This multi-year research adopts a mixed-methods approach. The research lasted for 6 years and comprised four sub-studies, which together answer the central research question. The researcher decided... Show moreThis multi-year research adopts a mixed-methods approach. The research lasted for 6 years and comprised four sub-studies, which together answer the central research question. The researcher decided to divide the central research question into four partial studies for several reasons: first, due to the complexity of the subject; second, the research time and capacity available; and third, because of the use of different methodologies, research designs, and analytical approaches. Although answering the central question with separate sub-studies had the advantage of making the process manageable over time, it did present the researcher with the challenge of ensuring the coherence of the various studies vis-à-vis the overall research. While her prior research planning and a thoughtful research approach helped, it was above all her flexibility in research execution that was of greatest value in completing this dissertation successfully and, more interestingly, as a part-time researcher within the scheduled time. The research was conducted in the Dutch public sector, the Netherlands’s largest employer, with more than 1 million employees spread over 14 government sector segments. To conduct high-quality research that was realistic in scope, she worked in phases and did not involve all areas of the public sector in her research. Practically, it was not feasible to incorporate all 14 segments as cases into each sub-study, so the researcher opted for a realistic approach that included the specific public sector segments that were most suitable for each sub-study. This SAGE research method case discusses these experiences of the researcher and other points of interest, such as conducting research in the same organization for which the researcher worked. Show less
In response to the growing ethnic and cultural diversity in Dutch society and its labor market, public organizations in the Netherlands are increasingly crafting diversity policies and conducting... Show moreIn response to the growing ethnic and cultural diversity in Dutch society and its labor market, public organizations in the Netherlands are increasingly crafting diversity policies and conducting diversity interventions. Little is known, however, about the effectiveness of interventions that are used to improve employee engagement in the public sector. This chapter discusses the influence of diversity interventions related to the binding of employees with Dutch public organizations with an emphasis on the role of leadership and organizational culture. This chapter concludes that transformational leadership and organizational culture are the keys to the binding of employees to the public sector in today’s diverse Netherlands. An inclusive organizational culture in which there is a room for diversity is decisive for the success of interventions used in public organizations. It also appears that managers of these organizations play a critical role. The effect of diversity interventions on the binding of employees with their organizations appears to be less when the manager uses a transformational leadership style. This demonstrates the importance of an inclusive organizational culture and a people-oriented transformational leadership style in the Dutch public sector. Show less
In practice, diversity interventions do not always appear to be effective. One argument is that there is little or no match between the perspectives of public organizations on diversity and the...
In practice, diversity interventions do not always appear to be effective. One argument is that there is little or no match between the perspectives of public organizations on diversity and the interventions used. This article provides an overview of the underlying rationales for diversity policy and discusses the perspectives on diversity from the diversity literature, HRM, and management literature and how these overlap, complement each other and differ from each other. What these perspectives have in common is that they all emphasize the added value of diversity. In the diversity literature, the emphasis is on the four perspectives equality, legitimacy, creativity, and the labour market. HRM literature focusses on managing differences. In public administration, there is a shift from active representation by individuals to connecting by all employees. Furthermore, the binding perspective is gaining more and more importance in the public domain because it may be possible to close the gap between the government and its citizen. This perspective emphasizes the importance of the long-term relationship with citizens to strengthen the trust of citizens in the government for realizing social tasks and responsibilities. It makes diversity an issue for all employees. For Hassan and Havva, and also for Hans and Hanna.
A polarizing society, ever-changing politics and an administrative field that is fragmented: that is the present world of Dutch mayors. These three processes have had a profound impact on local...
A polarizing society, ever-changing politics and an administrative field that is fragmented: that is the present world of Dutch mayors. These three processes have had a profound impact on local government and on the office of mayor. The position of the mayor has become vulnerable and his or her functioning is being put under a magnifying glass, sometimes leading to negative imaging and even a premature departure of mayors. More and sometimes conflicting demands are being imposed on mayors on the basis of their different tasks and responsibilities, as a result of which their positional authority has come under pressure, among other things. Based on discussions with 20 Dutch mayors, the authors of this essay present five central leadership dilemmas for mayors: (1) internal versus external connection; (2) authenticity versus adaptability; (3) involvement versus distance; (4) setting the course versus being of service; and (5) knowledge of content versus process monitoring. Coping with these leadership dilemmas also requires a different set of skills. First, the mayor must be pro-active and have a good antenna for new developments. Secondly, it is essential that he or she not only keeps in mind the short-term perspective, but also the middle-term and the long-term perspective. Thirdly, the mayor is expected to be able to combine hard and soft personality traits: just being nice is not enough.
This paper examines the effectiveness of diversity policy and interventions in the Dutch public sector and shows that business case interventions can affect employees’ commitment to their... Show moreThis paper examines the effectiveness of diversity policy and interventions in the Dutch public sector and shows that business case interventions can affect employees’ commitment to their organization, contributing to staff retention rates and improving overall performance. Leadership style, as well as organizational culture, are shown to play a crucial role in the effectiveness of the interventions that were analysed. Show less