Combating the impact of managerialism on public sector employees

With the widespread and continuing adoption of managerialism in the public sector, ignoring the impact of change on employees could prevent managerialism from achieving its’ goals. This study investigates the efficacy of an augmented demand-control-support (D-C-S) model in predicting three of the key employee outcomes associated with organisational change - psychological health, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Analyses of a survey of 207 employees in an Australian public sector organisation found that the augmented D-C-S model explained a significant proportion of the employee outcomes. The most important variables were work-based social support and job control. The results indicate that the augmented D-C-S model provides a useful tool for managers considering or implementing organisational change in the public sector.