Political Storms and the Federal Workforce: How Volatile Environments Alter Career Choices

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Susannah Bruns Ali (Florida International University, USA)

Political Storms and the Federal Workforce

How Volatile Environments Alter Career Choices

Susannah Bruns Ali (Florida International University, USA)

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English

Routledge
09 April 2025

Occupational & industrial psychology; Public administration; Organisational theory & behaviour; Public ownership & nationalisation

Series: Routledge Research in Public Administration and Public Policy

Under today’s divisive political rhetoric with direct assaults on agencies and career employees, practitioners and academics need to evaluate the impacts of working in contentious political environments. Encouraging a healthy discourse on what it means to work in a politicized agency, Susannah Bruns Ali uses archival research paired with semi- structured interviews to present a comprehensive view of how political actors and climates influence employee satisfaction and career changes.

To understand how the political nature of an organization impacts operations and employees, we must include the volatility or turbulence that the agency operates under. Ali’s approach to examining turnover and turnover intent is novel in incorporating both internal and external organizational factors into an integrative theoretical framework for studying careers of public sector employees. Her analytical focus builds from a theoretical framework to case studies of four agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with different responsibilities, task environments, and histories: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Political Storms and the Federal Workforce: How Volatile Environments Alter Career Choices unites researchers with careerists to explore how agencies can best sustain morale and performance when elected and appointed officials undermine staff. Understanding what that means for them personally and as managers and leaders will be both engaging and useful moving forward.

By: Susannah Bruns Ali (Florida International University USA)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 560g
ISBN: 9780367434298
ISBN 10: 0367434296
Series: Routledge Research in Public Administration and Public Policy
Pages: 198
Publication Date: 09 April 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface. Chapter 1: Politics, Bureaucracy and Turnover Chapter 2: Turnover in Analytic Perspective: A Synthesis of Research Traditions and Careerist Thoughts Chapter 3: The Story of Four Agencies: Archival Methods and Approaches Chapter 4: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Chapter 5: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Chapter 6: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Chapter 7: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chapter 8: Archival Conclusions – Comparing the Agencies Chapter 9: Incorporating the Political World into our Understanding. Final Observations. Appendix 1: Interview Questions

Susannah Bruns Ali is an associate professor at the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs of Florida International University. Before returning to academia, she worked as a Policy Analyst at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where she collaborated with the White House, Congress, various federal government agencies, and advocacy groups. She has received several awards, including Presidential Management Fellowship, Presidential Letter of Commendation, the DHHS Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service, Human Services awards from the State of Maryland, and the American University John D. Young Award for scholarship, leadership, and commitment to public service.