Social Class and the Quality of Work Life in Public and Private Organizations

The conventional wisdom of organizational theory regards public and private bureaucracies as analytically equivalent “complex organizations.” This article challenges the conventional wisdom. Our research compares public and private sector workers' perceptions of the character and quality of their work life. Public and private sector workers perceive and evaluate their jobs in substantially different ways. Blue collar workers in the public sector are a much more satisfied lot than are private sector blue collar workers. Conversely, white collar government employees are less positive about the social relations and intrinsic aspects of their work than are private white collar workers. Differences such as these suggest that private sector models and assumptions are inappropriate guides for understanding worker satisfaction, alienation, and productivity in public organizations.