The paths of entrenchment in the public service: a longitudinal analysis in multigroups

Abstract

Little more than a decade separates this research from the first academic proposition of organizational entrenchment. To date, no longitudinal research has been carried out despite the recognized importance of this method for enriching studies in the behavioral field. This research aimed to identify characteristics of organizational entrenchment among civil servants at federal educational institutions in Brazil based on a longitudinal assessment of latent profiles. A quantitative and longitudinal survey was carried out with 1060 participants in the first collection. Descriptive analysis, comparison of means, and latent transition analysis were carried out. The civil servants in the sample showed low levels of entrenchment. Among the main findings are the stability of the profiles formed by the civil servants and the higher averages found in the dimensions of adjustments to social position and impersonal bureaucratic arrangements, reinforcing some cross-sectional theoretical findings. The results help to guide managers on the importance of internal factors for the entrenchment of civil servants and how attention to the items in the dimension of adjustments to social position can favor working with this bond. This research found that, over time, entrenchment is a stable bond.