scholarly journals Political (Over)Representation of Public Sector Employees and the Double-Motive Hypothesis: Evidence from Norwegian Register Data (2007-2019)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benny Geys ◽  
Zuzana Murdoch ◽  
Rune J Sørensen
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Register Data ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Political Selection ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract Countries have widely diverging regulations regarding the eligibility of public sector employees for political office, and the stringency of such regulations remains fiercely debated. Building on a demand and supply model of political selection, this article contributes to such debates by studying whether and how the incentives of public employees as both consumers and producers of public services (their ‘double motive’) affects their descriptive political representation. Our analysis employs population-wide individual-level register data covering four Norwegian local elections between 2007 and 2019 (N>13 million observations). Using predominantly individual-level panel regression models, we find that public employees are strongly overrepresented on election lists and have a higher probability of election (conditional on running). Looking at underlying mechanisms, we provide evidence consistent with the ‘double motive’ of public employees inducing their self-selection into standing for elected office (at higher-ranked ballot positions). Demand-side effects deriving from party and voter selection receive more limited empirical support. We discuss ensuing concerns about the potential substantive representation of policy self-interests by elected public employees.

scholarly journals Public Employees as Politicians: Evidence from Close Elections

2017 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARI HYYTINEN ◽  
JAAKKO MERILÄINEN ◽  
TUUKKA SAARIMAA ◽  
OTTO TOIVANEN ◽  
JANNE TUKIAINEN
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Political Representation ◽  
Public Spending ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
The Public ◽  
Employment Sector ◽  
Municipal Employees ◽  
Election System ◽  
Municipal Employee ◽  
Information Advantage

We analyze the effect of municipal employees’ political representation in municipal councils on local public spending. We use within-party, as-good-as-random variation in close elections in the Finnish open-list proportional election system to quantify the effect. One more councilor employed by the public sector increases spending by about 1%. The effect comes largely through the largest party and is specific to the employment sector of the municipal employee. The results are consistent with public employees having an information advantage over other politicians, and thus, being able to influence policy.

Does Demographic Dissimilarity Matter for Perceived Inclusion? Evidence From Public Sector Employees

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwang Bin Bae ◽  
Meghna Sabharwal ◽  
Amy E. Smith ◽  
Evan Berman
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Public Agencies ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Demographic Group ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Influence Perceptions

This study examines the relationship between individual dissimilarity and perceptions of organizational inclusion. Data from a national survey of public agencies conducted in Florida and Texas show that gender dissimilarity is negatively associated with perceptions of inclusion and the negative relationship is more acute for men than for women. In contrast, tenure dissimilarity is positively related to perceptions of inclusion and this positive association is more acute for those with longer tenure than for those with shorter tenure. These results suggest that the effect of dissimilarity on the perception of inclusion depends on both the observability of individual-level characteristics and the status of the demographic group. In particular, dissimilarity along characteristics that are easily observable (such as gender) is more likely to influence perceptions of inclusion and dissimilarity is more influential for higher status groups (such as men or long-tenured employees).

scholarly journals Public employees in social media communities: Exploring factors for internal collaboration using social network analysis

First Monday ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ignacio Criado ◽  
Julián Villodre
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Public Sector Employees

This paper analyzes the interactions that public employees perform in social media communities, providing empirical evidence on the dynamics of internal collaboration. In general terms, this study responds to a rising interest in the study of social media communities as tools for co-production and innovation. In doing so, this paper asks the following research questions: How do interactions among public employees occur within a social media community? What factors determine the number of interactions in a public-sector specific social media community? For this purpose, our study analyzes NovaGob, the most active digital social media community of public sector innovation in Spain and Latin America. By using social network analysis (SNA), we provide evidence on the importance of formal and informal power in stimulating participation. Moreover, we show how interest and will to collaborate influences the number of interactions. Finally, this study uses a gender variable to discuss the possible existence of a second digital gender gap, which affects how public sector employees use these communities. This paper advances some conclusions about the behavior of public employees collaborating in social media communities, suggesting the need for future attention to inter-agency phenomenon.

scholarly journals Behavioral Dishonesty in the Public Sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 572-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asmus Leth Olsen ◽  
Frederik Hjorth ◽  
Nikolaj Harmon ◽  
Sebastian Barfort
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Public ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Core Questions ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract We investigate the usefulness of the dice game paradigm to public administration as a standardized way of measuring (dis)honesty among individuals, groups, and societies. Measures of dishonesty are key for the field’s progress in understanding individual, organizational, and societal differences in unethical behavior and corruption. We first describe the dice game paradigm and its advantages and then discuss a range of considerations for how to implement it. Next, we highlight the potential of the dice game paradigm across two diverse studies: prospective public employees in Denmark (n = 441) and prospective public employees in 10 different countries with very different levels of corruption (n = 1,091). In the first study, we show how individual-level behavioral dishonesty is very strongly negatively correlated with public service motivation. In the second study, we find that widely used country-level indicators of corruption are strongly correlated with the average behavioral dishonesty among prospective public employees. The results illustrate the importance of the validated dice game paradigm to shed light on core questions that link micro- and macro-level dynamics of dishonesty and corruption in the public sector.

