The effects of 'high commitment' HRM practices on employee attitude: The views of public sector workers

Although there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating positive effects of 'high commitment' HRM practices on organizational performance, there is less evidence evaluating their effects on individual workers, especially within the public sector. Therefore the implications of applying 'high commitment' practices in the public sector needs to be considered. This paper seeks to address this gap by reporting the results of a staff survey and follow-up interviews conducted on a cross-section of local government employees. The results showed that eight of the ten 'high commitment' practices had significant effects on worker attitudes. The results are discussed in light of HRM theory together with the implications for public sector managers.