factors, namely perceived trust and perceived security. A partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to test and validate the model.FindingsThe results indicated that perceived usefulness is the best predictor of users’ intention to adopt e-procurement, followed by perceived security and perceived trust. In contrast, however, perceived ease of use was found to have a significant negative effect on the intention to adopt e-procurement.Originality/valueThis study is among the first in the Nigerian public sector context to evaluate users’ perceptions on e-procurement adoption with the use of a distinctive research model (TAM). The study's findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of e-procurement in the Nigerian public sector.

Radyoloji Teknisyenlerinde Örgütsel Sessizlik ve Liderlik Tarzı Algısı Bağlamında Örgütsel Bağlılık ve İş Doyumu

This study was designed to evaluate the organizational commitment and job satisfaction in relation to organizational silence and perceived leadership behavior among radiology technicians. A total of 269 radiology technicians were included in this study. Participants completed the questionnaire form on study instruments including Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ), Instrumental Leadership Scale (ILS), and Organizational Silence Scale (OSS) to assess job satisfaction, organizational commitment, instrumental leadership and organizational silence, respectively. Organizational commitment scores were significantly higher in private vs. public sector employees (3.61(0.63) vs. 3.47(0.65), p

Do public service motivation and organizational processes influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment? A comparative study in public and private organizations

This study investigates the impact of public service motivation (PSM) on job satisfaction and organizational commitment while controlling for four types of organizational processes and individual attributes. Furthermore, it tests whether PSM is unique to public organizations by comparing public and private organizations. We use individual-level microdata from the “Survey on the Comparison of Public and Private Organizations in Korea” to address these issues. The sample for this survey, conducted by the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA) in 2014, included 2,047 participants, consisting of 1,000 civil servants and 1,047 private sector employees. First, we find that PSM positively impacts job-related work outcomes such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment in both public and private organizations. Second, we show that public sector employees have significantly higher levels of PSM than their private sector counterparts. These results indicate the importance of PSM in public administration and have a policy implication that public organizations need to design effective methods to improve the PSM levels of their employees. Third, both PSM and organizational processes jointly influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment; however, their effects differ between the public and private sectors. In conclusion, our research confirms that PSM is a crucial determinant of public organization characteristics in the East Asian context, highlighting its significance for public administration.

The Entrepreneurial Public Servant: Unlocking Employee Potential Through Recognition and Inclusion

Can public sector employees act as entrepreneurs and help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems? Amid crises such as COVID-19, rising inflation, and climate disasters, governments worldwide are facing credibility and legitimacy crises, and the need for innovation and entrepreneurship in the public sector has never been more critical. To understand how to make public servants more entrepreneurial, this study explores the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices, person-environment fit theory, and attitudes toward public sector entrepreneurship. Based on data from the 2019 Australian Public Service census survey ( n = 92,128), this study finds the practices of promoting employee recognition and inclusion exhibit the strongest effects on entrepreneurial attitudes of public servants, via person-job and person-organization fit respectively. However, practices such as performance appraisal and trainings show irrelevant effects. Overall, this article suggests that public managers should instill a culture of inclusion, innovation, and participation within their organizations to unleash the entrepreneurial public servant, while they need to rethink their performance appraisal systems to serve better the purpose of improving employees fit with their tasks.

Job embeddedness and turnover intention in the public sector: the role of life satisfaction and ethical leadership

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the impact of job embeddedness (JE) on the turnover intention (TI) of the public sector with the mediating effect of the individual factor (i.e. life satisfaction [LS]) and the moderating effect of the leadership style (i.e. ethical leadership [EL]).Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a quantitative design to collect data from 236 employees working in the public sector in Vietnam through field research using structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that JE negatively affects the TI of public sector employees through the mediation effect of LS. Additionally, this study indicates that EL moderates the relationship between JE and TI.Practical implicationsThis study implies that public sector stakeholders should consider both individual and contextual factors to manage and retain employees. In addition to addressing employees' embeddedness with the organisation and community and their LS, public organisations need to focus on hiring, training and promoting ethical leaders.Originality/valueThis study highlights the role of embeddedness within both the organisation and the community, along with the role of EL in the LS and TI of public sector employees.

The March on Washington Movement, the Fair Employment Practices Committee, and the Long Quest for Racial Justice

