Employees' Job Involvement and Mental Health in Public and Private Sector Organizations: A

Comparative Study
Author(s): A. K. Srivastava and A. Krishna
Source: Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Jul., 1992), pp. 62-70
Published by: Shri Ram Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27767232 .
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IJIR, Vol. 28, No. 1,July 1992

EMPLOYEES'

JOB INVOLVEMENT AND MENTAL

HEALTH INPUBLICAND PRIVATESECTOR

ORGANIZATIONS :A COMPARATIVESTUDY
A K SRIVASTAVA and A KRISHNA

The present study comperes the tevetof Job involvementend

mental health of theemployees operating inPublic and Private
Sector manufacturing organizations (N& 900). The results
obtained

indicate

differences

significant

and

in fob involvement

mental health of the employees belonging to the two types of

The Private

organizations.

Sector

were

employees

observed

to

be comparativelymore involved in theirjob and maintained better

mental health. The study also found thatJob involvementand
mental health correlated significantly for Public Sector
but not in case

employees

of Private Sector

employees.

Industrial and organizational

psychologists have traditionally and validly
viewed behaviour inorganizations as jointlydetermined by characteristics
inpsychology, however,
of the individual and of the organization. Research
has been heavily skewed towards the individual. Substantial knowledge is
now available about the attributes of organizations, but comparatively, less
is known about the organizational side of the equation. Organizational
scientists are, therefore, today directing
psychologists and management
their interests in identifyingthe organizational determinants of behaviour on
the job. The organizational setting and climate, it is postulated, may limitor
facilitate employees' behaviour to a considerable extent.

to
In the last few years, numerous studies have been conducted
the differences
examine
between
the Public and Private Sector
in terms of leadership (Fiedler, 1967; Ganguly, 1977; Singh,
Organizations
1979; and Dwivedi, 1983), managerial
style and power profiles (Likert,
1961;

Singh,

1979; Maheshwari,

Dr. A. K. Srivastava
inPsychology,

Vasant

isReader
College

1980),

inPsychology, B.H.U.,
forWomen,
Varanasi.

goal

setting

Varanasi.

(Kumar,

Dr. A. Krishna

1983),
is Lecturer

Employees'Job
organizational
reinforcement

63

Involvement and Mental Health

activities
patterns

(Sinha,
(Sinha,

1973),
1973),

initiative and
cooperation

and

rewards

and

coordination,

climateand norms (Sinha, 1973; Roy, 1974;Ganguly, 1977), organization

culture (Prasad, 1979; Jaiswal, 1982) and several other variables,
control of economy, autonomy, communication networks, etc.

such as

Public and private sector organizations,

being different in their
and control systems, are likely to induce noticeable
structure, processes
differences inexpectations,
job attitudes and overall job behaviour of their
have
Studies
been
conducted to compare the job attitudes and
employees.
behaviour of the employees of the two types of organizations. Sinha (1973)

that the employees

in public and private organizations
differed in
terms of their expectaions, performance patterns, feelings towards their job
and organization and job satisfaction. Pathak and Singh (1981) found that
noted

of public and private undertakings differed significantly with

to
their cognitive and affective patterns (i.e., job satisfaction,
respect
motivation, morale, and identification) as a result of difference in the
leadership style in the two types of organizations. Narain (1981) reported
that confidence,
the
trust, motivation, and loyalty were higher among
employees

inprivate sector organizations. Kumar (1983) observed that the

employees
sector
Inanother
felt higher sense of accomplishment.
private
employees
more
sector
to
to their
found
be
committed
were
employees
study private
Nisonko
the
that
of
jobs (Jaiswal, 1982).
(1981) reported
employees
public
sector organizations generally believed that hard and sincere work'brought
nothing inparticular', and appreciation and recognition *were very far away
in values and beliefs were attributed to the
things'. The differences
difference

affected

in the climate and culture of these organizations which,

expectations,
efficiency and performance

the future

in turn,
of the

employees.
In her study Krishna (1988) found significant differences inattributions
of the employees of the two types of organizations. She observed that public
sector employees gave more importance to external factors such as nature
rated
of work, company policies etc., whereas
private sector employees
the internal factors, such as ability and efforts for their
higher
She also reported that the private sector employees
success/failure.
more positive feelings, higher expectations
and greater
possessed
commitment as compared to the employees
belonging to
organizational
public sector organizations.

