Promising Performance: The Overestimation and Underestimation of Performance Targets

This study examines goal setting in the federally funded, state-implemented Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). Specifically, using federally determined criteria that states are supposed to use to set expected performance targets, I model the predicted performance targets and compare them against the observed performance targets. The purpose is to examine the determinants of performance target overestimation and underestimation in the WAP. The findings suggest that, where credible commitment to achieving performance targets is important (i.e., when grantees want to show top performance to attract grant money and federal partners), grantee governments are more likely to underestimate goals. However, where the aspirational nature of performance targets is more important than the credible commitment of achieving them (i.e., in an election year or partisan congruence with federal government), grantee governments are more likely to overestimate goals.     

Indexing civil commitment in psychiatric emergency rooms.

A reliable prototype index, Three Ratings of Involuntary Admissibility (TRIAD), was developed to reflect the way psychiatric emergency room clinicians apply legal criteria for involuntary commitment. The interrater reliability coefficients--Pearson's r--of the TRIAD system for rating patients are 0.94, danger-to-self score; 0.89, danger-to-other score; 0.77, grave-disability score; and 0.89, total-admissibility score. TRIAD scores accounted for 82 percent of 89 disposition decisions in two metropolitan county hospital psychiatric emergency rooms. Study results indicate that (1) psychiatric emergency room clinicians shared constructs of danger to self, danger to others, and grave disability; (2) these constructs are reliably applied in actual cases; (3) TRIAD is a valid reflection of these constructs; and (4) case disposition is predictable from the severity of the patient's status with regard to these criteria.     

THE INFLUENCE OF MANAGERIAL AND JOB VARIABLES ON ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN THE POLICE

Like all public sector agencies police forces are under constant pressure to improve their performance through better management of existing resources. However, little research has been done that explains how officers' organizational commitment, an essential requirement for above average employee productivity, can be improved. Using a whole population survey of a county police force in the UK, managerial, job, and demographic variables are analysed that influence officers' organizational commitment. Experiences of the way officers are managed were found to have the strongest influence on their organizational commitment while job related variables were found to have a lesser influence. The decline in organizational commitment found in the early years of officers' careers should be a cause for concern for senior managers in the police. The paper concludes that much need to be done to make police policies more effective in achieving promotion of officers who have the managerial competences needed to engender higher levels of organizational commitment.     

Examining Organizational Commitment among National and Expatriate Employees in the Private and Public Sectors in United Arab Emirates

The indigenous manpower deficit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has resulted in hiring of millions of expatriate employees. In the past decade, this situation has led to many concerns for decision makers as organizational productivity declined. The present study aims at examining the relationship between employees’ nationality and their organizational commitment (OC), in addition to exploring the various forms of commitment exhibited in the workplace. Bivariate and multivariate analyses indicated that OC was multidimensional as employees have expressed differing types and levels of commitment. In addition, nationality of employees was significantly correlated with the level of their commitment. Thus, this study provides several recommendations for researchers and practitioners.     

FOSTERING AFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN PUBLIC SECTOR AGENCIES: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MULTIFACETED LEADERSHIP ROLES

This study examines whether the various leadership roles undertaken by public sector managers have an important association with subordinates' levels of affective commitment to the organization. Our empirical findings suggest that not all leadership practices matter. It appears that only relations‐oriented and change‐oriented leadership, and to a far lesser extent integrity‐oriented leadership, have a substantive association with affective organizational commitment. Task‐oriented leadership and, to a large degree, integrity‐oriented leadership, are found not to matter much for employees with lower levels of affective commitment, but they look to strengthen fondness of the organization among those with already high levels of affective commitment. Results also suggest that the diversity‐oriented leadership role has no association with affective commitment to the organization.     