Abstract In the summer of 1941, the March on Washington Movement (MOWM), led by the civil rights and labor leader A. Philip Randolph, planned to march tens of thousands of African Americans on Washington, DC, to pressure President Franklin Roosevelt to abolish discrimination in the federal government and defense industries. After intensive negotiations, Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, banning those forms of discrimination and creating a federal agency to oversee this work: the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC). Randolph and his allies use of pioneering pressure tactics coincided with a critical period of institutionalization of the modern presidency, ultimately resulting in executive action that significantly advanced civil rights and economic opportunity for Black Americans. Many scholars, focusing only on civil rights activists’ fraught relationship with Roosevelt and the Southern Democrats’ stubborn defense of Jim Crow in Congress and the states, have seen the highly contentious battles over the authority and policies of the FEPC as constituting a major defeat for MOWM’s state-centered civil rights strategy. Yet Randolph and his allies continued to believe that the most practical path to reform ran through the executive branch. In this article, we draw a contrast between the actions first taken by President Roosevelt with his wavering commitment to the FEPC and the stronger and more definitive actions taken by President Truman to desegregate the military and civil service, which broke open public-sector employment for African Americans. Beyond strategic considerations, the New Deal expansion of jobs in the national service and military made the modern executive an essential target of Randolph’s campaign to join the battles for civil rights with economic freedoms. Randolph’s decision to focus on employment in the rapidly expanding defense industries, federal workforce, and military thus marked a critical episode in the fight for the economic rights of Black Americans.

The Effect of Health Education Toward Preventive Measures Of COVID-19 Among Employees in Duhok City-Iraq: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Increasing the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of public sector employees regarding COVID-19 is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of this virus. A substantial portion of the community is made up of people who work in the public sector. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and enhance government workers' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding COVID-19 preventive measures among directorates in Duhok city in Iraqi Kurdistan. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted among directorates’ employees in Duhok city, the age ranged between 18 and 75. Simple random sampling was used in the study. A structured questionnaire was applied for pre and post-test for intervention and control group. The KAP questions included COVID-19 preventive measures (vaccines, face masks, social distances and hygiene). Results: The findings demonstrated that intervention group improved significantly at (P<0.01) toward KAP related to COVID-19 preventive measures. In terms of knowledge, attitude, and practice of COVID-19 preventive measures, the intervention group exceeded the control group on the post-test compared to the pre-test. The significant changes were recorded among good level of economic status by (2.69) degrees increased in the difference between pre and post-test in intervention group. In contrast, there are no improving in the post-test among those very low income in terms of knowledge at (P<0.01). however, the second large improvement was related to practice from (5.05) increased to (6.61) at (P<0.01). All other demographic characteristics, including age, occupation, religion, education, and place of residence, showed statistically significant variance at (P <0.01). Conclusion: Health education is regarded as beneficial for general awareness and crucial COVID-19 preventive measures.

Federal work life programs and generational perception: an exploratory study using evidence from OPM’s work life survey

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the work-life needs of all public sector employees is key to revitalizing government agencies and the services they deliver. Using the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s very first Federal Work Life Survey (2018), this study examines intergenerational variations of perceived satisfaction from federal work-life programs, supervisory support to participate in federal work life programs, and the moderating effect of work-life programs on an employee’s intention to leave. Our study confirms the existence of generational differences amongst millennials, generation X, baby boomers, and traditionalists and highlights the benefits of work-life programs for employees across generations, with particular emphasis on their attractiveness to younger workers, and the need to discover and create innovative ways to retain workers across generations in the federal workforce.

Perceived Difference in Handling Stress and Self-Care Strategies at Workplace among Public Sector Employees of Land Resources Development Department.

The perception of the employees on handling stress at workplace and effectiveness of stress management programs varies due to multiple internal and external factors. Thus, the present study aims to measure the perceived level of difference in psychosocial stress at workplace following a stress management program. This was an interventional study conducted among 30 public sector employees working in Land Resources Development Department. The study tools used were K10, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF), and a work-life balance questionnaire which were quantitatively analyzed using paired t-test, and also, thematic analysis was used to assess the effectiveness of the stress management program. Stress management abilities improved on the work-life balance questionnaire with a P value of 0.027 after the intervention and a significant difference in the environment domain with a P value of 0.041 was found on WHOQOL-BREF. Thematic analysis showed a perceived reduction in negative reactions to work stress and improvement in self-care strategies after the intervention. This study highlights the subjective experience of work stress and stress management abilities that need to be addressed through the effective collaborative model of a stress management program.

Labour market trajectories after part-time sickness absence: a nationwide cohort study from Finland

ObjectivesThe use of part-time sickness absence (pSA) enables return to part-time work from full sickness absence. However, subsequent labour market outcomes of pSA users depend on various individual and work-related...

Organizational Error Tolerance and Change-Oriented Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment and Moderating Role of Public Service Motivation.

Error management is an important element of organizational management research, and organizational error tolerance has gradually received attention from researchers in recent years. Most previous studies concluded that organizational error tolerance positively affects both the perceived organizational support and job performance of public sector employees, but few have examined the relationship between organizational error tolerance and change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. This research examines how organizational error tolerance affects change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior using an experimental approach (Study 1, N = 162 and Study 2, N = 228) and a field survey approach (Study 3, N = 377). The results indicate that organizational error tolerance increases psychological empowerment, which in turn increases change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. Public service motivation plays a moderating role in this process. Specifically, the positive mediating effect of organizational error tolerance on change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior through psychological empowerment was not significant when the level of public service motivation was high, while it was significant when the level of public service motivation was low. This study clarifies the mechanism and boundary conditions of the effect of organizational error tolerance on change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior, provides a more comprehensive and dialectical perspective for research on organizational error tolerance, and extends research on psychological empowerment and change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior.

