Experiments on the Effects of Positive and Negative Perceptions of A Public Sector Profession

Abner, Gordon; Perry, James L.; Fucilla, Louis

doi:10.1080/15309576.2020.1729823

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In considering (negative) public sentiment toward government (Hibbing & Theiss-Morse, 2001), public management scholars have only recently begun examining citizens' evaluations and stereotypes (Marvel, 2016;Willems, 2020) of public servants, that is, bureaucrat bashing (Abner et al, 2020;Garrett et al, 2006;Jahan & Shahan, 2012). This research has found that bureaucrat bashing can negatively impact the implementation of existing public programs because it can affect the morale of public employees, generate fears about job security, create ambiguity about policy priorities, and frustrate efforts to recruit and retain employees (Garrett et al, 2006).…”

Section: Public Opinionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Employee Engagement Among Public Employees: Exploring the Role of the (Perceived) External Environment

Hameduddin

2021

The American Review of Public Administration

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While previous public management research has focused on how leadership, managerial behavior, job characteristics, and human resource management policies influence employee attitudes and behavior, we know little about the role of the external environment (both perceived and actual). By comparison, research on the external environment of public organizations has mostly focused on performance, organizational structure, and goal ambiguity. This article connects these two streams of research, develops a theoretical model to examine whether perceived environmental support (PES) influences employee engagement and considers the moderating roles of public opinion, media, and political salience. The findings suggest that PES does matter for the level of employee engagement and that this influence is moderated by political salience. This in turn has implications for how public organizations motivate their employees, manage their external reputations, and navigate their external environments. The paper ends with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the findings and limitations of the study.

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Section: Public Opinionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Employee Engagement Among Public Employees: Exploring the Role of the (Perceived) External Environment

Hameduddin

2021

The American Review of Public Administration

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Micro-performance theory contends that successful governmental performance leads to satisfied citizens, which engenders trust in governmental actors (Van de Walle and Bouckaert, 2003;Abner et al, 2020). Whereas poor governmental performance leads to unsatisfied citizens, reducing trust in governmental actors.…”

Section: Predictors Of Support For Police Accreditationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors of public support for police accreditation

Abner

2022

PIJPSM

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PurposeThis study aims to identify the predictors of public support for police accreditation under four different scenarios that vary based upon whether or not accreditation requires a property tax increase and whether or not local police support accreditation.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws upon survey data from 998 US adults. Four binary logistic models are employed to assess support for accreditation under four different scenarios.FindingsIndividual-level factors, including age, education, race, region, generalized trust, political ideology, and volunteer experience, are important predictors of support for police accreditation depending on the scenario presented. Community-level factors including perceptions of police performance and perceptions of property taxes are also important predictors of support for police accreditation depending on the scenario presented. Support for police accreditation is highest when police accreditation does not require a property tax increase and when local police support accreditation. Sixty-six percent of respondents support police accreditation under this scenario.Originality/valueThis article represents the first published study on the predictors of support for police accreditation. The findings from this study have important implications for implementing police reform given recent calls by activists to both reform the police and to defund them.

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“…Understanding how public employees react to organizational scandals deserves scholarly attention because public employees, as internal constituents, not only execute key agency functions and programs but are actively involved in addressing failures. Further, it sheds light on how public employees react to a negative external environment, identity threats, and reduced levels of public support, all of which have implications for motivation and organizational performance (Abner et al, 2020; Hameduddin, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Organizational Scandals on the Desirability of Public Organizations as Places to Work: Evidence From the VA Waitlist Scandal

Lee,

Abner,

Hameduddin

2023

The American Review of Public Administration

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Public administration scholars have extensively explored organizational scandals through two lenses: (1) inside stories of organizational scandals examining the main causes of scandals and (2) the effects of scandals on trust in government, trust in governmental officials, and public financing. Yet, we know little about how organizational scandals affect government employees’ work attitudes. Understanding how public employees react to organizational scandals deserves scholarly attention because public employees not only execute their agencies’ key functions and programs but are involved in actively addressing the organization's failures. To address this gap, we apply a quasi-experimental approach using the 2014 Department of Veterans Affairs waitlist scandal, with a specific focus on the effects of the scandal on employee job satisfaction and perceived organizational attractiveness. Empirical results using the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey from 2011 to 2017 show that the organizational scandal had a negative effect on both outcomes.

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Experiments on the Effects of Positive and Negative Perceptions of A Public Sector Profession

Cited by 7 publications

References 52 publications

Employee Engagement Among Public Employees: Exploring the Role of the (Perceived) External Environment

Employee Engagement Among Public Employees: Exploring the Role of the (Perceived) External Environment

Predictors of public support for police accreditation

The Effects of Organizational Scandals on the Desirability of Public Organizations as Places to Work: Evidence From the VA Waitlist Scandal

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