alienations from or involvement in

Among other factors, employees'
their jobs and their overall psychological well being are likely to be affected
by the environment and climate of the organizations they belong to.Argyris

64

Indian Journal of Industrial Relations

(1964) and McGregor (1960) have accordingly stressed job involvement as

a response
to organizational
conditions
rather than personal
A good number of studies have concluded
characteristics.
positive
relationships between perceived congenial organizational climate and job
involvement. However, probably no attempt has been made to compare the
level of job involvement of public and private sector employees.
Similarly, very few studies have been made to examine the relationship
between
the nature of organization
and employees'
mental health.
between
Kornhauser
work
the relationship
(1965) had mentioned
environment and mental health of the employees.
Inhis study, Gavin (1975)
found that employees who perceived the organizational environment as
having well defined structure, equitable rewards system and an atmosphere

of trust and consideration tended to have higher scores on mental health.

Repetti (1984) also noted that quality of social environment forwork was
related to mental health of the employees. But no systematic attempt has
been made to compare the mental health of the employees operating in
public and private sector organizations. The present sutdy was undertaken
to primarily compare the levels of job involvement and mental health of the
employees

in these two types of organizations.

METHOD
:The study was conducted on a sample of 900 employees operating
Sample
The
in some Public and Private Sector manufacturing organizations.
were
levels
of
three
selected
from
i.e.,
employees,
respondents
randomly
managerial,
supervisory and workers, in equal proportions. The Public
from where 50 per cent of the respondents were
Sector organizations
selected were the Diesel Locomotive Works, Maduadeeh,
Varanasi, and
of the 450
The
rest
Allahabad.
the Indian Telephone
Industries, Naini,
were
four
Private
Sector
selected
from
organizations, namely,
respondents

Ironand Steel Company

(TISCO), Jamshedpur; Hindustan Motors
Company, Calcutta; Simplex Engineering Limited, Raipur; and Dharam
Limited, Kumhari, Durga (M.P.).
Singh Morarjee Chemicals
the Tata

were employed
: The following measures
to assess
Measures
:
extent of job involvement and mental health of the employees

the

:The job involvement scale, developed

by
(a) Job Involvement Scale
the extent of twelve dimensions of job attitudes,
Agrawal (1978), assesses
involvement, energy
namely, job longing, work underload, emotional
to
expenditure, planfulness, task completion sensitivity, responsiveness
extra work, persistence,
and
time
job devotion, job saliency, job concern,

Employees'Job

Involvement and Mental Health

65

consciousness.
The scale comprised of 32 items, each to be rated on
scale.
For
the purpose of the present study the scores of the twelve
six-point
dimensions were summated to get a total job involvement score. The index
of split half reliability of the scale is .85.
(b) Mental Health Questionnaire
(MHQ) : The M HQ developed
by
assesses
Srivastava and Bhatt (1973)
the severity of the six symptoms of
mental
ill health, namely, free floating anxiety, obsessive
traits and
symptoms, phobic depression, somatic concomitants of anxiety, neurotic
depression, and hysterical traitsand symptoms. The reliability indices of six
sub-scales
of the MHQ are .88, .78, .52, .68, .74 and .66, respectively. Low
score

on the questionnaire
indicates normal or sound mental
is indicative of mental illhealth.

health and

high score

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

were analysed
obtained
standard
by computing means,
critical ratios and coefficients of correlation. The results are
1and 2. It
may be mentioned here that, for the purposes
presented inTables
have
of the present study, the data for all the three levels of employees
are
been combined and only the sector-wise differences
being reported in
data

The

deviations,

the paper.

inTable 1 make itapparent that the employees

in
Private
Sector
Organizations were significantly more involved
operating
in their jobs as compared to the Public Sector employees. The study also
belonging to Public and Private
yielded the finding that the employees
differed significantly with respect to their mental
Sector Organizations
manifested more
in Public Sector Organizations
health. The employees
The

results recorded

symptoms of free floating anxiety, phobic neurosis, somatic concomitants

of anxiety, neurotic depression and hysteria incomparison to the employees
of the Private Sector Organizations.
However, no significant difference
so far as the
could be observed between the two groups of employees
was
concerned.
neurosis
of
obsessive
compulsive
severity
study also revealed significantly different trends of relationships
job involvement and mental (ill)health of the employees operating
in the two types of organizations,
(see Table 2.). Job involvement and
mental illhealth of the employees belonging to Public Sector Organizations
were
found to be significantly inversely correlated. But no significant
in case of Private
relationship could be noted between the two variables
The

between

Sector

employees.

