An insight into continuous improvement in the public sector and the impact of employee culture and motivation – 3 case studies of the emergency services in Scotland
Abstract
The application of continuous improvement methodologies and in particular Lean, Six Sigma
and the integrated Lean Six Sigma and their predecessors or derivatives have been controversial
as they are seen as manufacturing sector methodologies and part of government drives towards
new public management. Public sector employees in general and emergency services staff in
particular are often viewed as being motivated by making a difference and work in the sector
to provide high-quality service, the purpose of the research is to explore these phenomena and
how they could be integrated into a more holistic approach to continuous improvement within
the public sector and result in improved service delivery. A systematic literature review of the
deployment of methodologies and the approaches taken in public sector organisations globally
identified 174 papers published between 2004 and 2020, while reviews of current theories
around organisational culture and motivation contribute to a broader understanding of the
public sector perspectives beyond improvement methodologies. The literature review
evidenced that while there was a focus on tools and techniques of methodologies and a
recognition of gaps around strategic approaches, sustainability, culture, and people there was
very limited literature that sought to address these gaps. The literature is used to develop a
mixed-methods approach with 23 semi-structured interviews and 710 questionnaires
completed across the three case studies of related national organisations within Scotland, UK.
Specifically, the emergency services; Scottish Ambulance Service, Police Service of Scotland,
and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The unit of analysis in the case studies are the
hierarchical management levels in the respective organisations. The results of the empirical
studies show the low maturity levels of continuous improvement across all three organisations
and evidence the impact of hierarchical sub-cultures on perceptions of organisational approach,
engagement of employees, and empowerment as they relate to identifying and delivering
service improvements as well as the impact of both organisational sub-cultures and public
service motivation on these perceptions. The research findings contribute to narrowing the
knowledge gaps in the organisational deployment of continuous improvement in public sector
organisations in particular the impact of both pluralist cultures and public employee motivation.
The key theoretical contribution is synthesising the findings into a strategic theoretical
framework to refocus emergency service organisations on the themes and activities which can
support a sustainable culture of continuous improvement in the public sector.