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 Illuminating the Gender Divide in Public Sector Innovation: Evidence From the Australian Public Service

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter van Acker ◽  
Jan Wynen ◽  
Sophie Op de Beeck
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Length Of Service ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Innovation ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Red Tape ◽  
Innovation Climate

Like many other aspects of the work environment, “innovation” is a gendered term that creates a barrier to women taking part in innovation processes and, in particular, in male-dominated and “masculine” industries. This article looks into the role of gender, as well as other potential determinants, in explaining differences in the perceived innovation climate for public sector employees. This innovation climate depicts the opportunities and support employees receive with creating, promoting, and implementing innovative ideas in the workplace. Even though the public sector is often regarded as a more “feminine” work environment, our results show that women feel less encouraged in the innovation process when compared with men. Moreover, length of service and red tape appear to have a detrimental effect on individuals’ experiences of the innovation climate.

scholarly journals Does Education Matter for the Relationship between Healthcare Use for Serious Health Problems and Well-being? A Study in 24 Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1136-1150
Author(s):  
Rania F. Valeeva
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Healthcare Use ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
National Differences ◽  
Multiple Regression Models ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Cross National

Previous research has shown that the well-being of people in Western societies varies consistently. To understand these differences, we focus on the relationship between healthcare use and well-being, since previous research has shown that poor health and lack of social support reduce well-being. Based on the findings of the previous research, we hypothesize that there is a positive relationship between healthcare use and well-being, and that the strength of this relationship increases with the years of schooling. We tested these hypotheses in 24 countries using data (N = 40,249) from the European Social Survey. The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression models. Our results indicate cross-national differences in the relationship between healthcare use for serious health problems and well-being. Moreover, they suggest that the extent of education matters for this relationship, however its influence differs across countries. Further research is needed to explain these cross-national differences.

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.

Job Mobility Among Millennials: Do They Stay or Do They Go?

2019 ◽  
pp. 0734371X1987439
Author(s):  
Khaldoun AbouAssi ◽  
Jasmine McGinnis Johnson ◽  
Stephen B. Holt
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Job Mobility ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Job Dissatisfaction ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Low Pay

Millennials are a substantial segment of the workforce; they are perceived to be driven by higher pay, quick to be dissatisfied and leave a job, and committed to volunteering. This article examines how these perceptions translate to job mobility in terms of job switching within and across sectors, without drawing cross-generation comparisons. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort (NLSY97) from 2008 to 2013, we notice a trend among millennials of frequent job switching within rather than across sectors. Job dissatisfaction is the strongest predictor of public-sector employees switching jobs within the sector. For sector switching, we find some variation: Low pay corresponds with exiting the nonprofit sector, whereas job dissatisfaction is the strongest predictor of leaving the public sector. Millennials working in the public and nonprofit sectors are less likely to switch sectors if they volunteer. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Explaining the Relationship between Social Trust and Value Similarity: The Case of Estonia

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Mai Beilmann ◽  
Laur Lilleoja
Keyword(s):  
Social Trust ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Value Similarity ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

The article is dedicated to explaining why value similarity fosters generalised social trust in high-trust societies. Previous findings by Beilmann and Lilleoja suggest that value similarity is more important in generating individual-level social trust in countries where the overall levels of social trust are higher, while in countries with a low level of social trust, congruity of the personal value structure with the country-level value structure tends to be coupled with lower trustfulness on the part of individuals. The article explores the meso-level indicators that could explain this relationship. The relationship between social trust and human values was examined in a sample of 2,051 people in Estonia, using data from the European Social Survey, round 7. The results suggest that when differences in socio-economic factors are controlled for, value similarity remains a significant factor in fostering generalised social trust in Estonian society. However, its direct effect is relatively low when compared with predictors such as trust in certain institutions, economic well-being, and ethnicity. Trust in the legal system and the police plays a particularly important role in fostering generalised social trust in a high-trust society wherein people believe that other people in general treat them honestly and kindly.

scholarly journals Proposal to enhance public service ethics in the public sector in Saudi Arabia: مقترح لتعزيز أخلاقيات الوظيفة العامة في القطاع العام بالمملكة العربية السعودية

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bandar bin Abdul Rahman bin Duraib
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Public Office ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Descriptive Method

Objective: The aim of this study was to try to build a model can be taken to strengthen and activate the ethics of public service in the public sector in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: In light of the nature of the study and the objectives it seeks to achieve, the researcher used the descriptive method with its documentary inlets and the introduction of social survey. This study was conducted in 2015 where this study adopted in its method, the method of office research through the knowledge and research of various sources of books, studies, research and scientific letters, including what was written about the ethics of public office in Saudi Arabia, and some of which was written about The ethics of public function in the Arab world, as well as reference to some foreign sources. Results: The public sector in Saudi Arabia, like many third world countries, suffers from a decline in the levels of job ethics among employees, despite the efforts made by the Saudi government to reduce this, but these efforts are still below the level of hope. This requires officials to consider developing effective solutions to this dilemma at all levels. Conclusion: The public sector in Saudi Arabia continues to suffer from low levels of public office ethics and efforts must be combined at all levels in the country in order to support and consolidate this ethics among citizens in general and public sector employees in particular.

