Public Sector Personnel Research Articles

Private pharmacy staff in five main towns in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Mali: knowledge and practices concerning malaria care in 2014.

The Global Fund's involvement in the fight against malaria has led to significant improvements, but mostly through programs supporting public-sector health facilities and personnel. The authors report the results of the preliminary survey preceding their intervention with private pharmacies. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the sample of pharmacies in urban areas in Burkina Faso, Benin, and Mali. A pretested questionnaire was administered to the supervisor present in each pharmacy at the time of the survey. Data were collected by local students in the first quarter of 2014. In all, 94 pharmacies were surveyed, representing 17.6% of all the pharmacies in these 5 cities. Among the participants, 84% knew about the national malaria control program, and 77.7% about artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), while 38.8% knew the national protocols. Licensed pharmacists had a better knowledge of ACT than their assistants, and training improved knowledge of treatment for uncomplicated malaria episodes. These pharmacists and assistants would like to be more involved in the fight against malaria. They are ready to advise ACT when appropriate after rapid detection tests. It is necessary to find resources for subsidized inputs in the private sector to make these drugs and tests more accessible for all patients.

Public Sector Personnel Economics: Wages, Promotions, and the Competence-Control Trade-Off

We model personnel policies in public agencies, examining how wages and promotion standards can partially offset a fundamental contracting problem: the inability of public sector workers to contract on performance, and the inability of political masters to contract on forbearance from meddling. Despite the dual contracting problem, properly constructed personnel policies can encourage intrinsically motivated public sector employees to invest in expertise, seek promotion, remain in the public sector, and develop policy projects. However, doing so requires internal personnel policies that sort slackers from zealots. Personnel policies that accomplish this task are quite different in agencies where acquired expertise has little value in the private sector, and agencies where acquired expertise commands a premium in the private sector. Finally, even with well-designed personnel policies, there remains an inescapable trade-off between political control and expertise acquisition.

Knowledge Sharing Behavior and Traits Emotional Intelligence in Police Forces

Knowledge sharing is exclaimed able enhance the quality of the public sector system and increase the productivity of personnel in the public sector. Police forces are a significant and essential part of the public sector. Research suggested that in order to foster knowledge sharing among public sector personnel, it is important to understand the factors affecting the employees’ interest to share knowledge. It is also believed that individual characteristics play a major role in knowledge sharing behaviour. This study aims to examine the Knowledge Sharing Behaviour from personality differences and relationship of variances of personality with decision-emotions among police officers as explained by the Trait Emotional Intelligence.

The Effects of Organizational Politics on Perceived Organizational Justice and Intention to Leave

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions about organizational politics held by members of different organizations and how these affect their perceptions of organizational justice and decisions relating to employee turnover. For this study, 259 completed surveys were obtained from various public and private sector personnel. After the measures used in the study were verified through confirmatory factor analysis, correlation and regression analyses were then conducted in order to determine the relationship between variables. As a result of the study, it was found out that organizational politics had a significant effect on perceived organizational justice and intention to leave. In addition to those results, a significant relationship was further found between perceived organizational justice and intention to leave.

Evaluation of the Functions of Public Sector Partners in Transportation Public-Private Partnerships Failures

AbstractPublic-private partnerships (PPPs) are institutional arrangements that facilitate private business activities in the public sector. The adoption of transportation PPPs is based upon governmental efforts to achieve extended efficiency, economy, and effectiveness in comparison to conventional infrastructure procurement systems. Transportation PPPs have shown remarkable contributions in achieving infrastructure development goals. However, introducing long-term profit oriented activities for public infrastructures, which basically run on the principles of social welfare, has brought numerous new management issues and risks that were never observed before in conventional infrastructures’ procurement systems. New to such risks, public sector personnel have become prone to make mistakes that could cause loss of value to the public and even partnership failure. Along with a long list of successful transportation PPP projects, there also are a notable number of failed transportation PPP projects. This stud...

