Public Employment Service Research Articles

Fostering Competency Development Through Knowledge Sharing Capabilities in Onboarding

The study proposes and empirically validates a theoretical model suggesting that employee competency development during the onboarding period largely depends on the availability of knowledge sharing (KS) channels (both digital and traditional), on the KS culture experienced, and on employee satisfaction with the existing KS practices. The data for the study was collected using an online survey of a large pool of young public service employees working at various government agencies (n= 3,652 respondents). The results of a structural equation modeling analysis of the data provide support for the study's main premise. The implications of these results on the design of effective onboarding processes are discussed.

Influence of Administration of Incentive Programs on Employees’ Job Performance at Kenya Seed Company, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya

With the devolution of government services, the realignment of staff and resources will follow the meeting of the objectives of the devolution process. It should be noted that human resources play a critical role in the functioning of both national and county governments. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the administration of incentive programs on employees' job performance at Kenya Seed Company, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. This study was guided by Hertzberg's Two-factor Theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design with a target population of 7,300 public service employees. A stratified random sampling technique was utilized with a sample size of 325 respondents determined using Krejcie & Morgan table. The study used structured questionnaires and interview guides as the main data collection tools. The supervisors validated the instruments. The reliability of the instrument was determined through a pilot study. Thereafter, Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.79 was obtained from the instrument. This indicated that the instrument was reliable. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in tables, while qualitative data were analyzed according to the themes based on research questions and the objectives and thereafter, inferences and conclusions were drawn. The study concluded that the administration of incentive programs such as recognition as a non-monetary reward, training and development strategies, job engagements, and job enrichment influence employees' job performance at Kenya Seed Company. It was recommended that the policymakers and community should consider the administration of incentive programs such as recognition as a non-monetary reward, training and development strategies, job engagements and job enrichment when working towards improving employees’ job performance at Kenya Seed Company, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya.

Effects of the basic social salary on the probability of obtaining a job in Asturias

This research is mainly aimed at analysing the impact of benefiting from a minimum income scheme, the Basic Social Salary, a regional program that guarantees a permanent minimum income in Asturias, on the likelihood of getting a job. The data provided by the Public Employment Service of the Principality of Asturias in relation to job seekers and contracts between October 2021 and October 2022, has allowed as to state that the two variables that have a more negative and stable impact on the likelihood of getting a job are the fact of benefiting from such minimum income scheme and the time the person has been registered as unemployed at the Public Employment Service.

A Conceptual Model of Public Service Employee Creativity

This article aims to explain the influence of rewards and knowled ge sharing on employee creativity by mediating organizational support for innovation and supervisor support as moderators. Various literature reviews have been carried out to determine the variables that build the conceptual model. The expected findings are a positive relationship between rewards and knowledge sharing and employee creativity, as well as the mediating role of organizational support for innovation and the mediating role of supervisor support. This research explains that the creativity possessed by employees is able to make the face of public services better according to society at large. The author hopes that this research can provide an understanding of the importance of employee creativity for service improvement and can be used as a strategy for organizations to see whether rewards and knowledge sharing can influence employee creativity. Apart from that, it is hoped that this paper can contribute theoretically, practically, and possibly be used for further research.

Footing the (wage) bill: Reasoning, remedies and National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union v Minister of Public Service and Administration (CC)

In NEHAWU & others v Minister of Public Service and Administration & others 2022 (6) BCLR 673 (CC), the Constitutional Court declared invalid and unenforceable a clause regulating the third payment period in a collective agreement regulating periodic wage increases for public service employees. We do not take issue with the court’s findings concerning the validity of the impugned collective agreement. However, we question the reasoning provided for the ‘just and equitable’ remedy ordered. We find the court’s reasoning insufficient in so far as it overlooked applicable principles of corrective justice, the significance of the state being unjustifiably enriched by labour peace by curtailing public servants’ right to strike, and the consequences of its decision on the effectiveness of the delay-bar in preventing ill-motivated state self-review. We propose the bifurcated approach that the court adopted in the AllPay saga as a tool to adjudicate polycentric cases such as the impugned case, as it enhances the judiciary’s proper place in the separation of powers and maximises remedial possibilities for innocent third parties to state contracts. We conclude with what has happened on the ground since this decision was reached.

