Hindered From Making a Difference: How Increasing Organizational Constraints Undermine Public Servants' Perceptions of Prosocial Impact and Why It Matters

Abstract

ABSTRACT Public servants often work under organizational constraints that hinder how they experience and carry out their work. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this research examines how changes in these constraints affect public servants' perceptions that their work benefits others and, in turn, their well‐being and withdrawal behavior. Using data from two longitudinal studies conducted in the United States and France, the findings show that increases in organizational constraints are associated with declines in perceived prosocial impact, which in turn predict lower well‐being and greater withdrawal over time. These results identify perceived prosocial impact as a key psychological resource that links changing work conditions to employee functioning. By emphasizing the dynamic nature of organizational constraints, this study advances the understanding of how evolving administrative conditions can weaken the psychological foundations that sustain meaningful and effective public service.