Highway engineers in local government : Professionals in a changing environment

During the last decade highway engineers in Local Government have experienced major changes in their technical, social and organisational environments. The thesis examines and seeks understanding of the impact of these changes on their tasks, relationships, and motivation. The historical, functional and territorial context of their work is described, and previous writers' explanations of the behaviour of individuals and the functioning of organisations are reviewed. Following from this review a multiple-network model of organisational relationships is developed. Three-dimensional concepts are employed to portray the needs set and action space of individuals occupying nodal positions in the network. There is particular emphasis on the factors influencing means-ends chains of activity within action spaces, in the light of individual, professional and organisational objectives. With these models and concepts, the recent changes in the environment of highway engineers in the County of Kent are analysed and categorised. Consequential changes in the function, structure, and interdependence of engineering departments in District and County authorities in Kent are investigated. These investigations provide the background against which individual relationships and perceptions are set. Responses to questionnaires circulated within the authorities provide information on the function and frequency of links between individuals and groups in the multiple networks, together with reports of the perceived sources of change and job satisfaction. These responses are interpreted diagrammatically. Reports of individual interviews amplify the questionnaire replies, and enable individual perceptions of change, job satisfaction, objectives, and influence to be reported and analysed. It is concluded that the conceptual framework developed in this study, consolidated in the light of individuals' experiences and perceptions, provides fresh insight into individual and professional activity in the organisational setting, and of the process and consequences of change.