The Influence of Leader Behaviors on Organizational Commitment: A Study in the Australian Public Sector

Abstract

Over the past decade the area of organizational commitment has received considerable attention from both researchers and managers. Of particular interest are the links between this and other constructs such as trust, task performance, and turnover. Despite the widespread acknowledgment of the importance and value of organizational commitment, there has been limited research that has specifically addressed the relationship between leader behavior and employee commitment, particularly in the public sector. The present study examines the nature of the relationships between organizational commitment and two dimensions of leader behavior—supportive behaviors and extinction behaviors—in an Australian Federal Government organization. It was found that, while controlling for demographic variables, both extinction and supportive leader behaviors affect organizational commitment. Furthermore, a significant interaction of these two variables was found. This indicates that an increase in supportive leader behaviors together with a decrease in extinction leader behaviors will likely lead to a more than proportionate increase in levels of organizational commitment. Implications for managers and further research directions are discussed.     

Technostress and Commitment to Change: The Moderating Role of Internal Communication

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to examine the predicting role of technostress, on commitment to change. Further, this study assesses the moderating role of internal communication in the technostress and commitment to change relationship. A total of 225 administrative employees in public higher education institutions in the Northern Region of Peninsular Malaysia participated in the study. The findings indicated that techno-invasion and techno-insecurity were negatively associated to commitment to change, while techno-uncertainty was positively related to commitment to change. Internal communication was found to moderate the relationship between techno-uncertainty and commitment to change. Theoretical and practical ramifications are highlighted.     

Managing Goal Commitment in Public Organizations: The Effects of Goal Conflict

Public personnel policies increasingly adapt performance management systems that focus on goal attainment, and this makes goal commitment a critical issue in contemporary public administration research. Few studies have however empirically investigated the relationship between goal conflicts and goal commitment. This study examines the interplay between public managers’ goal prioritization, goal conflict and employees’ goal commitment. Multilevel data from 73 principals and 1464 teachers in secondary education show that goal conflict has a negative effect on the relationship between goal prioritization and goal commitment. The study thus adds to our knowledge about the conditions for influencing public employees’ goal commitment.     

SERVANT LEADERSHIP,TRUST, AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES IN CHINA

So‐called servant leaders strive selflessly and altruistically to assist others before themselves, work to develop their followers' greatest potential, and seek to benefit the wider community. This article examines the trust‐based mechanisms by which servant leadership influences organizational commitment in the Chinese public sector, using data from a survey of civil servants. Quantitative analysis shows that servant leadership strongly influences affective and normative commitment, while having no impact on continuance commitment. Furthermore, we find that affective trust rather than cognitive trust is the mechanism by which servant leadership induces higher levels of commitment. Our findings suggest that in a time of decreasing confidence levels in public leaders, servant leadership behaviour may be used to re‐establish trust and create legitimacy for the Chinese civil service.     

The Role of Organizational Social Capital in Increasing Organizational Performance in Public Organizations: Evidence from Kyrgyz National Police (KNP)

Organizational social capital can develop a strong foundation for trusted relationships and committed actions in communities and organizations. This concept was examined in the public organization setting in this study. Organizational social capital is a source for trust-building processes where participative decision-making, feedback on performance, and empowerment are important elements of this phenomenon. Three dimensions of organizational social capital (participation, feedback on performance, and empowerment) and organizational commitment were examined in this study. The influence of organizational social capital on the perceived organizational commitment of the Kyrgyz National Police (KNP) is observed by utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of this study indicate that the three dimensions of organizational social capital have statistically significant relationships with perceived organizational commitment. Overall, results suggest that organizational social capital, with its dimensions, is a source for the trust-building process which influences perceived organizational commitment. Moreover, by practicing empowerment it is possible to increase the number of committed officers, also an important factor in improving organizational performance.     

Transformational Leadership and Followers’ Commitment to Mission Changes

Various public management reform initiatives require public organizations to renew and adjust their mission statements. How public leaders affect the commitment of their followers to changes in an organization’s mission is an under-researched topic. The present empirical study of a semipublic organization reveals that transformational leaders influence positively the commitment of followers to mission changes. Their influence is mediated by the capacity of leaders to build perceived organizational support and motivate subordinates to engage in pro-change behavior. Furthermore, multi-group analysis suggests that union membership and the length of the relationship between leaders and followers influence followers’ commitment to change.     

