This study examined the factors influencing the organizational satisfaction of employees in public institutions. In the case of public institutions that must provide stable public services on behalf of the government, the organizational satisfaction of employees will be more important. In this regard, this study includes the perception of HRM and trust between employees as affecting factors, and the perception of HRM consisted of sub-components such as fairness of evaluation and excellence of education and training. Moreover, this study considered trust between employees as a mediator. In more specific, online surveys were conducted with 705 employees of public institutions in Korea, and the Structural Equation Model (SEM) was performed. The results indicated that the perception of HRM affected organizational satisfaction directly or indirectly. In addition, trust between employees mediated between all sub-components of perception of HRM and organizational satisfaction. Particularly, trust between employees has been verified to increase the influence of the perception HRM. Meanwhile, in the case of Korea, there are more public institutions than other countries, and many other countries are showing high interest in Korea’s public institution operation system. In this respect, dealing with Korean public institutions as examples provides important international implications.

1. Ahn, S. S., & Kim, K. M. (2010). The Effect of the Gender-Related Organizational Factors on the Organizational Output. The Korean Journal of Woman Psychology, 15(2), 285–309.
2. Appelbaum, E., Bailey T., Berg, P., & Kalleberg, A. L. (2000). Manufacturing Advantage: Why High-Performance Work System Pay Off. Ithaca. NY: Cornell University Press.
3. Bae, K. B. (2023). The differing effects of individual- and group-based pay for performance on employee satisfaction: the role of the perceived fairness of performance evaluations. Public Management Review, 25(3), 601–619. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2021.1988270
4. Batta, A., Bandameeda, G., & Parayitam, S. (2023). Human Resource Management Practices, Job Satisfaction and Performance: Evidence from Transportation Sector in India. Asia-Pacific Journal of Management Research and Innovation, 19(1), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/2319510x231166800
5. Burgess, J., & Connell, J. (2008). Introduction to special issue: HRM and job quality: An overview. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(3), 407-418. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190801895494
6. Byrne, Z. S. (2005). Fairness Reduces the Negative Effects of Organizational Politics on Turnover Intentions, Citizenship Behavior and Job Performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 20(2), 175–200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-005-8258-0
7. Chaudhary, N. S., & Bhaskar, P. (2016). Training and Development and Job Satisfaction in Education Sector. Training and Development, 2(8), 42–45.
8. Cao, S., Xu, P., Qalati, S.A., & Wu, K. (2024). Impact of Employee Environmental Concerns on Sustainable Practices: Investigating Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction. Sustainability, 16, 5823. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su16135823
9. Cho, Y. J., & Park, H. (2011). Exploring the Relationships Among Trust, Employee Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment. Public Management Review, 13(4), 551–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2010.525033
10. Choi, S. (2011). Organizational Justice and Employee Work Attitudes: The Federal Case. The American Review of Public Administration, 41(2), 185–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074010373275
11. Choi, S., & Rainey, H. G. (2014). Organizational fairness and diversity management in public organizations: Does fairness matter in managing diversity? Review of Public Personnel Administration, 34(4), 307–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X13486489
12. Choi, S., & Whitford, A. B. (2017). Employee Satisfaction in Agencies with Merit-Based Pay: Differential Effects for Three Measures. International Public Management Journal, 20(3), 442–466. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2016.1269860
13. Colquitt, J. A., Scott, B. A., & LePine, J. A. (2007). Trust, trustworthiness, and trust propensity: A meta-analytic test of their unique relationships with risk taking and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(4), 909–927. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.4.909
14. Daileyl, R. C., & Kirk, D. J. (1992). Distributive and Procedural Justice as Antecedents of Job Dissatisfaction and Intent to Turnover. Human Relations, 45(3), 305–317. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872679204500306
15. Duarte, A. P., & Silva, V. H. (2023). Satisfaction with Internal Communication and Hospitality Employees’ Turnover Intention: Exploring the Mediating Role of Organizational Support and Job Satisfaction. Administrative Sciences, 13(10), 216. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13100216
16. Egan, T. M., Yang, B., & Bartlett, K. R. (2004). The effects of organizational learning culture and job satisfaction on motivation to transfer learning and turnover intention. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 15(3), 279–301. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.1104
17. Elnaga, A., & Imran, A. (2013). The Effect of Training on Employee Performance. European Journal of Business and Management, 5(4), 137–147.