Understanding public service motivation, workplace spirituality and employee well-being in the public sector

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sobia Hassan ◽  
Nighat Ansari ◽  
Ali Rehman ◽  
Amani Moazzam
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Workplace Spirituality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Service Motivation ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Positive Relationship ◽  
The Public

Purpose The public service motivation (PSM) theory implies that public employees are spiritual people called “public servants” who have a desire to affect the community and are characterized by compassion and serving others. Owing to their commitment to public welfare, spirituality is apparently inherited in public employees as an occupation/employment effort, which entails attaching a “meaning” to the work being done in the workplace for the spiritual satisfaction of the employees. A sense of well-being among the employees of an organization can prove instrumental in developing their motivation level and improving the quality of their services. The literature depicts that workplace spirituality (WPS) is a feature that enhances multiple forms of employee well-being (EWB). Considering the importance of these concepts in terms of enhancing the productivity of the organizations, the current study aimed to gain an understanding of the PSM together with two other positive attributes namely WPS and EWB and determine their interrelationship. The aim of this study is to examine a significant positive relationship between PSM and WPS mediated by EWB. Design/methodology/approach The study has been conducted in the context of the public sector of Pakistan where a sample of the academic staff of higher educational institutions in the Punjab province was selected through probability sampling techniques for conducting the survey. The data collected from 394 respondents from the selected faculties of the universities were analyzed using relevant statistical tools (SPSS and AMOS: 22) to answer the research questions. Findings This study supported a significant positive relationship between PSM and WPS mediated by EWB. The quantitative findings of this study, thus, demonstrated that the culture of spirituality in the workplace significantly affects the PSM of employees by way of creating a sense of well-being among the employees. Originality/value This study is unique as it serves as an effort to understand the spiritual experience of the public sector employees involved in public service. This infers that spirituality in the workplace improved employees’ well-being by giving them a strong sense of purpose and these employees in a healthy state of mind are more likely to perform above and beyond and have a high motivation to serve the public.

The Immigrant-Native Gap in Subjective Well-Being in Western European Countries: Assessing the Role of Social Capital

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 458-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mesay A. Tegegne ◽  
Jennifer L. Glanville
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Immigrant Integration ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Using Data

Immigrants in Western Europe typically exhibit lower levels of subjective well-being than their native-born counterparts. We argue that because of disruptions in social networks and linguistic and cultural barriers to immigrant integration, social capital is a likely source of immigrant-native inequality in well-being. Using data from the first five waves of the European Social Survey, we find that social capital, measured by several indicators of informal social connections and generalized trust, explains more than half of the non-Western immigrant-native gap in subjective well-being that remains after adjusting for the standard predictors of well-being. Social capital also significantly reduces the smaller Western immigrant-native gap. In addition, we examine potential differential returns to social capital and find that immigrants and natives benefit equally from social capital.

Motivations of Federal Workers to Volunteer In Public Sector Special Events

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-46
Author(s):  
Keon Artis ◽  
Seung Hyun Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Federal Government ◽  
Event Management ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
The Public ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Special Event ◽  
Special Events ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Government Workers

Volunteers are considered a core component of special events and they have proved to be an asset to the execution of special events. Although motivations of volunteers have received a great deal of attention from many organizations and individuals in the private sector, little research has been done on motivations of volunteers in the public sector, or within the federal government. Therefore, this article identified motivational factors that prompt federal government workers to volunteer at a government-related special event. A survey was used to gather data from a volunteer sample of 263 individuals who had volunteered for public sector special events in recent years. Exploratory factor analysis and t test were employed to establish motivations that stimulate public sector employees to volunteer for special events and further determine the differences in motivation between females and males. The results showed that government workers mostly volunteer for purposive motive and external motive. In addition, gender played significant roles on egotistic and purposive motives. Thus, this research provides a unique theoretical contribution to research in event management by advancing our understanding of the process by which factors associated with motivation can lead to federal government workers volunteering at a government-related special event; subsequently, impacting how event planners and organizers of public sector special events market to and recruit volunteers.

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