КАК ЭТИЧЕСКИЙ КЛИМАТ ВЛИЯЕТ НА МОТИВАЦИЮ И ЦЕННОСТЬ СЛУЖБЫ В ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫХ ОРГАНАХ?

Public service motivation and mission valence are two significant and up-to-date approaches to explaining the motivation of public employees. This study aims to demonstrate the role of ethical climate in both the relationship between public service motivation and mission valence and the motivation of public service employees by adding ethical climate. The research was carried out in public universities operating in Turkey. Data was collected from a total of 1415 participants consisting of academicians, administrative personnel, and administrators with an online questionnaire form. The data obtained was evaluated with the structural equation model in three different groups for academicians, administrative personnel, and administrators. Our findings primarily confirmed the positively significant relationship between mission valence and public service motivation previously demonstrated in the literature. Secondly, it was understood that mission valence affected ethical climate. Furthermore, the findings revealed that ethical climate for all three groups had a strong mediation effect between public service motivation and mission valence. In other words, ethical climate in organizations contributes to the internalization of the organization’s mission and the development of prosocial behavior.

How collaboration between (occupational) physicians and work actors foster successful reintegration to work after or during health problems.

Incapacity to work has a high price tag. The longer someone is incapacitated for work, the more difficult it is to return to work. It is therefore of the utmost importance to give employees the opportunity to return to work at an early stage. Fortunately, in most cases employees with health problems return to work, whether or not through a (in)formal reintegration process. However, sometimes employees need more specialized support or guidance to return to work, either to their own employer in the same or an adjusted function, or to a new employer.
 Two Belgian external services of prevention and protection at work (Idewe and Mensura) collaborated with the Flemish public employment service (VDAB). They aimed to foster and speed up the reintegration of incapacitated employees who could not return to their own employer. The pilot study ran from September 1, 2021 till December 31, 2022. The study included more than 300 incapacitated employees who were definitively unfit for their agreed work according to the assessment of the occupational physician.
 During the pilot study the incapacitated employees were informed individually about the range of services VDAB and its partners have to offer to support the reintegration into the labor market. In addition, the study examined the outcomes of a fast and privacy-proof manner of voluntary registration from the occupational physician to VDAB. Moreover, the study examined the communication between the actors involved in the reintegration process, such as when and which information is needed.
 During the presentation we will be able to present the final conclusion of the pilot study (e.g., which services were provided to support reintegration, how many incapacitated employees returned to work).

Overcoming Complex Employment Barriers for Older Individuals: Measures and Opportunities for Enhancement

In the context of the rapidly ageing Lithuanian society, it is important to create the conditions for the effective use of the potential of older people, including the sphere of employment. Although the employment rate of older Lithuanians is higher than the EU average, older people remain a vulnerable group of workers, especially in the face of labour market crises. The withdrawal from the labor market is attributable to inadequacies in qualifications or education that fail to align with the exigencies of the labor market, compromised health, adverse working conditions, and assorted factors concomitantly diminishing employment prospects. Reintegration into the labor market poses a formidable challenge for older individuals who have previously disengaged from it. The complex causes of older people’s exit from the labour market imply a comprehensive solution, but so far the country’s policies for older people have not sufficiently developed an integrated approach to enhancing employability, and the application of pesonalised measures is the responsibility of particular institutions. The aim of the article is to assess the capacities of the current institutional infrastructure of public employment policies to respond to complex obstacles to the employment of elderly individuals and to identify relevant directions for the development of institutional collaboration in this sphere. Based on the latest statistical and analytical information, the paper identifies the current trends in employment and unemployment of the country’s elderly population and identifies the main factors determining their vulnerability in the labour market. It analyses the employment measures implemented by the Public Employment Service for currently unemployed older people. Based on the analysis, proposals are presented for the improvement of the measures in place, with particular emphasis on the development of institutional cooperation in the provision of comprehensive integration services.