Secondment of Government Employees in Saudi Arabia “Between Reality and Expectations”

This paper aimed to identify various aspects of the secondment of Public Sector Employees in Saudi Arabia by proposing a policy that might help to activate and coordinate the secondment of personnel in Saudi Arabia. To achieve the objectives of this paper, it has been divided into five parts. The first part is the theoretical framework of the issue in which we address the importance of secondment of personnel in the public sector in Saudi Arabia. Then I will review the concept and importance of the secondment of personnel in general. In the second part we will review several international experiences, while in the third part, we will focus on the current reality of the secondment regulations applied in Saudi Arabia. In the fourth part, we will analyze the current situation by identifying strengths and weaknesses in the secondment regulation of the personnel in Saudi Arabia. Finally, the study will propose a policy to activate, coordinate and encourage the secondment of personnel in Saudi Arabia. It is worth mentioning that the paper concluded that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia devoted a regulation for the secondment of personnel both within and outside Saudi Arabia, through the public sector personnel may be seconded to some government, regional or international bodies. However, within the Kingdom does not allowed to second the public sector personnel except for some government agencies that have special private system and this deprives several government agencies to take advantage of the unique experiences in some government agencies. In addition, I will suggest new regulations that will allow private sector to second their employees to government agencies. In conclusion there is a need to develop the secondment regulation to allow the secondment of the government agencies personnel among them, regardless of being a ministry or a public institution, as there is an urgent need to add regulatory articles for the secondment to second Saudi employees working in the private sector to various government agencies through the secondment of their services for specific periods such as four years as an example along with providing them with financial incentives to encourage their services secondment.

Factors Affecting the Competitiveness of the Agribusiness Sector in Swaziland

Identifying the factors that influence competitiveness is imperative in order, to appreciate the position of the firm in relation to its environment and to propose appropriate measures and strategies for increasing competitiveness of agribusiness firms. The study sought to determine the competitiveness of the agribusiness sector in Swaziland and to identify the factors affecting competitiveness. Porter’s (1998) theory of the determinants of competitive advantage was applied in the analysis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results indicated that the top 3 constraining factors to competitiveness were: the unavailability of professional labour (mean = 1.63); high cost of supplies/inputs (mean = 1.69); incompetence of public sector personnel (mean = 1.69); ineffective public sector personnel (mean = 1.88) and the size of the local market (mean = 1.88). The enhancing factors to competitiveness were: production of affordable high quality products (mean = 4.19); availability of water for industrial purposes (mean = 4.00) and affordable cost of unskilled labour (mean = 3.94). The results further indicate that the agribusiness sector is constrained, suggesting that the environment is not enabling for agribusinesses to be competitive. It is recommended that other markets be explored in order to expand the export base, which could be carried out through product diversification.

The impact of socio-demographic factors as potential predictors of the attitudes of public sector personnel on intellectual property rights and their implications

This paper presents the results of a web-based survey done to determine the attitudes of public sector personnel in developing countries in Asia on the major implications of intellectual property rights (IPRs) to public sector institutions’ access of technologies, research focus, and dissemination of knowledge and technology. Specifically, the survey involved research administrators and scientists (n = 283) from public agricultural biotechnology research institutions in India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Estimates of ordinal logistic regression clearly show that in general, attitudes of respondents toward the implications of IPR are affected by socio-demographic characteristics with education, position held, and country of citizenship as significant influential factors. This econometric analysis may serve as reference for institutions developing capability training programmes, including identification of target training groups, to more actively promote the understanding of IPR and their implications to public research institutions in developing countries.

Breach of psychological contract, perception of politics and organizational cynicism: Evidence from Pakistan

Research on organizational cynicism is gaining increased attention, still limited literature addresses the issue among public sector organizations in developing countries. By specifically focusing on public sector personnel in Pakistan, the present study attempts to analyze the impact of breach of psychological contract and perception of politics on organizational cynicism. Data was collected from 149 employees employed in public sector institutions of Pakistan. Findings shows that breach of psychological contract determines organizational cynicism, while public sector employees in Pakistan do not consider perception of politics to be associated with organizational cynicism. Key words: Public sector, commitment, negative attitudes, politics.

