Effects of Public Service Motivation on R&D Project-Based Team Learning Where Psychological Safety Is a Mediator and Project Management Style Is a Moderator

Abstract

While public service motivation (PSM) and teamwork are widely recognized as crucial drivers for effective public service delivery, researchers primarily analyze these factors independently and at a personal level. The existing literature rarely explores the interplay between PSM, the project team learning process (PTLP), and psychological safety (PS) within research and development (R&D) project teams, particularly in national R&D organizations. This study addresses this gap by proposing a theoretical model that examines the combined effect of individual motivation and team collaboration, mediated by PS, on R&D PTLP. Additionally, it investigates the moderating influence of project management (PM) styles—fully agile and partially agile—on these relationships. The proposed method utilizes partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for quantitative data analysis. Our findings revealed a positive relationship between PSM, PS, and R&D PTLP, with PS acting as a significant mediator. Notably, the relationship between PSM and R&D PTLP was stronger under fully agile project management compared to partially agile settings. These findings suggest that both project teams and organizations should prioritize promoting PS and consider the moderating effects of project management styles to foster a sustainable R&D team learning process, particularly within national R&D institutions.