The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China

Xiaodong Hu; Wanyi Huang; Na Pan

doi:doi:10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12

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The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China

Xiaodong Hu, Wanyi Huang, Na Pan^*

Published in Journal of Public Policy and Administration (Volume 9, Issue 2)

Received: 28 February 2025 Accepted: 17 March 2025 Published: 31 March 2025

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Abstract

In recent years, incentivising civil servants to work has been at the heart of future civil service reforms in many countries. To investigate the micro-mechanism and its boundary conditions of grassroots civil servants' competency on their individual work dynamic, this study explores the influence of grassroots civil servants' competency on work dynamic, the mediating role of occupational resilience and the moderating role of organizational fault-tolerant climate. Data were obtained from 667 grassroots civil servants in China and analyzed with regression analyses by the PROCESS macro. The results showed that competency of grassroots civil servants can significantly enhance their work dynamic; occupational resilience plays a mediating role in competency and work dynamic, specifically, occupational resilience plays a complete mediating role in the relationship between public service motivation and work dynamic, and a partial mediating role in the relationship between job autonomy and work dynamic among grassroots civil servants; the direct relationship between three sub-dimensions of competency (ability, public service motivation and job autonomy) and work dynamic of grassroots civil servants is negatively moderated by organizational fault-tolerant climate. The findings of the study provide useful insights for deepening theoretical research on the work dynamic of grassroots civil servants, and for enhancing the effectiveness of the incentive system in management practice.

Published in	Journal of Public Policy and Administration (Volume 9, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12
Page(s)	59-82
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Work Dynamic, Competency, Occupational Resilience, Organizational Fault-tolerant Climate

References

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APA Style

Hu, X., Huang, W., Pan, N. (2025). The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China. Journal of Public Policy and Administration, 9(2), 59-82. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12

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ACS Style

Hu, X.; Huang, W.; Pan, N. The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China. J. Public Policy Adm. 2025, 9(2), 59-82. doi: 10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12

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AMA Style

Hu X, Huang W, Pan N. The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China. J Public Policy Adm. 2025;9(2):59-82. doi: 10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12

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@article{10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12,
  author = {Xiaodong Hu and Wanyi Huang and Na Pan},
  title = {The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China
},
  journal = {Journal of Public Policy and Administration},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {59-82},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jppa.20250902.12},
  abstract = {In recent years, incentivising civil servants to work has been at the heart of future civil service reforms in many countries. To investigate the micro-mechanism and its boundary conditions of grassroots civil servants' competency on their individual work dynamic, this study explores the influence of grassroots civil servants' competency on work dynamic, the mediating role of occupational resilience and the moderating role of organizational fault-tolerant climate. Data were obtained from 667 grassroots civil servants in China and analyzed with regression analyses by the PROCESS macro. The results showed that competency of grassroots civil servants can significantly enhance their work dynamic; occupational resilience plays a mediating role in competency and work dynamic, specifically, occupational resilience plays a complete mediating role in the relationship between public service motivation and work dynamic, and a partial mediating role in the relationship between job autonomy and work dynamic among grassroots civil servants; the direct relationship between three sub-dimensions of competency (ability, public service motivation and job autonomy) and work dynamic of grassroots civil servants is negatively moderated by organizational fault-tolerant climate. The findings of the study provide useful insights for deepening theoretical research on the work dynamic of grassroots civil servants, and for enhancing the effectiveness of the incentive system in management practice.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China

AU  - Xiaodong Hu
AU  - Wanyi Huang
AU  - Na Pan
Y1  - 2025/03/31
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12
T2  - Journal of Public Policy and Administration
JF  - Journal of Public Policy and Administration
JO  - Journal of Public Policy and Administration
SP  - 59
EP  - 82
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-2696
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12
AB  - In recent years, incentivising civil servants to work has been at the heart of future civil service reforms in many countries. To investigate the micro-mechanism and its boundary conditions of grassroots civil servants' competency on their individual work dynamic, this study explores the influence of grassroots civil servants' competency on work dynamic, the mediating role of occupational resilience and the moderating role of organizational fault-tolerant climate. Data were obtained from 667 grassroots civil servants in China and analyzed with regression analyses by the PROCESS macro. The results showed that competency of grassroots civil servants can significantly enhance their work dynamic; occupational resilience plays a mediating role in competency and work dynamic, specifically, occupational resilience plays a complete mediating role in the relationship between public service motivation and work dynamic, and a partial mediating role in the relationship between job autonomy and work dynamic among grassroots civil servants; the direct relationship between three sub-dimensions of competency (ability, public service motivation and job autonomy) and work dynamic of grassroots civil servants is negatively moderated by organizational fault-tolerant climate. The findings of the study provide useful insights for deepening theoretical research on the work dynamic of grassroots civil servants, and for enhancing the effectiveness of the incentive system in management practice.

