Supervisor Support, Coworker Support and Reasonable Workload in the Public Sector

Sep 24

2 min read

Updated: Oct 8

Supervisor and Coworker Support Can Make Public-Sector Workloads More Reasonable. Using 2019 U.S. Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey data, the authors find supervisor support fosters coworker support, making workloads more reasonable and lifting job satisfaction, while tangible job resources amplify both effects. Nhung Thi Hong Nguyen (HAPRI Senior Research Associate) and Luu Trong Tuan. Illustrative photograph: in a daylit Vietnamese office, a supervisor helps two colleagues split a stack of folders at a shared desk with computers and a scanner.

Supervisor Support, Coworker Support and Reasonable Workload in the Public Sector

www.hapri.org

Nhung Thi Hong Nguyen — Senior Research Associate

A study co-authored by Nhung Thi Hong Nguyen (HAPRI Senior Research Associate) and Luu Trong Tuan, published in Public Performance & Management Review, finds support for the idea that supervisor support fosters coworker support, which can offer resources that enhance reasonable workload and, in turn, the job satisfaction of public sector employees. The authors say the study is important because it demonstrates practical ways to help public employees deal with their workload and enhance job satisfaction.

Context

Public employees are under pressure to do more with less. The authors note that, as a result, public employees are having higher levels of unreasonable workload, which can negatively affect their job satisfaction.

Despite this, the authors observe that little research examines ways to promote reasonable workload in the public sector. This study addresses that question.

Methods

The study builds its hypotheses on the conservation of resources (COR) theory and the complementary resources perspective. The authors tested them with structural equation models, using data from the 2019 U.S. Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

Key findings

Supervisor support fosters coworker support, which can offer various resources to enhance reasonable workload and, in turn, the job satisfaction of public sector employees.
Tangible job resources magnify the effects of supervisor support and coworker support on reasonable workload. In other words, they increase the size of those effects.
Structural equation models using data from the 2019 U.S. Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey support these hypotheses.
The authors say the study demonstrates practical ways to help public employees deal with their workload and enhance job satisfaction.

*Helping public employees deal with their workload*

Keywords:

Public Sector
Reasonable Workload
Job Satisfaction
Supervisor Support
Coworker Support
Tangible Job Resources

Link:

https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2021.2018717

Citation:

Nguyen, N. T. H., & Tuan, L. T. (2021). Creating Reasonable Workload to Enhance Public Employee Job Satisfaction: The Role of Supervisor Support, Co-Worker Support, and Tangible Job Resources. Public Performance & Management Review, 45(1), 131-162.