Civil society organisations' contribution to the anti-corruption movement in Indonesia

Soeharto era concern about corruption was deflected by the establishment of toothless anti-corruption committees, and by suppression of anti-corruption activism and media comment. With Soeharto's demise, activists began to publicise their concerns more openly – at first speaking in general terms, but later making increasingly specific allegations. The sporadic activism of the Soeharto years was consolidated, first through cooperative action among similarly motivated informal groups, and later through establishment of formal civil society organisations (CSOs) intent on rolling back corruption. The CSOs have played a key role in pushing for new laws and institutions to help eradicate corruption, and many corrupt officials have been imprisoned. This paper finds little evidence, however, that corruption has declined significantly. It argues that further progress depends on CSOs gaining a better understanding of the underlying causes of corruption, and that these are to be found in public sector personnel management practices.

George W. Bush, the Supreme Court, and the Pursuit of “Big Government Conservatism” in Federal Personnel Management

Ironically, by the end of the first year of the Obama administration, President George W. Bush appears to have gained an indirect impact on public personnel policy through his appointments of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. In cases involving public personnel issues, both jurists have supported Bush’s preferences with respect to strict construction, executive power, and the use of racial and ethnic preferences. With one Obama appointee on the Supreme Court and another nominated, the prospects for the durability of that legacy in pursuit of “big government conservatism” are unclear. Nevertheless, this article’s analysis of Bush’s appointment “power in use” comports with findings regarding judicial appointee loyalty to presidential agendas that have emerged in recent years. It also suggests that further research on presidential appointments of federal judges and justices is needed and may demonstrate that the appointment power is an important determinant of public sector personnel policy in the United States.

The battle against corruption and inefficiency with the help of eGovernment in Bangladesh

Corruption and inefficiency of government are considered as major obstacles of economic and social development of Bangladesh. eGovernment is often considered as an effective tool to overcome those challenges through increased transparency and facilitate direct communications. Attitude towards potential benefits of eGovernment often varies between the private sector and public sector professionals. We undertake a questionnaire of the attitudes of government officials and private sector managers towards eGovernment. This study has compared the attitudes of government officials and private sector managers in Bangladesh in relation to a number of questions about the awareness and potential benefits of eGovernment. This research has found that the majority of both private and public sector personnel hold very positive views and high hopes for eGovernment in Bangladesh. More specifically private sector managers were more optimistic than their public sector counterparts of the potential benefits and reduction in corruption associated with the use of eGovernment.

The battle against corruption and inefficiency with the help of eGovernment in Bangladesh

Corruption and inefficiency of government are considered as major obstacles of economic and social development of Bangladesh. eGovernment is often considered as an effective tool to overcome those challenges through increased transparency and facilitate direct communications. Attitude towards potential benefits of eGovernment often varies between the private sector and public sector professionals. We undertake a questionnaire of the attitudes of government officials and private sector managers towards eGovernment. This study has compared the attitudes of government officials and private sector managers in Bangladesh in relation to a number of questions about the awareness and potential benefits of eGovernment. This research has found that the majority of both private and public sector personnel hold very positive views and high hopes for eGovernment in Bangladesh. More specifically private sector managers were more optimistic than their public sector counterparts of the potential benefits and reduction in corruption associated with the use of eGovernment.

The bureaucracy�democracy tango: a dual-source empirical revalidation by structural equation modelling in the Israeli public sector

The relationship between bureaucracy and democracy in modern nations has gained the attention of scholars and experts worldwide. This article uses the allegory of a tango dance to illuminate core pandemics of the bureaucracy–democracy interface. First, we propose a theoretical model that relates these arenas in the public realm. The model is then tested empirically based on four in-depth field studies of Israeli public sector organisations (in the fields of public energy, healthcare, policing and local governance). The studies were conducted simultaneously and were based on both qualitative and quantitative data collected in the intra-organisational and extra-organisational arenas. Respondents were 159 public sector personnel and 158 citizens who received services from the same organisations. Data were analysed with a structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The findings reconfirmed a solid positive relationship between elements of an effective bureaucracy and segments of an active democracy. Moreover, strongest support was found for a mediating model where perceived performance mediated the bureaucratic–democratic relationship. Implications of the findings are discussed in both the intra- and extra-organisational context.

