PURPOSE: To examine in a comparative perspective how civil servants’ rights in the Netherlands (‘ambtenaar’) and in Turkey (‘memur’) influence their communication throughout the organization and their work performance.

METHODS: First, some scientific books and articles about performance management and organizational communication have been analyzed, and then legislation of civil servants’ rights in the Netherlands and Turkey has been screened. Finally, a survey among civil servants working in the Netherlands and Turkey has been carried out to examine different practices.

RESULTS: According to the outcomes, the impact of “regular organizational communication”, “the right of information”, “the possibility to contact the contact management”, “the giving regular in-service training” and “objective and fair management” on organizational communication and performance is for the Dutch respondents of greater importance than for the Turkish respondents.   

Turkish civil servants responded, more than for Dutch civil servants, that ‘fair discipline policy’, ‘fair remuneration and other financial benefits’, ‘adequate social assistance’, ‘remuneration and additional payments for overtime work’ and ‘knowledge of labour rights and their application’ have a major impact on their communication throughout the organization and their work performance.  

On the other hand, both countries have shown the next similarities: ‘management in line with legal provisions’, ‘remuneration and career policy’, ‘work according to the job description’, ‘promotion to higher positions based on successful performance’, ‘ability to use vacation days’, ‘taking complaints about work seriously’, ‘regular social relationships and the relation between superiors and subordinates within the organization”, ‘a fair performance management system’ and effective use of employees’ organization rights’. As in general Dutch civil servants bring their impact on organizational communication and performance in relation to their rights to equality, impartiality and education; Turkish civil servants in common relate the right to remuneration to their communication throughout the organization and their performance.

CONCLUSION: In general it is expected that a good legal position of civil servants affect their performance and communication throughout the communication in positive way. On the other hand it is difficult to determine - because the legal position of civil servants differs from country to country - whether the legal position of civil servants in different countries influences the performance and internal communication differently. Actually, the rights of civil servants, both in Turkey and in the Netherlands, seem to be basically similar. While Dutch civil servants respond that five domains of their legal position have an effect on their performance and internal communication, Turkish civil servants respond that six other domains affect their performance and internal communication. Finally, civil servants in both countries mentioned ten similar domains which affect their performance and internal communication. Considering the rights of civil servants in different domains and the way this affects civil servants’ performance and communication, it is noticeable that these effects are influenced by the quality of the implementation of these rights.

KEYWORDS: Dutch civil servant (‘ambtenaar’), Turkish civil servant (‘memur’), Organizational communication, Work performance of civil servants