Linking Inclusive Leadership, Workplace Spirituality, and Innovative Work Behaviour to Job Performance: An Empirical Study in Public Sector

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between inclusive leadership and workplace spirituality by the mediating role of innovative work behaviour on the job performance of public service employees. Design/Methods/Approach: This study involved 904 public sector employees. Data were collected via an online survey using a 7-point Likert scale. The sampling method employed was non-probability and purposive sampling based on predefined criteria. The collected data was analyzed using Lisrel 8.80 through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) weighted least squares (WLS) estimation. Findings: The results indicate that inclusive leadership and workplace spirituality positively and significantly impact innovative work behaviour and job performance. Additionally, innovative work behaviour has a positive and significant impact on job performance. Meanwhile, innovative work behaviour acted as a partial mediator in the relationship between inclusive leadership and job performance and workplace spirituality and job performance. Originality/Value: Research in public organizations has predominantly treated innovative work behaviour as a dependent variable influenced by organizational environmental factors. There has been a notable absence of studies examining innovative work behaviour as an independent variable within the context of public organizations. Concurrently, despite evidence in several studies indicating the impact of a spiritual climate on innovative work behaviour, such an investigation remains unexplored within the realm of public organizations. Practical/Policy implication: The public sector is advised to foster a climate conducive to workplace spirituality by encouraging the uniqueness and capabilities of employees to nurture a sense of meaning in their work. Moreover, public organizations should nurture leaders with inclusive leadership abilities, such as openness, accessibility, and availability, to stimulate employee innovation.

Self-employment and disability

In many countries, self-employment has become a common strategy for achieving inclusion in the labour market. Studies show that the occurrence of self-employment depends not only on individual motives, but also on existing policies and support. In Sweden, labour market measures to include people with disabilities are primarily organized to achieve inclusion through traditional forms of employment, though one tool offered by the Swedish Public Employment Service is Support to Start a Business. One part of this support is exclusive to people with disabilities. Although the Swedish Public Employment Service is responsible for this specific support, they collaborate with both external state-funded and non-profit actors who assess applicants’ business ideas. Drawing on the methodological approach of institutional ethnography, this article explores how the in-house frontline workers and external actors describe their professional roles, how they make decisions and what the chain of action looks like at multiple sites. Nine representatives from the various organizations that people can meet with when trying to start and run their own business have taken part in semi-structured interviews. The analysis identifies different institutional practices that overlap when people with disabilities apply for support to start their own business: one focusing on the efficient allocation of resources, and the other on the individual’s social and financial welfare by protecting the individuals these organizations meet with from risks connected to economy and health. These two practices reflect a long-standing conflict between control and support in objectives within both labour market policy and social work. This support of self-employment for people with disabilities is organized by actors who traditionally have not been studied in research on social work.

Public Employment Services and Strategic Action towards Rural NEETs in Mediterranean Europe

The NEET phenomenon in southern Europe is particularly alarming. Most studies have focused on analysing the socio-demographic characteristics of NEET and policies directed towards them, but more research is needed regarding the psychological aspects that underlie this condition. This paper, grounded in the bioecological model, aims to analyse the psychological dimensions regarding the functioning of Public Employment Services (PESs) in three countries that rely on the South Mediterranean welfare model. Between November 2022 and September 2023, research was conducted across six rural PES locations in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, based on interviews and focus groups with PES operators and young NEET users. Thematic analysis identified two central axes: Enhancing Relationships and Building Strategic Action, which were crucial for improving NEET-PES interactions and fostering connections between PES and other community entities. The results highlighted the importance of psychological elements in the effective involvement of NEETs in policy initiatives.

Extending Kingdon's Multiple Streams Policy Framework Through an Analysis of How Community Health Workers in India Are Driving Policy Changes.

In this paper we develop and provide a novel account of the process through which the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), a cadre of seemingly powerless community health workers in India, are navigating a complex policy process to incrementally achieve their goals. ASHAs have been demanding better working conditions, better compensation, and regularisation as public service employees through protests and strikes and have managed to gain concessions from both the Central and various State governments. We observed two important aspects that emerged: (a) ASHAs achieved incremental increases in their wages despite being the lowest in the health system hierarchy, and, (b) major gains were made during the 2years of the pandemic. We examine and analyse ASHAs' engagement and strategies used, both overt and covert, sometimes with the government, and the role of other actors in determining these policy outcomes. We do so by drawing on academic literature and news media reports; we trace the changes in ASHAs' wages by tying together key events, 'windows of opportunity', and actions of 'policy entrepreneurs' involved in the process.In doing so, we further develop and propose an extension to Kingdon's multiple streams policy framework through the addition of a 'narrative stream'.