18. Farrell, D., & Rusbult, C. E. (1981). Exchange Variables as Predictors of Job Satisfaction, Job Commitment, and Turnover: The Impact of Rewards, Costs, Alternatives, and Investments. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 28(1), 78–95.
19. Fatt, C. K., Khin, E. W. S., & Heng, T. N. (2010). The Impact of Organizational Justice on Employee’s Job Satisfaction: The Malaysian Companies Perspectives. American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 2(1), 56–63. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajebasp.2010.56.63
20. Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity. NY: The Free Press.
21. Gerrish, E. (2016). The Impact of Performance Management on Performance in Public Organizations: A Meta-Analysis. Public Administration Review, 76(1), 48–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12433
22. Giauque, D., Anderfuhren-Biget, S., & Varone, F. (2013). HRM Practices, Intrinsic Motivators, and Organizational Performance in the Public Sector. Public Personnel Management, 42(2), 123–150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026013487121
23. Gould-Williams, J. (2003). The importance of HR practices and workplace trust in achieving superior performance: A study of public-sector organizations. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(1), 28–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190210158501
24. Guinot, J., Chiva, R., & Roca-Puig, V. (2014). Interpersonal trust, stress and satisfaction at work: an empirical study. Personnel Review, 43(1), 96–115. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-02-2012-0043
25. Haslinda, A. (2009). Evolving Terms of Human Resource Management and Development. The Journal of International Social Research, 2(9), 180–186
26. Higginson, T. J., & Waxler, R. P. (1989). Developing a trust culture: to survive in the 1990s. Industrial Management, 31(6), 27–32.
27. Jahanshahi, A. A., & Bhattacharjee, A. (2020). Competitiveness improvement in public sector organizations: What they need? Journal of Public Affairs, 20(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2011
28. Jyoti, J. (2013). Impact of Organizational Climate on Job Satisfaction, Job Commitment and Intention to Leave: An Empirical Model. Journal of Business Theory and Practice, 1(1), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.22158/jbtp.v1n1p66
29. Katou, A. A. (2013). Justice, trust and employee reactions: an empirical examination of the HRM system. Management Research Review, 36(7), 674–699. https://doi.org/10.1108/mrr-07-2012-0160
30. Kim, H. S., Lee, J. K., & Choi, I. O. (2000). The effects of perceived organizational support and leader-member exchange on the job satisfaction and moderator effect of trust: In military organizational context. Journal of Organization and Management, 32(3), 39–68.
31. Kim, J. Y. (2022). 3 in 10 workers ‘leave their first job within a year’... and here’s why. KNNEWS. Available online: http://knnws.com/news/view.php?idx=16782 (accessed on 2 May 2024).
32. Kim, S., Park, S. M., & Choi, S. (2021). A Study on the Factors Influencing Turnover Intention of Employees Working in Public Institutions in the area of Science and Technology. Journal of Governance Studies, 16(2), 97–130.
33. Knies, E., Borst, R. T., Leisink, P., et al. (2022). The distinctiveness of public sector HRM: A four-wave trend analysis. Human Resource Management Journal, 32(4), 799–825. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12440
34. Kontoghiorghes, C. (2016). Linking high performance organizational culture and talent management: satisfaction/motivation and organizational commitment as mediators. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(16), 1833–1853. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2015.1075572
35. Korsgaard, M. A., Schweiger, D. M., & Sapienza, H. J. (1995). Building Commitment, Attachment, And Trust in Strategic Decision-Making Teams: The Role of Procedural Justice. Academy of Management Journal, 38(1), 60–84. https://doi.org/10.2307/256728
36. Kwantes, C. T. (2007). Organizational commitment, intellectual capital and organizational competitiveness. South Asian Journal of Management, 14(3), 28–43.
37. Laguador, J. M., De Castro, E. A., & Portugal, L. M. (2014). Employees’ Organizational Satisfaction and its Relationship with Customer Satisfaction Measurement of an Asian Academic Institution. Quarterly Journal of Business Studies, 1(3), 83–93.
38. Lee, H. T. (2010). The Effect of Public Officials’ Pay-For-Performance Satisfaction Upon Wage Satisfaction, Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment. The Korean Association for Governance, 17(2), 139–167.