Conocimientos, opiniones y experiencias con la aplicación de las políticas de participación en salud en Colombia

Analysing knowledge and opinions regarding policies related to social participation in health and how user, community leader and health personnel participation mechanisms are used in Colombia. An exploratory and descriptive study was carried out between 1999 and 2001 in the towns of Tuluá and Palmira in Colombia using a combination of research methods. A sample of 1,497 health care users were formally surveyed, a focus-group-based qualitative study was made of 210 users and 40 community leaders and 36 semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with health personnel. SPSS was used for a descriptive analysis of survey data and Ethnograph for narrative content analysis of qualitative data. The user survey results revealed a lack of knowledge regarding norms and mechanisms for social participation in health, as well as limited use. Limited knowledge and scepticism regarding its effectiveness was also reflected in the users, leaders and health personnel qualitative study results. Public sector personnel, however, displayed better knowledge and referred to greater implementation of participation mechanisms. Lack of both resources and a culture of participation were amongst the difficulties faced in implementing it. The results indicated scarce knowledge and little use of social participation in health mechanisms (market-based ones predominating). Much greater investment in information and training the population and health system personnel is required as a first step towards promoting real social participation for social control of the health system.

Unlocking the Human Potential for Public Sector Performance

The field of HRM has evolved significantly in the past decades as external and internal pressures have forced governments to redefine the role of the state and recalibrate public administration capacities. A number of innovative policies and practices, many of them borrowed from the private sector, are being introduced in public sector personnel management with—the intent being to deal with escalating costs and to better manage performance and increase efficiency. Recent research however has revealed very strong correlations between the quality of human resources in the public sector and government performance and national development. In fact, it is people coordinated by institutions who deliver public services. How effectively government institutions align the behavior of staff with the public interest is determined primarily by the capacity, motivation and integrity of human resources and the quality of leadership. In other words, people are the lifeblood of the public service.

Supervisory Perceptions of the Impact of Public Sector Personnel Practices on the Achievement of Multiple Goals

Strategic human resource management enhances productivity and the effectiveness of organizations. Research shows that when organizations employ such personnel practices as internal career ladders, formal training systems, results-oriented performance appraisal, employment security, employee voice and participation, broadly defined jobs, and performance-based compensation, they are more able to achieve their goals and objectives. Using ordinal regression analyses of data from a survey of North Carolina county social service directors and supervisors, this study examines the extent to which strategic human resource management is perceived to affect outcome assessments (or performance measurements) for welfare reform. Although strategic human resource management practices are perceived to be present, with training and employment security having notable impacts, they clearly are not a predominant feature in North Carolina counties.

Are public sector personnel managers the profession's poor relations?

This article is concerned with differences between personnel practitioners in the private and public sectors. Drawing on survey and interview data from practitioners in both sectors, the authors report that public sector practitioners are less well‐qualified and are paid less than their private sector counterparts. Very few practitioners move between the sectors, suggesting the existence of separate and self‐contained career structures. It is argued that this is not a separation of equals, and is maintained partly by the existence of a system of myths and stereotypes which have the effect of discouraging able professionals from entering the public sector. The article considers the reasons for the continuing differences and the separation, particularly in the light of public sector reforms which might have been expected to have diminished them. The implications for personnel management in the public sector and for the personnel profession in general are then discussed.

The First Amendment and the Public Sector Employee: The Effect of Recent Patronage Cases on Public Sector Personnel Decisions

The First Amendment and the Public Sector Employee: The Effect of Recent Patronage Cases on Public Sector Personnel Decisions

Salary inequality and primary care integration in South Africa

Separation of curative and preventive health programmes often impairs the coordination of primary care in developing countries. Salary differentials between organisations may aggravate non-cooperation. Implementation of a unitary national health service by South Africa's first democratically elected government has been hampered by salary differences, but no organisation possessed information on their magnitude. This paper reports on a study which estimated the distribution and conditions of service of all 224,000 public health sector personnel in South Africa, modelled options for equalising salaries between health authorities, and considered the financial and political feasibility of the options. The most important salary differential was between provincial and local authority nurses. The option to increase salaries selectively for personnel in rural and primary care would be most feasible and most in keeping with government plans. Health service unions face conflicts of interest, and professional organisations may oppose changes in nurses' roles. In a rapidly changing health system with fragmented managerial information, a combination of administrative survey, quantitative modelling and policy analysis helped clarify a key obstacle to reform. The South African case is a warning to other countries that decentralised pay bargaining may result in uncoordinated care which may be costly and difficult to overcome.