The impact of organizational management practices on performance management in the Ministry of Interior, Abu Dhabi: the mediating role of employee behaviour

This study explores the impact of organizational management practices on the effectiveness of the Performance Management System (PMS) in the Ministry of Interior (MoI), Abu Dhabi, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of employee behavior. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 350 employees via structured questionnaires and analyzed using SmartPLS Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicate that specific management practices, such as empowerment, compensation and professional development, have a statistically significant effect on both employee behavior and PMS effectiveness. Moreover, employee behavior serves as a partial mediator, underscoring its crucial role in translating managerial efforts into improved performance outcomes. Theoretically, this research contributes to the literature by integrating insights from the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory, the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) and the Resource-Based View (RBV). It extends existing PMS frameworks by highlighting how diverse managerial practices interact with employee behavior to influence system effectiveness in complex public sector environments. Despite these contributions, the study has certain limitations. Its crosssectional design limits the ability to track changes over time, and the reliance on selfreported data may introduce potential biases. Future studies should adopt longitudinal approaches and incorporate qualitative insights to examine contextual dynamics more deeply. Broader sectoral or institutional inclusion would also enhance generalizability. The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers and organizational leaders in the UAE, emphasizing the importance of aligning management practices with employee needs to foster a high-performance culture. Ultimately, the study supports the development of more adaptive, behaviorally informed performance systems in the public sector.