Comparing Government Cultures to Corporate Culture

Throughout my experience working with the Office of the Comptroller so far this summer, I have consistently noticed differences in office dynamics between government and corporate means of operation. Prior to this summer, all of my work experience was in the private sector, and I did not know what to expect from working for a local government. Often times I have heard of stereotypical government work and the negative connotation this time of work has. Growing up, my father would use the expression “good enough for government work,” to mean something that was not done well but it will “get the job done.” It became clear to me that most people assume government work is not as efficient as the corporate world, and I was looking forward to learning about the dynamics of government work when I began this summer.
The aspect of working for a government entity which immediately stuck out to me was the limited amount of resources available to the County and the difficulties which arise from being stuck in the past. The Office of the Comptroller is forced to use outdated accounting and financial systems which drastically increase the amount of time to perform its daily operations, and make work far more tedious and prone to mistakes than necessary. Considering the material weaknesses of the County, it would become very easy for the employees of the County to become disgruntled and half-heartedly approach their jobs, but that simply could not be further from the case in my experience. Every employee who I have worked with so far this summer as attacked their job with vigor and determination to overcome the plethora of technological obstacles they face on a daily basis. I consistently see employees willing to stay late or help out their coworkers to make sure deadlines are met regardless of the situation.
While government work may seem to most as inferior to the flash of the corporate world, I have truly come to appreciate and admire the determination of local government employees to put in the extra time and effort needed to perform their jobs and serve the public.