39. Lee, J. W., Cho, Y. J., & Kim, S. E. (2009). Improving performance: Does performance-oriented management really matter? International Review of Public Administration, 13(3), 17–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/12294659.2009.10805128
40. Lewis, J. D., & Weigert, A. (1985). Trust as a Social Reality. Social Forces, 63(4), 967–985. https://doi.org/10.2307/2578601
41. Madden, L., Mathias, B. D., & Madden, T. M. (2015). In good company: The impact of perceived organizational support and positive relationships at work on turnover intentions. Management Research Review, 38(3), 242-263. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/MRR-09-2013-0228
42. Marescaux, E., De Winne, S., & Sels, L. (2012). HR practices and HRM outcomes: the role of basic need satisfaction. Personnel Review, 42(1), 4–27. https://doi.org/10.1108/00483481311285200
43. Meyer, J. P., & Smith, C. A. (2009). HRM Practices and Organizational Commitment: Test of a Mediation Model. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 17(4), 319–331. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-4490.2000.tb00231.x
44. Oh, Y., & Park, J. (2011). New Link between Administrative Reforms and Job Attitude: The Role of Interpersonal Trust in Peers as a Mediator on Organizational Commitment. International Review of Public Administration, 16(3), 65–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/12294659.2011.10805208
45. Park, J., Yang, J., & Ryu, S. (2023). Analysis of Articles on HRM in the Korean Journal of Organization & Human Resource Management from 1980 to May 2022. Journal of Organization and Management, 47(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.36459/jom.2023.47.1.1
46. Peccei, R., & Van De Voorde, K. (2019). Human resource management—well-being—performance research revisited: Past, present, and future. Human resource management journal, 29(4), 539–563. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12254
47. Podolsky, M., & Hackett, R. D. (2023). HRM system situational strength in support of strategy: its effects on employee attitudes and business unit performance. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 34(8), 1651–1684. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2021.2006746
48. Preacher, K. J., Rucker, D. D., & Hayes, A. F. (2007). Addressing Moderated Mediation Hypotheses: Theory, Methods, and Prescriptions. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 42(1), 185–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170701341316
49. Ramirez-Lozano, J., Peñaflor-Guerra, R., & Sanagustín-Fons, V. (2023). Leadership, Communication, and Job Satisfaction for Employee Engagement and Sustainability of Family Businesses in Latin America. Administrative Sciences, 13(6), 137. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13060137
50. Ramlall, S. (2003). Organizational Application Managing Employee Retention as a Strategy for Increasing Organizational Competitiveness. Applied HRM Research, 8(2), 63–72.
51. Ra, Y., & Kim, J. (2024). 40 Years of Public Institution Management Evaluation, A Review and Suggestion. Sejong: Korea Institute of Public Finance.
52. Romeike, P. D., Nienaber, A. M., & Schewe, G. (2016). How differences in perceptions of own and team performance impact trust and job satisfaction in virtual teams. Human Performance, 29(4), 291–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2016.1165226
53. Saltzstein, A. L., Ting, Y., & Saltzstein, G. H. (2001). Work-Family Balance and Job Satisfaction: The Impact of Family-Friendly Policies on Attitudes of Federal Government Employees. Public Administration Review, 61(4), 452–467. https://doi.org/10.1111/0033-3352.00049
54. Saragih, S. (2015). The Effects of Job Autonomy on Work Outcomes: Self Efficacy as an Intervening Variable. International Research Journal of Business Studies, 4(3), 203–215. https://doi.org/10.21632/irjbs.4.3.203-215
55. Skarlicki, D. P., & Folger, R. (2003). HRMR special issue: Fairness and human resources management. Human Resource Management Review, 13(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1053-4822(02)00096-7
56. Steijn, B. (2004). Human Resource Management and Job Satisfaction in the Dutch Public Sector. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 24(4), 291–303. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371x04269187
57. Stringer, C., Didham, J., & Theivananthampillai, P. (2011). Motivation, pay satisfaction, and job satisfaction of front-line employees. Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, 8(2), 161–179. https://doi.org/10.1108/11766091111137564
58. Tsounis, A., Xanthopoulou, D., Demerouti, E., et al. (2023). Workplace Social Capital: Redefining and Measuring the Construct. Social Indicators Research, 165(2), 555–583. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-022-03028-y
59. Vanhala, M., & Ritala, P. (2016). HRM practices, impersonal trust and organizational innovativeness. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 31(1), 95–109. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-03-2013-0084