Power-Influence in Decision Making, Competence Utilization, and Organizational Culture in Public Organizations: The Arab World in Comparative Perspective

This article proposes and tests an integrative model of multiple associations between power-influence sharing in decision making, work-related outcomes (WRO), and organizational culture in public sector organizations in Saudi Arabia. The analysis is based on a survey of public administrators (n = 39...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of public administration research and theory 2009-04, Vol.19 (2), p.385-407
Main Author: Yahya, Khalid O. al
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bureaucracy
Comparative analysis
Corporate culture
Cultural values
Debates
Decision making
Education
Empowerment
Government bureaucracy
Human capital
Human resources
Hypotheses
Information sharing
Job satisfaction
Knowledge management
Management education
Occupational qualification
Organizational communication
Organizational culture
Organizational Structure
Participation
Perceptions
Power
Public administration
Public enterprises
Public Sector
Saudi Arabia
Skills
Studies
Work
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Summary:This article proposes and tests an integrative model of multiple associations between power-influence sharing in decision making, work-related outcomes (WRO), and organizational culture in public sector organizations in Saudi Arabia. The analysis is based on a survey of public administrators (n = 390). To date, little research has successfully addressed these conceptual linkages, especially in public sector organizations. The structural equation model analyses show that participative practices are significant predicators of effective utilization of competence (knowledge, skill, and ability). This in turn has an impact on perceptions of WRO including information sharing, decision quality, predictability and acceptability of authorized decisions by employees, job satisfaction, and motivation. The results also suggest that elements of organizational culture have some impact on both decision making and perceived WRO. The study has profound implications for organization development and leadership, particularly in bureaucracies in transition. It is essential for public organizations to understand the importance of human capital utilization and complexity of adjusting decision processes, as well as organizational norms at various stages of capacity development.
ISSN:1053-1858
1477-9803
DOI:10.1093/jopart/mun005