Indian Journal of Industrial Relations

66

the employees of the two types of

to specific structural and
be
attributed
may
organizations
largely
Public
and Private
features
of
the
Sector
social-psychological
two
of
The
differences
the
between
Organizations.
types
organizations with
to'their
social
environment and
structure, system,
regard
psychological
overall climate has been well established. Well defined and clearly allocated
The observed

differences between

job rotes, proper coordination and competent supervision

inPrivate Sector

Organizations develop likingand attachmentfor the jobs among the

of these organizations. These
though more
organizations,
a
more
and
attractive
climate, and maintain
demanding, provide
supportive
an adequate
resources.
of
the
Besides,
supply
employees
operating in
Private Sector
more
of task
posses
Organizations
comparatively
employees

and sincerity, organizational

completion
sensitivity,
job concern
time
consciousness
and responsiveness
to extra work. The
identification,
and
organizational
specific behavioural characteristics of the Private Sector
employees make them psychologically more attached and committed to
their jobs. The extra monetary gains the employees of these organizations
receive for their hard, sincere and extra work also develop positive job
attitudes among them. The supervisory and managerial personnel inPrivate
Sector organizations are provided with all necessary
resources to get a
are
done.
to
be
particular job
They
expected
responsible for those whom
they supervise and also for the ultimate outcomes. Such arrangements
provide them with opportunity to satisfy their higher order needs such as
power, achievement and personal growth, and consequently make them
involved in their jobs. The present findings confirm the observations
of

Pathak and Singh (1981), Kumar (1983), Jaiswal (1982) and Nisonke
(1981) regarding job attitudes and behaviour of Private Sector
to certain extent.

employees

On

the other hand, the Public Sector

because
of
employees,
and
conflicts
in
their
ambiguities
job roles, uncongenial
organizational
climate and lack of enthusiasm, are generally not very much attached and
committed to their jobs. In these organizations
the employees
generally

and inefficiency
are notgoing toput
acquire thefeelingthattheirinsincerity
them inserious trouble. Similarly, sincere and efficient job performance are
not usually rewarded proportionately due to a lot of formalities and
restrictions Li structure and system of these organizations. Sinha (1973), in
his study, concluded thatmanagers
inPublic Sector Organizations believed
that hard and sincere work were likely to bring "nothing inparticular". The

in these organizations
lacked organizational
employees
generally
felt
that
was
the
the Government1 and
'of
identification; they
organization
their
earn
roles
to
their
bread.
they just performed
job

Employees'Job

Involvement and Mental Health

67

The study also revealed that employees of the Public and Private Sector
organizations markedly differedwith regard to theirpsychological well being
for example,
of Private Sector organizations,
(Table 1). The employees
inPublic
maintained better mental health as compared to the employees

more
The Public Sector employees
possessed
organizations.
as
of
free floating anxiety, phobic
symptoms
(such
psychoneurosis
and
concomitants
of anxiety, neurotic depression,
anxiety, somatic
were
no
found
the
between
significant differences
hysteria). However,
so
as
two
of
far
the
of the
symptoms of
types
organizations
employees
were
neurosis
concerned.
obessive
compulsive

Sector
severe

inmental health of the employees

of the two Sectors
to
in
differences
be
attributed
may largely
organizational climate and stress
two
of
the
of organizations.
the
types
Empirical
employee
perceived by
in Private
Sector
indicated
that employees
have
Indian Studies
lesser
stress,
job
particulariy less
organizations experience comparatively
role ambiguity and role conflicts (Srivastava, 1990), more job satisfaction,
The

difference

the
1981), and perceive
higher morale
(Pathak and Singh,
same
more
to
At
the
be
and
culture
climate
time,
congenial.
organizational
numerous studies have yielded
inverse
during the last one decade,
relationship between organizational stress and employees' mental health.
the 'avoidance' coping strategies generally adopted by the Public
Besides,
to deal with their job stresses
Sector
might have been
employees
health.
It
has
been
for
their
mental
noted, in a study by
poor
responsible

maintain

and Singh (1988), that 'avoidance coping' strategies, in the long

a deterioration inmental health of the focal employees. On the
inPrivate Sector organization, ingeneral, adopt
other hand, the employees
'approach' coping strategies, which satisfy their needs for achievement,

