A Motive to Serve: Public Service Motivation in Human Resource Management and the Role of PSM in the Nonprofit Sector

Abstract

Several studies over the past two decades have presented varying degrees of evidence that an increased motive to serve the public good is prevalent in the public sector workforce. A widely accepted and measurable construct for public service motivation could have ramifications for public personnel managers in a number of key areas. This paper reviews the current literature on public service motivation (PSM) theory and examines how this desire to make a difference might e harnessed as a motivational force for human resource managers. The prevalence of PSM in the nonprofit sector is also explored as a means of broadening the current public-private dichotomy.