(in) Accuracy in Algorithmic Profiling of the Unemployed – An Exploratory Review of Reporting Standards

Public Employment Services (PES) increasingly use automated statistical profiling algorithms (ASPAs) to ration expensive active labour market policy (ALMP) interventions to those they predict at risk of becoming long-term unemployed (LTU). Strikingly, despite the critical role played by ASPAs in the operation of public policy, we know very little about how the technology works, particularly how accurate predictions from ASPAs are. As a vital first step in assessing the operational effectiveness and social impact of ASPAs, we review the method of reporting accuracy. We demonstrate that the current method of reporting a single measure for accuracy (usually a percentage) inflates the capabilities of the technology in a peculiar way. ASPAs tend towards high false positive rates, and so falsely identify those who prove to be frictionally unemployed as likely to be LTU. This has important implications for the effectiveness of spending on ALMPs.

Does the Labour Service Cooperation Policy Promote Re-employment: Evidence from China

Abstract While debates about the effectiveness of labour service cooperation policies are raging in Western countries, more information about this topic is needed in the Chinese context. Using the difference-in-differences identification framework and provincial panel data to estimate the employment-promoting effects of the labour service cooperation policy implemented in pilot provinces in China, this study found that the labour service cooperation policy helped to reduce the number of unemployed people and that public–private cooperation created a new approach by combining all stakeholders, such as job seekers, employers, and public employment service agencies. The labour service cooperation policy had a lag policy effect on employment promotion, which was persistent and constantly amplified. The policy was more effective when implemented in regions where the manufacturing industry is the primary sector and the unemployment burden is high.

Future possibilities for long-term business cooperation between private forest owners and forest service providers in Slovenia

Abstract Private forest ownership, with small and fragmented forest properties prevailing in Europe, is affected by demographic, economic and social changes as well as by forest-related policy goals. This is reflected in the lack of knowledge about forest management, insufficient forest management and underutilization of forest resources. Considering that, business cooperation between private forest owners and with forest service providers or managers is recognized as one of the key instruments to increase the efficiency of private forest management. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is a potential for further development of forest lease as form of long-term business cooperation. In this research, interviews (n=8) were conducted with tenants who have signed long-term forest lease contracts with private forest owners in Slovenia. The results show that there are limited possibilities for further development of long-term business cooperation between private forest owners and forest service providers/managers (e.g. forest lease). The results indicate that there are many benefits of long-term business cooperation for both sides, but private forest owners’ interest is questionable. If we want long-term business cooperation (forest lease) to succeed, forest lease should be recognized in legislation, education about business cooperation (forest lease) should be given to public forest service employees, so they could promote forest lease and provide information to private forest owners. In addition, a connection between potential business partners should be established and examples of good practice should be promoted to gain trust between business partners, which could increase private forest owners’ interest and consequently improve private forest management and utilization of forest resources from private forests.

THE EFFECT OF INVOLVEMENT, PUBLIC SERVICE MOTIVATION, AND RED TAPE ON PERFORMANCE

The public sector of developing countries initiates reforms that frequently center around enhancing the performance of civil servants in response to the growing demands of the work environment. Thus, organizations in the public sector need their employees to be more engaged in their work to achieve high performance. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the direct association between high-involvement climate, public service motivation, red tape, and employee performance, as well as their indirect influence mediated by work engagement. The analysis was conducted using covariance-based structural equation modeling with the Lisrel application based on data from a questionnaire survey of civil servants under the National Civil Service Agency (NCSA), Indonesia. This study used purposive sampling with 338 respondents selected from the NCSA, based on a minimum sample size of 331 derived from a population of approximately 2400 employees by the Krejcie & Morgan table. The findings of the analysis validated the positive impact of public service motivation and a high-involvement climate on employee performance while revealing the negative effects of red tape, which hindered performance. Additionally, the study demonstrated that public service motivation exerted the most significant direct effect on improving performance, and this relationship was partially mediated by work engagement. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that a high-involvement climate and public service motivation can improve performance, red tape can reduce performance, and work engagement is mediating the relationships. Therefore, in improving their employees’ performance, NCSA managers can focus on improving their public service motivation while stimulating their work engagement, improving their involvement, and reducing the impact of red tape.

