Navigating ambiguity in crisis: the impact of organizational goal ambiguity on public sector performance in the wake of exogenous shocks

Abstract This study advances a deeper understanding of the antecedents and mediators of goal ambiguity within public organizations. Expanding upon the established notion of the negative relationship between goal ambiguity and performance in public organizations, this study goes one step further by exploring how exogenous shocks may exacerbate this adverse impact. Focusing on the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent responses taken by the South Korean government, this study aims to offer a comprehensive examination of the complex interplay between organizational goals and performance during unforeseen disruptions. Drawing on data from the 2019 and 2020 Korean Public Employee Viewpoint Survey with 6,552 respondents, this study employs a moderated multiple regression model to examine the moderating role of exogenous shocks. The findings reveal that exogenous shocks can act as moderators, intensifying the detrimental effects of goal ambiguity on organizational performance. This study thus highlights the mutable nature of goals in public organizations, especially in times of crisis, suggesting the necessity of understanding the intricate dynamics within a prevailing premise of the negative association of goal ambiguity and organizational performance.