ENLIGHTENING THE IMPLICATIONS OF EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM EUROPE

Employee involvement enables public servants to have an active role in organizational decision making and problem-solving activities. Literature has emphasized the positive effects of employee involvement on improving the organizational climate and performances. However, triggering an intensification of work and blurring the boundaries between work and life, employee involvement may negatively impact individual work-life balance. The article sheds light on this issue, investigating the direct and indirect effects of employee involvement in a sample of 2,122 public servants employed in the public administration and defense sector. Employee involvement was found to affect the work-life balance of public servants negatively. Positive employee-manager relationships and work engagement acted as mediators in this relationship, counteracting involvement’s negative implications on work-life balance. Employee involvement initiatives should be included in a larger organizational scheme intended to empower employees and foster their organizational engagement.