A Theory of Power and Politics and their Effects on Organizational Commitment of Senior Executive Service Members

Bibliographic Data

ID11103447
AuthorsPatricia A Wilson (0000-0001-9618-1560, San Diego State University, corresponding author)
Year1999
Volume31
Issue1
Pages120-141
Publication date1999-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAdministration & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0095-3997 • E-ISSN: 1552-3039
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/009539999400935510
OpenAlexW2054917040
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited15

This research establishes a power-based theory and a theory of politicization as explanations for variation in the commitment level of Senior Executive Service (SES) members in the federal government. Variables were operationalized to measure and explain the relationship between commitment and leader-member relations, involvement in quality decisions, centralization/decentralization, leadership power, and subunit power (the power-based theory). The use of an arbitrary personnel practices variable permitted the theorist to define and measure perceptions of “dirty, self-interested politics” in government (the theory of politicization). In addition, the use of a political neutrality variable allowed the author to operationalize a norm-based motive for wanting to work in the public sector. The most innovative contribution was the development of a model that operationalized the linkages between a public service value and commitment

Decentralization · Economics · Government (linguistics · Operationalization · Organizational commitment · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Public sector · Sociology · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Law · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research

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