Legal intervention in civil commitment: the impact of broadened commitment criteria

Recent legal changes in Washington State have broadened the grave-disability criterion for civil commitment of the mentally ill. Analysis of data from state mental hospitals and from records of commitment authorities in Washington's two largest counties revealed that, while there was an increase in the number of involuntary hospitalizations immediately before and after the changes in law, there was a virtual disappearance of voluntary patients in state hospitals. Moreover, expansion of the definition of "grave disability" resulted in a move toward a parens patriae-dominated civil commitment system. Analysis of the empirical consequences of the legal changes on commitment decisions is presented, along with the response of mental health officials and the public.     

AFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND JOB SATISFACTION: A CROSS‐NATIONAL COMPARATIVE STUDY

Public managers across countries are faced with challenges of attracting and retaining high‐quality employees in the context of widespread financial constraints and increasing inter‐sectoral competition. These changing circumstances have reinforced the need to enhance public employees' affective organizational commitment, which is related to important outcomes such as employees' performance and retention. However, we know little about the factors that can positively influence affective organizational commitment in a cross‐national context. This study applies a cross‐national comparative approach using data from four US states (Oregon, Florida, Washington, and Utah) and India to examine the factors influencing affective organizational commitment. We focus mainly on the effects of job satisfaction, which is considered to be the most important antecedent of affective organizational commitment. Our findings indicate that, in both countries' contexts, job satisfaction has a significant positive impact on affective organizational commitment. We also examine the US–India differences in the levels of affective organizational commitment. Findings indicate that, compared to the four US states of Oregon, Florida, Washington, and Utah, affective organizational commitment is significantly higher among Indian public managers.     

Understanding employee commitment in the public organization: a study of the juvenile detention center

This study examined the relationship between organizational commitment and several personal, role, professional, job and organizational factors among juvenile detention workers. The study revealed that (1) commitment is significantly correlated to role ambiguity, supervisor trust, rile matment-oriented attitude toward the detainee, job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational trust, and (2) organizational trust, the treatment attitude. role ambiguity, and job involvement are major predictors of employee commitment to the detention center. Implications concerning the results of this study are discussed.     

An examination of job attitudes of white,black, and hispanic nurses in a public hospital

This paper reviews the literature on racial differences in job satisfaction and examines differences among whites, blacks and hispanics in job-related attitudes for a sample of nurses employed in a public hospital. Levels of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intentions, and job burnout were compared among the three race categories. Results indicated that significant differences existed for levels of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job burnout among whites, blacks and hispanics. Hispanics reported significantly higher job satisfaction than whites and blacks, and whites reported less organizational commitment and higher levels of job burnout than blacks.     

Examining the Mediating Roles of Affective and Normative Commitment in the Relationship between Transformational Leadership Practices and Turnover Intention of Government Employees

The purpose of this study was to investigate the indirect effect of transformational leadership practices on turnover intention of government employees through affective and normative commitment to the organization. A total of 201 respondents were surveyed from the state and local governments in the east region of a mid-Atlantic state in the United States. The results from bootstrapping mediation analysis supported that transformational leadership fosters employees’ affective and normative commitment, which in turn lowers their turnover intention. Furthermore, the strength of the indirect effect of transformational leadership on turnover intention tends to be greater for baby boomers than other generations.     

