Government Managers, Business Executives, and Organizational Commitment

First among the forces which give life to organizations are human energy and creativity. These are important at all hierarchical levels, but nowhere more so than among the decision-making elite; the organization's managers.1 Most large organizations in this society are able to attract enough talented and highly motivated people to their upper ranks. Organizations differ, however, in their capacity to hold such people and excite their loyalty. There is considerable evidence to suggest that business organizations are more successful at stimulating commitment to their purposes than government agencies. Several studies conducted in a variety of public and private organizations have displayed a striking consistency in results: business executives typically report more positive attitudes toward their organizations than comparable government executives.