VL  - 9
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Xiaodong Hu

School of Politics and Public Management, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China

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Wanyi Huang

School of Politics and Public Management, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China

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Na Pan

School of Urban Economics and Public Administration, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing, China

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APA Style

Hu, X., Huang, W., Pan, N. (2025). The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China. Journal of Public Policy and Administration, 9(2), 59-82. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12

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ACS Style

Hu, X.; Huang, W.; Pan, N. The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China. J. Public Policy Adm. 2025, 9(2), 59-82. doi: 10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Hu X, Huang W, Pan N. The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China. J Public Policy Adm. 2025;9(2):59-82. doi: 10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12,
  author = {Xiaodong Hu and Wanyi Huang and Na Pan},
  title = {The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China
},
  journal = {Journal of Public Policy and Administration},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {59-82},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jppa.20250902.12},
  abstract = {In recent years, incentivising civil servants to work has been at the heart of future civil service reforms in many countries. To investigate the micro-mechanism and its boundary conditions of grassroots civil servants' competency on their individual work dynamic, this study explores the influence of grassroots civil servants' competency on work dynamic, the mediating role of occupational resilience and the moderating role of organizational fault-tolerant climate. Data were obtained from 667 grassroots civil servants in China and analyzed with regression analyses by the PROCESS macro. The results showed that competency of grassroots civil servants can significantly enhance their work dynamic; occupational resilience plays a mediating role in competency and work dynamic, specifically, occupational resilience plays a complete mediating role in the relationship between public service motivation and work dynamic, and a partial mediating role in the relationship between job autonomy and work dynamic among grassroots civil servants; the direct relationship between three sub-dimensions of competency (ability, public service motivation and job autonomy) and work dynamic of grassroots civil servants is negatively moderated by organizational fault-tolerant climate. The findings of the study provide useful insights for deepening theoretical research on the work dynamic of grassroots civil servants, and for enhancing the effectiveness of the incentive system in management practice.
},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Impact of Competency on Work Dynamic — Evidence from Grassroots Civil Servants in China

AU  - Xiaodong Hu
AU  - Wanyi Huang
AU  - Na Pan
Y1  - 2025/03/31
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12
T2  - Journal of Public Policy and Administration
JF  - Journal of Public Policy and Administration
JO  - Journal of Public Policy and Administration
SP  - 59
EP  - 82
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-2696
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jppa.20250902.12
AB  - In recent years, incentivising civil servants to work has been at the heart of future civil service reforms in many countries. To investigate the micro-mechanism and its boundary conditions of grassroots civil servants' competency on their individual work dynamic, this study explores the influence of grassroots civil servants' competency on work dynamic, the mediating role of occupational resilience and the moderating role of organizational fault-tolerant climate. Data were obtained from 667 grassroots civil servants in China and analyzed with regression analyses by the PROCESS macro. The results showed that competency of grassroots civil servants can significantly enhance their work dynamic; occupational resilience plays a mediating role in competency and work dynamic, specifically, occupational resilience plays a complete mediating role in the relationship between public service motivation and work dynamic, and a partial mediating role in the relationship between job autonomy and work dynamic among grassroots civil servants; the direct relationship between three sub-dimensions of competency (ability, public service motivation and job autonomy) and work dynamic of grassroots civil servants is negatively moderated by organizational fault-tolerant climate. The findings of the study provide useful insights for deepening theoretical research on the work dynamic of grassroots civil servants, and for enhancing the effectiveness of the incentive system in management practice.

VL  - 9
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download