AT-WILL IN GOVERNMENT: CONJECTURE OR PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT? SHANTANU BASU INSTRUCTOR: DR. J. STROBERG-WALKER EAC 785 NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY NOVEMBER 13, 2008

What is At-will? Employee serves an employer so long as the employer permits or likes to maintain the employee-employer relationship No obligation or liability on account of discontinued contract

Employee serves an employer so long as the employer permits or likes to maintain the employee-employer relationship

No obligation or liability on account of discontinued contract

Prevalence of At-will

Sources Approx. 25 empirical articles related to at-will employment Approx. 5 empirical articles on state and federal civil service reforms & employee perceptions SC Coleman JE Kellough SW Hays JN Cayer CW Gossett W. Eimicke TL Thompson JP West JS Gertz Stephen Condrey J. Coggburn A Sproull LC Nigro L Hunter Jessica Sowa SC Selden J Walters PEW Trust Lee Haksoo JL Pierce R.Maranto PJ Taylor S. Cohen GC Sinnott Richard Elling JP Kohl RL Williams DB Stephens JS Bowman LD Terry Paul Battaglio G. Wilson RC Kearney

Approx. 25 empirical articles related to at-will employment

Approx. 5 empirical articles on state and federal civil service reforms & employee perceptions

Limitations No original quantitative data collected Data integrity of referred articles those of authors Paper findings based solely upon literature review Independent variables confined to only 2 for want of reference material Shortage of articles and other publications on subject

No original quantitative data collected

Data integrity of referred articles those of authors

Paper findings based solely upon literature review

Independent variables confined to only 2 for want of reference material

Shortage of articles and other publications on subject

Research Methods & Instruments Survey Employee HR Directors/Managers Personal interviews Instruments Agree-Disagree statements Mail survey Telephone survey

Survey

Employee

HR Directors/Managers

Personal interviews

Instruments

Agree-Disagree statements

Mail survey

Telephone survey

The Critics Argue………. Job Security Motivation Innovation Accountability Political Interference Unfettered managerial discretion Organizational Effectiveness

Job Security

Motivation

Innovation

Accountability

Political Interference

Unfettered managerial discretion

Organizational Effectiveness

Research Questions Is at-will employment the result of the legislative quest for a pliant bureaucracy? Does at-will employment lead to greater organizational effectiveness? How comprehensive has the switchover to at-will employment been?

Is at-will employment the result of the legislative quest for a pliant bureaucracy?

Does at-will employment lead to greater organizational effectiveness?

How comprehensive has the switchover to at-will employment been?

Managerial Flexibility No administrative devolution No pay hikes No CS protections No collective bargaining Studies voice apprehensions If no empowerment of managers then why speculate? No empirical evidence

No administrative devolution

No pay hikes

No CS protections

No collective bargaining

Studies voice apprehensions

If no empowerment of managers then why speculate?

No empirical evidence

Job Security Perception related to grievable issue expansion No real managerial flexibility Limited involuntary turnover Discharge for good cause Judicial intervention At-will manager to fire at-will employees? Locus standi established?

Perception related to grievable issue expansion

No real managerial flexibility

Limited involuntary turnover

Discharge for good cause

Judicial intervention

At-will manager to fire at-will employees?

Locus standi established?

Motivation No talent attracted No dissenting opinion No innovation Unfair evaluations Unfair incentives No concrete evidence Only conjecture

No talent attracted

No dissenting opinion

No innovation

Unfair evaluations

Unfair incentives

No concrete evidence

Only conjecture

What is established…. At-will a reality Employee perceptions of loss of job security & unfairness Managerial perception of easy-to-fire

At-will a reality

Employee perceptions of loss of job security & unfairness

Managerial perception of easy-to-fire

…… .and what is not No performance-based research Evidence contradictory No cross-sectional studies No comparison of performance with classified civil service Good civil service or poor at-will?

No performance-based research

Evidence contradictory

No cross-sectional studies

No comparison of performance with classified civil service

Good civil service or poor at-will?

Research Design Legislative Intent Managerial Flexibility Employee Job Security Employee Motivation Organizational Effectiveness At-Will Employment Performance Evaluation State Govt. Federal Govt. Pre- At-Will Post- At-Will Eg. Morale Eg. Turnover Inter-State Inter- Dept Inter-region

Operationalizing Variables Customer Satisfaction Surveys Feedback Complaints Redressing of Grievances

Customer Satisfaction

Surveys

Feedback

Complaints

Redressing of Grievances

Operationalizing Variables Quality of Output Strategic & Annual Plans Targets Financial Results Outcomes

Quality of Output

Strategic & Annual Plans

Targets

Financial Results

Outcomes

Units of Analysis Pre - & Post-At-Will Comparison Inter-Departmental Intra-state Inter-state Intra-federal Inter-federal

Pre - & Post-At-Will Comparison

Inter-Departmental

Intra-state

Inter-state

Intra-federal

Inter-federal

Levels of Analysis Pre - & Post Will Comparison Groups & Clusters Institutional level Inter-institutional Inter-state Federal-State-Local

Pre - & Post Will Comparison

Groups & Clusters

Institutional level

Inter-institutional

Inter-state

Federal-State-Local

Limitations Access to confidential data No heterogeneity of rules, e.g. recruitment Costs of interstate studies Meta analysis cheapest source of comparative study? Would be better than present normative study

Access to confidential data

No heterogeneity of rules, e.g. recruitment

Costs of interstate studies

Meta analysis cheapest source of comparative study?

Would be better than present normative study

Questions