Retirement choices by state and local public sector employees: the role of eligibility and financial incentives

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (04) ◽  
pp. 515-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie E. Papke
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Data Set ◽  
The Public ◽  
Legislative Action ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Pension Costs ◽  
State And Local

AbstractI analyze the effects of state public pension parameters on the retirement of public employees. Using a panel data set of public sector workers from 12 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, I model the probability of retirement as a function of pension wealth at early and normal retirement eligibility and Social Security coverage in the public sector job. I find that becoming eligible for early retirement, or receiving an early-out offer, significantly increases the probability of retiring. I do not find any effect of retirement wealth levels. These findings suggest that state legislative action to affect retirement decisions and reduce future pension costs would be most effective operating through plan eligibility rules and early-out incentives.

Research Insights: Public Sector Employee Behavior and Attitudes during a Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Keefer ◽  
Sergio Perilla ◽  
Razvan Vlaicu
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Randomized Experiments ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Main Work ◽  
Public Sector Employee ◽  
Policy Attitudes ◽  
Sector Employee ◽  
Original Survey

New data on public sector employees from 18 Latin American countries shed light on the role of trust in the performance of government agencies. An original survey conducted during the first COVID-19 wave includes randomized experiments with pandemic-related treatments. Individual-level trust in coworkers, other public employees, and citizens is positively related to performance-enhancing behaviors and policy attitudes. High-trust and low-trust respondents report different assessments of their main work constraints. Also, they draw different inferences and prefer different policy responses when exposed to data-based framing treatments about social distancing outcomes in their countries.

Explaining Corruption at the Village and Individual Level in India: Findings from a Study of the Panchayati Raj Reforms

Asian Survey ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 756-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sten Widmalm
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Aggregate Level ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Panchayati Raj ◽  
The Village ◽  
Decentralization Reforms

This study of decentralization reforms in India challenges the assumption that corruption should be seen as a function of culture. At the individual level, the capacity to distinguish between public and private sectors is important for rejecting the use of bribes to public sector employees, while at the aggregate level social capital plays an important role for resisting corruption.

Emotional Well-being Among Public Employees: A Comparative Perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 0734371X2093964
Author(s):  
Lihi Lahat ◽  
Dganit Ofek
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Comparative Perspective ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Using Data

There is growing agreement on the importance of well-being in general and among employees more specifically. One area that has attracted significantly less attention is the well-being of public sector employees, especially from a comparative perspective. This study explored the factors explaining emotional well-being among public sector employees in seven countries. Using data from the European Social Survey, round 6, it examined the importance of the work environment, of belonging to the public sector, and of belonging to the country and their effects on well-being. We found public sector employees had a higher level of emotional well-being than non-public sector employees. However, belonging to the public sector was less important than other factors. The country context and soft features of the work environment were important to public sector employees, but not just to them, and were reflected differently in different countries.

scholarly journals International Labour Law Standards Concerning Collective Bargaining in Public Essential Services

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 275
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Carabetta
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Dispute Settlement ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Labour Law ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Labour Standards ◽  
The Right

Labour standards adopted under the auspices of the ILO constitute the principal international influences on public sector collective bargaining; it is those standards that are the subject of this article. Focusing on the position of essential public sector employees, ILO principles concerning collective bargaining, dispute settlement and the right of workers to withdraw their services as part of bargaining are examined. Particular attention is devoted to the application of ILO standards to essential public sector employees and police officers; and the extent to which Australian law complies with these standards. The ILO supervisory bodies have acknowledged that restrictions on the general right of workers to collectively bargain and to strike can be justified in the case of essential public employees, but only on a minimal or proportional analysis. The ILO has also emphasised that any restrictions on the right to strike must be compensated by adequate, impartial and speedy conciliation and arbitration processes. It is shown, however, that with respect to essential public employees and police officers operating under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), Australian law falls short on both of these scores, with a resultant uncertainty regarding the right of these workers to bargain collectively.

scholarly journals Public sector motivational practices and their effect on job satisfaction: country differences

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana de Juana-Espinosa ◽  
Anna Rakowska
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
National Approach ◽  
Cross National

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of job satisfaction practices for public sector employees through a cross-national approach. Design/methodology/approach A multi-group analysis was carried out using SmartPLS3 among non-teaching employees of public universities in Poland and Spain. Findings The results show a positive relationship between motivational factors and job satisfaction; however, there is no evidence that the variable “country” introduced significant differences. Originality/value The research findings contribute to a better understanding of job satisfaction for public employees and provide empirical evidence on the relationship between job satisfaction and public culture.

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