Sovereign Commitment and Property Rights: the Case of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution

Conventional wisdom in new institutional economics suggests that property rights become more secure following sovereign commitment. The article tests this axiom in the crucial case of the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine. I show that despite the wide-ranging constraints imposed after the Revolution on the upper executive, the security of property rights declined. Theoretically, the article argues that the link between sovereign commitment and secure ownership hinges on vertical accountability in the state apparatus. While institutionalizing commitment by the presidency, the Revolution simultaneously exacerbated principal-agent dilemmas within the bureaucracy. Methodologically, the article contributes by triangulating available historical narratives and cross-national quantitative studies. Instead, the focus on one contemporary developing country and the use of qualitative process tracing dissects sovereign commitment and shows the mechanisms through which it can be subverted at lower administrative levels. Sixty-four semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs and government officials from six Ukrainian regions, as well as analysis of the local media, provide the data.     

Employee Readiness for Change in Public Higher Education Institutions: Examining the Joint Effect of Leadership Behavior and Emotional Intelligence

This study aimed to examine the effects of leadership behavior and emotional intelligence (EI) on readiness for change and to investigate the moderating effects of organizational commitment on the relationship among leadership behavior, EI, and readiness to change. Data was collected using surveys and Partial least squares structural equations modeling (PLS SEM) was employed. The findings of the study indicated that leadership behavior and EI have significant effects on employees’ readiness for change. More importantly, it confirmed the moderating effect of organizational commitment. This study provides an empirical explanation of the joint effect of some crucial change management determinants.     

Decentralization or deconcentration: struggle for political power in poland (1)

This paper argues that the 1989 commitment to political and administrative decentralization has weakened over five years. As the point that it has become a rhetorical formula voiced by the governing political leadership when convenient, but in reality never realized. Two sets of factors contributed to such a state of affairs: (1) the inability of the center to reform itself, and (2) center's increasing commitment to regain the power lost over the last few years.

The first part of the paper lays a theoretical framework for analysis of pressures and barriers to decentralize. Second, examines the process of implementing in Poland, of local government and public administration reform over the 1989-1995 period. Finally, the third analyzes in detail the three most significant forces that central states utilized to gain control: (1) political; (2) power resources and (3) fiscal. It concludes by asserting that beyond 1990, while much of the program has been achieved in designing legislative and territorial aspects of the public administration and local governments reform, what was lacking was the political commitment to implement both.     

Comparing public servants' behavior in South Korea and the United States: How emotional labor moderates the relationship between organizational commitment and job performance

The relationship between organizational commitment and job performance matters in public service delivery, and so does the emotive dimension of the citizen—state interaction. However, public management theories and principles must take national culture into account, because comparative investigation reveals limits to generalizability across cultures. This study provides an example. It examines the link between commitment and performance as well as the moderating effect of emotional labor for public service workers in Korea and the United States. Probably due to the differing effect of collectivist versus individualist norms, findings reveal that authentic emotive expression bolsters the relationship between organizational commitment and job performance in Korea, while its opposite, inauthentic emotive expression weakens the link between commitment and performance in the United States. 공공서비스를 전달하는 과정에서 조직몰입과 직무성과의 관계는 중요한 문제이며, 이에 못지않게 시민-국가 상호작용에 있어서 감정적 차원 또한 중요한 문제이다. 공공관리 이론이나 원리를 연구할 때 국가차원의 문화를 고려할 필요가 있는데, 이는 비교연구의 수행이 서로 다른 문화들을 일반화하는 데 따른 한계점을 파악할 수 있게 해 주기 때문이다. 본 연구는 이러한 측면에서 하나의 본보기를 제시한다. 이 연구는 몰입과 성과의 관계를 고찰할 뿐만 아니라 감정노동의 조절효과를 미국과 한국의 공공부문 종사자들을 통하여 살펴본다. 본 연구의 결과는 한국의 공공조직에서 진성 감정표현이 조직몰입과 직무성과를 강화해 줄 수 있으며, 이와는 대조적으로 미국의 공공조직에서는 비진성 감정표현이 몰입과 성과의 관계를 약화시킬 수 있다는 점을 보여준다. 이러한 결과는 집단주의 문화와 개인주의 문화가 서로 다른 영향을 미친 것으로 보인다.