Security Seeking and Anxiety in the Public Service

Abstract

This study was an attempt to find out whether persons who appear to have sought the security of employment effered by a Public Service career and who apear to value such security highly, tend to be persons who are psychologically insecure. As at the 31st of March, 1951, the Public Service Commission of New Zealand employed a total permanent staff of 30,506. In addition, 2,041 employees were classified as temporary staff while 19,837 casual workers were also employed. Without taking the temporary and casual employees into consideration, the figure shown for the permanent staff makes the Public Service the largest occupational group in the country. This group, which includes only those persons under Public Service Commission control and therefore excludes Railway and Post and Telegraph employees, is responsible for the administration of central government throughout the country excluding those activities for which the Railways and Post and Telegraph Departments are responsible. It is thus an important group in the community and worthy of investigation with the object of obtaining a better understanding of the Service and some insight into the nature and problems of Public Servants. Yet to the writer's knowledge apart from two preliminary studies which will be referred to later, no attempt has yet been made to look at Public Servants from the point of view of the psychologist - that is to look at them as a particular group of individuals, to ascertain how they behave, and more importantly what idiosyncratic factors affect them as individuals and as a group.