Study title

Finnish Local Government 2004: Municipalities as Working Communities 1995

Dataset ID Number

FSD1193

Persistent identifier

urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD1193

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Nakari, Risto (University of Tampere. Work Research Centre (WRC))

Abstract

Respondents evaluated the services provided by their own sector by indicating whether they agreed with statements pertaining to the significance of municipal services to citizens' equality, the effectiveness of municipal services compared to private ones, the management, competitive tendering and privatization of municipal services. Some questions focused on the respondent's present job: its physical and mental stressfulness, changes in working pace, present work load, wage level, characteristics of the job and career prospects. They were also asked whether they could participate in the decision-making concerning their own job, how well informed they were of the planned or decided changes in it, did they received support from the management or fellow employees and what was their attitude towards client feedback and demands.

The survey analysed the municipal working environment with the help of various statements. Workplace conflicts and the ways of dealing with them were studied. Respondents were asked about their relations with their superiors and about the characteristics and methods of the managers. Some questions covered work motivation and productivity. Respondents were asked how effective they thought various methods for improving work motivation were, which methods were already in use at their workplace, whether it was possible for them to keep up with their work and how probable it was that they would be rewarded for outstanding work and how. Respondents rated the importance of various aspect of their job (e.g. promotion prospects, security of the job, wage level).

Respondents evaluated the managers of their own sector with the help of paired concepts (for example enterprising vs. obstructing, co-operative vs. creates conflicts). Respondents assessed how significant certain factors causing productivity problems were in their community and how well or badly arranged the services and activities of their own sector were. Respondents' views on the activities of their trade union and shop steward (workers' representative) and the basis of wage determination were also surveyed.

Background variables included the municipality where the respondent works, the respondent's workplace, job, gender, year of birth, trade union membership, nature of the employment contract (e.g. temporary, permanent), whether it was a part-time or full-time job and whether the respondent held a managerial position.

Keywords

conflict; economic competition; employees; incentives; job satisfaction; labour relations; managers; municipal officials; municipalities; privatization; productivity; public services; rewards; wages; work motivation; working communities; working conditions; workplace relations

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Working conditions (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Finnish Local Government 2004

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• Nakari, Risto (University of Tampere. Work Research Centre)

Time Period Covered

1995

Collection Dates

1995 – 1995

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland, Espoo, Haukipudas, Humppila, Hämeenlinna, Iitti, Jaala, Joroinen, Kaarina, Karstula, Kemiö, Kerava, Kiikala, Kokkola, Kolari, Kotka, Kristiinankaupunki, Kuhmoinen, Lappeenranta, Leppävirta, Lieksa, Liljendal, Lumijoki, Mikkeli, Multia, Naantali, Noormarkku, Närpiö, Oulainen, Outokumpu, Padasjoki, Pieksämäki, Porvoon maalaiskunta, Pudasjärvi, Punkaharju, Pyhäntä, Pylkönmäki, Ranua, Rääkkylä, Sonkajärvi, Suolahti, Tyrnävä, Vaasa, Vahto, Varkaus, Vehkalahti, Vimpeli, Virrat

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Members of the following municipal working communities: old people's homes, day care centres, home help services, health centres, municipal hospitals, home nursing, dental care, primary and secondary schools (i.e. schools for children between the ages 7 and 18), libraries, municipal engineering, property maintenance and cleaning

Time Method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Mixed probability and non-probability

Two-stage stratified sampling in selecting project municipalities. Total study of the working communities, selected with judgement sampling.

The project municipalities were selected separately from those with less than 10000 inhabitants (28 municipalities) and from those with more than 10000 inhabitants (19 municipalities). The selection aimed to be representative within both groups in relation to all municipalities with the same population size. Large municipalities were overly represented because 70 % of the Finnish population lives in large municipalities. Representativeness criteria included regional location, age and education of the population, industry structure, municipal economy parameters, political situation and variables related to municipal policy. The target group municipalities form a small scale model of all Finnish municipalities. The Åland Islands municipalities were excluded because of special features caused by their autonomy.

The questionnaire was sent to the sample group in the spring of 1995; there was a follow-up mailing in the autumn of the same year. The data consist of 429 working communities in 47 municipalities. In each municipality a sample of similar working communities representing the sector's core activities was selected. Following the principles of panel surveys the questionnaire was sent to all members of the selected working communities. There were 6025 responses.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Paper

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

69.10

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

2.0

Related Datasets

FSD1230 Finnish Local Government 2004: Municipalities as Working Communities 1999

FSD1315 Finnish Local Government 2004: Municipalities as Working Communities 2003

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

In the survey, the health services sector was over-represented and the social services sector under-represented compared to the actual personnel of Finnish municipalities.

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Nakari, Risto (University of Tampere): Finnish Local Government 2004: Municipalities as Working Communities 1995 [dataset]. Version 2.0 (2018-08-07). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD1193

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Kunnat ja päättäjät (1997). Toim. Sari Pikkala. Helsinki: Suomen Kuntaliitto. KuntaSuomi 2004 -tutkimuksia; 9 & Acta; 85.

Nakari, Risto (1996). Työelämän monet kasvot: kuntayhteisö 1995. Helsinki: Suomen Kuntaliitto. KuntaSuomi 2004 -tutkimuksia; 2 & Acta; 63.

Nakari, Risto (2000). Muuttuuko työelämä - ja mihin suuntaan? Helsinki: Suomen Kuntaliitto. KuntaSuomi 2004 -tutkimuksia; 23 & Acta; 126.

Nakari, Risto (2004). Kuntien erilaistuva työelämä. Tutkimus kunnallisista työyhteisöistä 1995 - 2003. Helsinki: Kuntaliitto. KuntaSuomi 2004 -tutkimuksia; 50 & Acta; 170.

Nakari, Risto (2009). Toimiva kunnallinen palveluorganisaatio. Työelämän laadun, asiakastyytyväisyyden ja palvelukustannusten väliset yhteydet strategisen henkilöstöjohtamisen näkökulmasta. Helsinki: Kuntaliitto. Acta; 209.