Srivastava
run, cause

accomplishment
well being.

and self esteem,

and

in turn improve their psychological

higher incidence and extent of person-environment

Comparatively,
misfit inPublic Sector organizations may also be taken into consideration
to explain the severity of the symptoms of mental illhealth amongst their
interests and
In these organizations
employees'aptitudes,
employees.
while
are
consideration
into
taken
not
and/or
placing
experiences
so
mere
of
new
formalities
to
instead
them
doing
any
position;
transferring
are observed.
The observed trend of relationship between job involvement and mental
involvement in their
health are in the expected direction. The employees'
Job
needs.
their
and
fulfil
intrinsic
to
satisfaction
contributes
job
job
of
satisfaction
with
correlated
to
be
been
found
has
involvement
positively

68

Indian Journal of Industrial Relations

intrinsicneeds (Weissenoerg and Gruenfeld, 1968; Cumming and Bigelow,

1976; Rabinowitz and Hall 1977; Agrawal and Chadha,
1989). Lodhal and
as
considered
involvement
Kejner (1965)
'goodness' or 'importance' of
job
the work in the worth of a person. Employees'
needs for personal growth

are fulfilled to a great extent through job involvement.

these
employees feel satisfied and derive intrinsicpleasure
Consequently,
of the 'job involved'
from their work. Such attitudes and experiences
in
their
overall
employees
help
enhancing
psychological well being.
and self actualization

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The

major findings of the present study, also confirmed by general

inPublic Sector organizations
observations, are that employees engaged
are comparatively
less involved in their jobs and maintain comparatively

poor mental health. Job involvement was also found to be positively

correlated with mental health. Since employees' job attitudes and behaviour
are influenced by their job involvement and psychological well-being,

inPublic Sector should make significant efforts tomake the

managements
more
involved in their jobs. This could be done by making jobs
employees
more interesting and enriched in design, less ambiguous, strenuous and

monotonous, and adequately rewarding. Organizational climate should also

be made more congenial and supporting. Satisfaction of employees' higher
order needs may also help inenhancing their job involvement level. The
in Public Sector organizations must be given some authority,
employees
personal

responsibility and freedom, inperforming their job roles.

Since

the employees
in Public Sector organizations generally report
more
experiencing
job/role stress, and job stess and job involvement have
been found to correlate negatively (Srivastava, 1990), it is suggested,
that

efforts should be made

by the Public Sector organizations to alleviate the

as role ambiguities, role conflicts, intrinsic
Stressors
such
of
impact
job
etc.
impoverishment,

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70

Indian Journal of Industrial Relations

Table 1 : Job Involvementand Mental (III)Health Scores of Public and Private Sector
Employees
Public Sector
Variables

(N = 450)

Private Sector

(N=450)

CR.

S.D.

Mean

130.68

15.94

133.93

20.50

2.66**

F. F. Anxiety
Obsessive
Compulsive
Neurosis

4.32

3.41

2.76

2.43

7.89**

6.86

3.36

7.16

1.51
2.71

Phobic

Neurosis

4.92

2.92

3.40

2.29
8.72**

Somatic

Cone,

3.38

2.53

6.26**

Depression

4.53
Anxiety
5.04

2.94

Neurotic

2.91

3.56

2.38

8.35**

4.09

2.81

3.26

2.07

5.05**

29.75

13.22

23.52

10.12

7.94**

Mean
Job

Involvement

Menai (ill)Health

Hysteria
Overall M.
**P
2

Table
Scores

S.D.

of

(ill) H.
<.01

: Coefficients
for Public

of Correlation

and Private

Sector
Job

Phobic

Neurosis

Somatic

Cone.

Neurotic

Depression

.21*
Neuro.

Anxiety

*P<.05

(ill) health

and Mental

Involvement

(n = 450)

Hysteria
Overall MIH
**P<.01;

Involvement

Public Sector

Mental (ill)Health
F.F. Anxiety
Obsessive
Comp.

Job

between
Employees.

Private

Sector

(N = 450)
.05

.12*

-.02

.16*

-.05

.20*

.01

.20*

-.09

.25*

-.03

.26*

-.04