2026/03/19 by Tobias Bach, Pierre Squevin · 1 voice
Business, Management and Accounting · Environmental Science · Social Sciences · #Critical Realism in Sociology #Global trade, sustainability, and social impact #Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
paper · doi:10.1080/10967494.2026.2631042
openalex publication_date 2026/03/19 · openalex created_date 2026/03/20 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
Sector switching refers to individuals making career moves between private, public, and nonprofit sectors. We examine how moving from the private to the public sector shape employees’ values. To this end, we distinguish private sector values from those of the public sector. We theorize that sector-switchers have distinct values due to sector-imprinting, where formative experience in one sector shape individuals’ attitudes and behaviors even after switching. We add novel perspectives to sector switching research by examining how values change over time through re-socialization in new workplaces, and by testing how varying “public” and “private” value contexts within public organizations can realign sector-switchers’ values. Utilizing survey data collected from Norwegian ministries and central agencies (N = 2349), our analysis reveals value differences between sector-switchers and non-switchers yet presents mixed findings about re-socialization affecting value erosion and retention. We find no evidence that organizational contexts significantly alter sector-switchers’ values at the individual level. This study contributes to public management and administration scholarships by enhancing our understanding about potential repercussions of hiring employees with private sector backgrounds.