Organizational goal ambiguity and senior public managers? Engagement: Does organizational social capital make a difference?

Andrews, Rhys ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1904-9819 and Mostafa, Ahmed Mohammed Sayed 2017. Organizational goal ambiguity and senior public managers? Engagement: Does organizational social capital make a difference? International Review of Administrative Sciences

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Abstract

The Job Demands-Resources model highlights that aspects of the work environment that place high demands on employees are potential job stressors, which can reduce their levels of engagement with their work and organization. By contrast, social support for employees is a resource that can sustain their engagement and enable them to cope with high demands. We analyse the separate and combined effects of two key job demands and resources on the engagement of more than 4,000 senior public managers in ten European countries: organizational goal ambiguity, which may demotivate employees; and organizational social capital, which can prompt employees to share knowledge in constructive and helpful ways. The statistical results suggest that there is a negative relationship between goal ambiguity and engagement, and a positive one between social capital and engagement. Further analysis revealed that organizational social capital weakens the negative goal ambiguity-engagement relationship. Points for practitioners This study emphasizes the value of organizational social capital for enhancing senior managers’ engagement. Not only do positive co-worker relationships lead senior public managers to feel more engaged with their work and organization, but they also protect that engagement from the damaging effects of organizational goal ambiguity. The findings we present therefore provide a strong basis for the introduction of policies and practices that can support the development of social capital within public organizations.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Acceptance
Status:	Published
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Publisher:	SAGE
ISSN:	0020-8523
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	5 March 2017
Date of Acceptance:	4 March 2017
Last Modified:	02 May 2023 11:58
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/98717

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