The Future Deal for Public Sector Workers

Dr Martin Reddington Prof Helen Francis

Employer Contributions:

Pay and RewardSupport to learn new skillsGenuine concern for well beingJob SecurityInteresting WorkProvide psychological safety to allow surfacing of tensions

EmployeeContributions:

Job EngagementJob PerformanceTeam Performance Organisational Citizenship BehavioursOrganisational Commitment

Organisational Outcomes

EPSSickness Absence AttritionCustomer SatisfactionProduct InnovationProduct Quality

Tensions

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Balance of the Deal

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Conversational Practice

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Zone of Affection

Zone of Defection Zone of

Acceptance

Deal Favours Employer Deal Favours Employee Constructive Tension

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Statistical Analysis of ratable survey items

Thematic Analysis of free text responses to open questions

Analysis – the different lenses

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Balance of the Deal (Overall)

46%

45%

46%

54%

79%

50%

78%69%

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Cumbria n=15

Kent n=1160

Barking & Dagenham n= 186

Wychavon n= 122

Psychological Contract 66 46 48 52

Perceived Organisational Support 68 45 48 63Employer contribution 67 46 48 57

Job engagement 93 79 78 77

Efficacy 89 78 77 82

Organisational Engagement 72 50 55 72

Employee contribution 84 69 70 77Imbalance -18 -23 -22 -20

Overall Satisfaction 72 54 58 74

Council Comparisons

Thematic analysis

Free Text Responses

Barking and Dagenham

Wychavon Cumbria Kent

Best thing about working for the Council

N=107 N= 79 N=14 N=742

Biggest tension (challenge) you currently face in the workplace

N= 83 N=58 N=14 N=582

Working with line to find best way of getting something done

N= 89 N=44 N=14 N=724

Public Service as a Motivating Force - Best thing about working for the Council

Positive

Providing public services that are free at the point of access (despite the official 'customer' terminology for users - as if they are paying directly for what they get) is very meaningful to me, particularly when users/customers are needy or disadvantaged in some way.

Negative – links to psychological contract

Uncertainty with regard to my future employment. The Council is taking advantage of hard working and conscientious frontline workforce, knowing we strive to ensure a good service for our families. Less agencies to work with, more paperwork, more social problems with families, no time to give them as catching up constantly with triplicate paperwork and unreasonable expectations

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Perceived Organisational Support Best thing about working for the Council

High Support- I enjoy working for the London Borough of Barking &

Dagenham. We all have objectives and goals that we set for ourselves but we are able to manage this in our own time management as long as the job gets done. I also like the flexi-time structure

Low Support Amount of work expected of me, versus the time

available to do the work with no support from my manager

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Psychological Contract and Support Positive Although the workload has increased and the financial

resources have reduced there is still recognition from my managers for work well done

Negative Flexi-time (most valued), but now this has been

retracted to 8am start feel that there are not a great deal of benefits left

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Conversational Practice (Overall)

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

65%

46% 69%

68%

69%

62%

65%

Cumbria n=15

Kent n=1160

Barking & Dagenham n=186

Wychavon n=122

Conversational Practice 74 65 64 67

Conversational Practice Solutions 76 69 66 72Conversational Practice Performance 73 62 63 65

Workplace Tensions 65 68 69 57

Job Pressure 82 65 69 57

Council Comparisons

Conversational Practice - Solutions focused High support We have taken on responsibility for delivering a new

service and with my line manager have had many useful and productive discussions to find solutions to resolving any issues that have arisen.

Low support

Finds managing conflict difficult and avoids taking action to address accountability.

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Conversational Practice - Performance focused High Support We consider different options, their strengths and

weaknesses, and decide on the way forward with a joined up approach

Low Support i am suffocated by my line manager, the word TRUST is

not in her vocabulary

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Council Personality

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Agreeableness Innovation Competence Style Directive Supportive

Friendly Adaptable Hard Working Prestigious Authoritarian Open

Agreeable Exciting Confident Efficient Controlling Sensitive

Honest Imaginative Competent Refined AssertiveSocially

Responsible

Resilient Appreciative

Personality Comparisons

© Prof Helen Francis and Dr Martin Reddington

Agreeableness

Innovation

Competence

Style

Directive

Supportive

25

50

75

100

KentWychavonCumbriaB&D

Beyond the Diagnostic – taking things forward

Re-Calibrate expectations in relation to things outside of your control (Pay freezes, pensions, budget cuts and the ongoing fluidity of organisational change with attendant risks to job security)

Invest in perceived organisational support and conversational practice - the ‘Deal Makers‘