Data as Relation: Ontological Trouble in the Data-Driven Public Administration

This paper examines how the intense focus on data in political digitalization strategies takes effect in practice in a Danish municipality. Building on an ethnographic study of data-driven management, the paper argues that one of the effects of making data a driver for organizational decision-making is uncertainty as to what data are and can be taken to mean. While in political discourse and strategies, data are considered as a resource for collaboration across organizational units as well as for optimization of their performance, in practice, data are not this straightforward entity. The paper presents a kind of data work that identifies data as part of different worlds (ontologies). The management task that results from this is nurturing organizational spaces that articulate data as relational. The paper argues that being attentive to the troublesome experiences public sector employees have when encountering data may help mitigate some of the risks of seeing data merely as a resource. The paper concludes that as public sector managers learn to nurture spaces where differences in data can be articulated, they also protect core values of welfare bureaucracies. Acknowledging that data work is about what we take to be real and what not (ontological work) is a first step in this direction.

Contributions of technological methods in improving the performance of employees in the Palestinian public sector by application to the Ministry of Social Development - Jenin Directorate

هدفت هذه الدراسة للتعرف لمدى إسهامات الأساليب التكنولوجية في تحسين أداء موظفي القطاع العمومي الفلسطيني بالتطبيق على وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية- مديرية جنين وتحديد دور متغيرات الدراسة: الجنس، المؤهل العلمي، سنوات الخبرة، التخصص، المسمى الوظيفي. ولتحقيق الهدف استخدم الباحثان استمارة من تصميمها وهي مؤلفة من (31) فقرة وتم التأكد من صدقها، وحساب معامل الثبات كرو نباخ ألفا الذي بلغ (0.87). وزع الاستبيان على عينة مكونة من (20) موظف في وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية- مديرية جنين، وعولجت الاستبانات بواسطة برنامج (SPSS). وأظهرت أهم النتائج بأن درجة إسهامات الأساليب التكنولوجية في تحسين أداء موظفي القطاع العام الفلسطيني، بالتطبيق على وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية الفلسطينية - مديرية جنين حازت على تقدير كبير وبنسبة مئوية (74.09%). وعدم وجود فروق دالة إحصائية في متوسط إسهامات الأساليب التكنولوجية في تحسين أداء موظفي القطاع العام الفلسطيني، بالتطبيق على وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية الفلسطينية تعزى لمتغير الجنس. مع وجود فروق ذات دلالة احصائية بين متوسط إسهامات الأساليب التكنولوجية في تحسين أداء موظفي القطاع العام الفلسطيني، بالتطبيق على وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية الفلسطينية تعزى لمتغيرات (المؤهل العلمي، الجنس، سنوات الخبرة، التخصص، طبيعة الوظيفة) في المجالات مدى توفر الأساليب التكنولوجية في وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية، محفزات استخدام الأساليب التكنولوجية في جمع واستثمار المعلومات في الوزارة، إسهامات الأساليب التكنولوجية في تحسين أداء موظفي القطاع العام الفلسطيني، بالتطبيق على وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية الفلسطينية -مديرية جنين وكانت الفروق لصالح حملة البكالوريوس. وأوصت الدراسة: زيادة الموازنة لدى وزارة التنمية الاجتماعية للتطوير التكنولوجي ووضع التطوير ضمن الخطة الاستراتيجية للوزارة، تدريب وتمكين الموظفين في الوزارة على استخدام أساليب التكنولوجيا، وزيادة اعداد الكوادر البشرية في الوزارة للتخفيف من ضغط العمل.

Activity-based working and their impact on organisational culture – employees’ perspectives

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how the existing organisational culture of organisations changed with the introduction of activity-based working (ABW) office layouts from the employees’ perspectives.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was used to measure the influence of introducing ABW. The study focused on three different industry sectors in Australia – financial, IT and government – and one organisation from each sector who had introduced ABW during the period of 2012–2019 was selected. The Competing Value Framework was used to measure the dimensions of organisational culture. A paired sample test was used to measure the changes in employees’ perceptions after the layout changes.FindingsFindings identify that the nature of workplace designs has a considerable impact on an organisation’s corporate culture which can be used to leverage and change its culture. However, some noticeable discrepancy between the perceptions of public and private sector employees was identified, where public sector employees felt that standardised procedures still governed their actions even in ABW layouts.Originality/valueThis research highlights that workplace designs directly influence culture by supporting the engagement, motivation and behaviours of the employees. It emphasises the importance of in-depth examination of the behavioural and attitudinal characteristics of employees to obtain a better understanding of how they interact in ABW layouts. Such an analysis provides the context for a more inclusive understanding of the operation of modern office layouts.