The impact of job content on employability and job performance in public organizations

Purpose - The increased expectations regarding job performance accompanied by changes in employment relationships in public organizations require special concern for the employability enhancement of their workers. Literature on the subject points out the importance of job content in the context of employability enhancement. The purpose of this paper is to answer the following question: what are the relationships between job variety, the learning value of the job, employability and job performance? Design/methodology/approach - The paper presents the results of a survey which was carried out in 2016. The sample consisted of 566 pairs, i.e. employees and their immediate supervisors in 147 public organizations which provide key public services in Poland. A model of the relationships between job variety, the learning value of the job, employability and job performance was proposed and tested using path analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings - It was found that both job variety and the learning value of the job were positively connected to employability, which mediated their relationships with job performance. However, the analysis revealed that the examined predictors not only affected employee work outcomes indirectly, through their impact on employability, but also directly influenced the quality of job performance. Originality/value - The study has provided empirical evidence regarding the relationships between job content, employability and job performance, which was hitherto absent from public organizations. An original conclusion from the research is that employability enhancement brings positive results for both employees and organizations.