An employee perspective of human resource development practices in the public sector: the role of organizational and supervisor support

Abstract

This article adopts an employee-level perspective, which is currently lacking in the public sector literature, and responds to the call for additional research concerning factors that affect public employees’ job attitudes and work behaviours. Based on a survey of civil servants, this study explored the antecedents and outcomes of perceived investment in employee development. Our research demonstrates the significant role of organizational support on employees’ perceptions of development. Furthermore, supervisor support mediated the relationship between organizational support and perceived investment in employee development. This finding sheds light on the role of supervisors as agents who represent or personify the organization. Also, consistent with the job demands–resources model and social exchange theory, we indicate that public employees within a workplace that provides substantial training and developmental incentives are more likely to report greater levels of organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviour. Perceived investment in employee development was found to act as an important mediator between the relationships of organizational support and employees’ outcomes, and supervisor support and employees’ outcomes.

Points for practitioners

When human resources budgets are increasingly restricted, non-monetary motivators can be a feasible alternative to high-cost financial rewards. It is suggested that not only will employee development practices benefit public organizations in terms of better-trained and better-qualified employees, but employees’ perceptions of organizations’ investments in employee development also create a felt obligation among public employees to reciprocate with positive job attitudes and work behaviours.