Screen-level bureaucrats in the age of algorithms. An ethnographic study of algorithmically supported public service workers in the Netherlands Police

Algorithms are rapidly transforming government bureaucracies. The implications of this transformation for the work of public service employees are not yet well understood. So far, the literature has mostly neglected the use of algorithms by these “screen-level bureaucrats”, and this constitutes a major gap in our knowledge about how algorithms affect bureaucracies. To understand the work of screen-level bureaucrats and to explore how they actively engage with algorithmic software to support their assessment of online fraud, we analyzed 45 hours of observations and 12 in-depth interviews at the Netherlands Police. We employ a socio-material perspective to analyze the dynamics between screen-level bureaucrats and algorithms. We conclude that for administrative tasks, algorithms help screen-level bureaucrats to perform their work by providing structured data and allowing them to focus more on assessments which need a nuanced judgement. At the same time, algorithmic advice in a decision-making task is simply ignored by the screen-level bureaucrats as they predominantly rely on their professional judgement in the assessment of online fraud reports. This highlights the need to further investigate how an algorithm should not only provide accurate advice to the screen-level bureaucrats but also convince them to follow it.

Mediating Role of Public Service Motivation in Enhancing the Effect of Spiritual Leadership on Felt Obligation and Affective Commitment

Encouraging positive feelings at work is important in a public organization. While leadership and motivation are recognized as things that can improve the positive form of individual attitudes and behavior among individuals. By integrating the concepts of leadership and motivation as determinants of employee attitudes, the purpose of this research is to analyze about how public service motivation could mediate the effect of spiritual leadership towards affective commitment and felt obligation. Quantitative method is used as a research deductive paradigm with a purposive sampling technique used to obtain 97 civil servants that take part as respondent in this study who work in two Government Agencies in the Province of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Findings indicate that five hypotheses proposed in the study were confirmed, but there was one relationship that was found to have an insignificant effect, which is the direct effect of spiritual leadership on felt obligation. Main implication of the findings reveals about the significant role of public service employee motivation in strengthening spiritual leadership in improving both affective commitment and felt obligation.

The impact of lower caseloads in public employment services on the unemployed

In a randomised controlled trial in Austria, lowering caseloads for caseworkers in a Public Employment Office led to more meetings with unemployed clients, more job offers, more programme assignments, and more sanctions for noncompliance with job search requirements. It shortened unemployment spells through faster job entry, but also through more exits from the labour force in the 2 years following treatment. The duration of unemployment was reduced for a number of subgroups of the unemployed, but not all benefited from increased employment. For women and foreigners, lower caseloads led to more time out of the labour force. The quality of jobs after unemployment, measured by wages, did not change. A cost–benefit analysis suggests that lower caseloads not only shorten unemployment but also save public costs.

Impact of public service motivation on work evaluation and counterproductive work behaviour

Orientation: Public service motivation has increased in prominence in recent years, even though the influences on employee behaviour and attitudes have not received as much emphasis.Research purpose: This research investigates the impact of public service motivation on job satisfaction, organisational commitment, work engagement and counterproductive work behaviour.Motivation for the study: Counterproductive work behaviour of public service employees results in the citizenry developing negative perceptions about the government. Notwithstanding, the behaviour and attitudes of public service employees and the motivation that drives them are less explicit.Research approach/design and method: A positivist correlational research approach was implemented by administering a questionnaire to a sample of 1031 public service employees in the North West Province using a simple stratified sampling method. Statistical analyses included structural and regression modelling.Main findings: Results reveal that public service motivation statistically significantly predicts job satisfaction, organisational commitment and work engagement. The results show that 28.9% of the variance in counterproductive work behaviour could be attributed to public service motivation. Thus, as public service motivation increases, counterproductive work behaviour decreases.Practical or managerial implications: Strategies to improve public service motivation could putatively have an impact on the reduction of counterproductive work behaviour. Public service motivation could also improve service delivery to the citizenry by significantly impacting the public service employees’ work engagement.Contribution/value-add: Empirical evidence shows the influence of public service motivation on core work evaluation and counterproductive work behaviour, contributing to the corpus of knowledge with practical applicability.