Applying an intersectional understanding of extra work behavior and emotional exhaustion in local public service

Abstract

In recent years, public administration scholars have started paying attention to intersectionality of government workforce identities and its implications for diversity management. This study unpacks how the intersection of multiple identities increases the transaction costs inherent to underrepresentation by looking at employee engagement in uncompensated extra-role behaviors and its effect on emotional exhaustion. Using a structural equation model, we analyze original survey data of Los Angeles city government employees. Our analysis finds that the extra work experiences of minority employees are not homogenous within racial, gender, or generational groups. Among Black employees, it is women who bear the brunt of extra work burden. Further, among Black women, it is older generations who disproportionately engage in extra work and suffer from emotional exhaustion. An intersectional approach is critical to identifying the personnel most vulnerable to disproportionate job burdens and developing the human resource management practices that better support a diverse workforce.