Organizational goal ambiguity and senior public managers’ engagement: does organizational social capital make a difference?

Abstract

The Job Demands–Resources model highlights that aspects of the work environment that place high demands on employees are job stressors, which can reduce their levels of engagement with their work and organization. By contrast, social support for employees is a resource that can sustain their engagement and enable them to cope with high demands. We analyse the separate and combined effects of two key job demands and resources on the engagement of more than 4000 senior public managers in 10 European countries: organizational goal ambiguity, which may demotivate employees; and organizational social capital, which can prompt employees to share knowledge in constructive ways. The statistical results suggest that there is a negative relationship between goal ambiguity and engagement, and a positive one between social capital and engagement. Further analysis reveals that organizational social capital weakens the negative goal ambiguity–engagement relationship. Points for practitioners This study emphasizes the value of organizational social capital for enhancing senior managers’ engagement. Positive co-worker relationships lead senior public managers to feel more engaged with their work and organization, and protect that engagement from the damaging effects of organizational goal ambiguity. The findings we present therefore provide a strong basis for the introduction of policies and practices that support the development of social capital within public organizations.