Organizational leniency: examining the consequences of ignoring performance problems in public organizations
Abstract Organizational leniency, defined as management’s systematic failure to address performance problems (such as low productivity, poor quality of work, absenteeism, etc.), is often a reality in public organizations. We posit that the negative consequences of organizational leniency may extend...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Fundação Getúlio Vargas
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Revista de Administração Pública |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-76122024000600307&lng=en&tlng=en |
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| Summary: | Abstract Organizational leniency, defined as management’s systematic failure to address performance problems (such as low productivity, poor quality of work, absenteeism, etc.), is often a reality in public organizations. We posit that the negative consequences of organizational leniency may extend beyond the lost productivity of a few poor-performing employees. Specifically, we investigate the extent to which perceived organizational leniency may adversely affect the organizational climate and job satisfaction of public employees at large. We propose that the negative effect of organizational leniency is mediated by both perceived recognition received and employee-organization value congruence, forming a parallel mediation model. In other words, perceived organizational leniency may make public employees feel that their efforts are inadequately recognized and also diminishes how much they feel their values align with organizational practices. To test our hypotheses, we surveyed 256 government employees from various public organizations in Brazil. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression with ordinary least squares and mediation tests. Consistent with our predictions, we found that perceived organizational leniency is negatively related to job satisfaction, with both perceived recognition and value congruence mediating this effect. |
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| ISSN: | 0034-7612 |