Purpose: The present study aims to examine the concept of employee self-efficacy (self-competence) within public sector organizations and to develop an integrated multidimensional model for its identification, structure, and prioritization. In organizational contexts, particularly within public and semi-public institutions, self-efficacy plays a critical role in shaping employee behavior, motivation, decision-making quality, and overall performance. Despite its importance, evidence from previous studies indicates that many public organizations, especially in developing contexts, face challenges in strengthening employee self-efficacy due to rigid structures, centralized decision-making systems, and limited participatory culture. Therefore, the purpose of this research is twofold: first, to identify the key dimensions and components of employee self-efficacy in public organizations; and second, to determine the hierarchical relationships and influence pathways among these components in order to propose a structured and applicable model, particularly in the Social Security Organization context.
Design/Methodology/Approach: This research employs a mixed-methods design (qualitative–quantitative). In the qualitative phase, the Delphi technique was used. A panel of 35 experts participated in three iterative rounds of Delphi analysis. In the quantitative phase, data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The final sample included 322 employees selected through simple random sampling. For data analysis, Smart PLS was used for structural equation modeling, MATLAB for ISM modeling, and Excel for Delphi computations. Reliability and validity were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE), and Fornell–Larcker criteria. All constructs demonstrated acceptable reliability (α > 0.70) and convergent validity (AVE > 0.50).
Findings: The Delphi analysis resulted in the identification and validation of nine core components of employee self-efficacy, including intrinsic motivation, belief in personal capability, self-actualization, learning, social intelligence, analytical skills, focus on success, interpersonal relationships, and skill development. The structural equation modeling results confirmed that the proposed model has strong goodness-of-fit (GOF = 0.58). Among the three main dimensions—individual, professional, and social—the social dimension demonstrated the strongest relationship with employee self-efficacy. At the dimensional level, intrinsic motivation showed the strongest association with the individual dimension, learning was most strongly linked to the professional dimension, and analytical skills were most strongly associated with the social dimension. The ISM analysis further revealed a hierarchical structure. At the highest level of influence were interpersonal relationships and analytical skills. At the intermediate level were motivation, learning, capability development, belief in self-ability, and focus on success. At the lowest level, self-actualization was identified as the most dependent variable.
Discussion and Conclusion: The findings confirm that employee self-efficacy in public organizations is a multidimensional construct composed of individual, professional, and social dimensions. The results are consistent with previous studies that emphasize the importance of psychological empowerment, continuous learning, and social interaction in enhancing employee effectiveness and organizational performance. The dominance of the social dimension suggests that interpersonal relationships and communication skills play a central role. Furthermore, intrinsic motivation emerged as a key driver of the individual dimension. Similarly, continuous learning was found to be a critical factor in the professional dimension. Analytical skills were identified as the most influential factor within the social dimension. From a structural perspective, interpersonal relationships and analytical skills were identified as key independent variables. Therefore, strengthening these two areas can have a cascading effect on motivation, learning, and overall employee competence. The findings suggest that organizations, particularly the Social Security Organization, should prioritize strengthening interpersonal relationships, enhancing analytical capabilities, and fostering intrinsic motivation. Overall, enhancing employee self-efficacy requires an integrated approach that simultaneously addresses psychological, professional, and social dimensions, ultimately leading to improved organizational performance and sustainable human resource development.