In line with Hebson et al. (2003) we believe public sector organizations themselves have an important role in
preventing the erosion of the public service ethos as well as shaping and cultivating it. This may be more easily said
than done given the claim that the NPM value system is incongruent with parts of the ‘traditional’ public service
ethos (Rhodes 1994; Moon 2000; Vigoda and Golembiewski 2001). As findings for the public interest and
public service belief dimensions predict OCBI we can speculate that public sector professionals do still hold to the
view that their organizations are motivated to serve the public interest although without previous measurement or
the existence of longitudinal research we cannot know whether or not it is weakened.
Evidently, these constructs, and their associated behaviors are more complicated than the literature suggests and
as such illustrate that it is helpful to consider dimensions of these constructs apart from one another, rather than together. Further, in line with OCB researchers (e.g., Graham and Van Dyne 2006; Ilies et al. 2007; Halbesleben and Bowler 2007) the distinction between OCBO and OCBI is supported here as a relevant and valid distinction.
As with most public sector organizations NPM has fundamentally changed the basis of organizational design,
control and reward both in the UK and internationally. In particular, our occupational sample of educational
professionals and their colleges were granted corporate status in 1993. This resulted in delegated responsibilities
for their governance and management and a wide range of freedoms. Subsequently colleges have had to compete with
other organizations for students regardless of geographical boundaries or traditional areas of expertise. They have also
been subject to increased political control in the form of funding bodies and students were empowered through
students’ charters and league tables (Avis 1996, 1999; Randle and Brady 1997). The financial constraints and
increasing controls set by such bodies result in increase stress and work intensification for professionals (Chandler
and Clark 2002; Brown and Humphreys 2006). Further, insufficient funds often produce tensions between competition and collegiality (Fitzgerald and Ferlie 2000). Some commentators suggest this leads to neglect of
other community interests such as adult education which has played a substantial social role in the sector for many
years (Ainley and Bailey 1997). In support of this view on the comments section included in the survey one participant stated: