Positive work environment in public administration

Abstract

Based on the knowledge on motivation in software development teams, who have used agile methods for several years, this research determines the relationships between motivators, individuals’ characteristics, personality traits and job outcomes in two age groups of public servants in Poland. This study aims to identify motivators that significantly contribute to creating a positive work environment in which public servants feel satisfied with their work and feel connected to their organisation.The Motivators, Outcomes, Characteristics and Context (MOCC) model, developed by Sharp et al. (2009) to investigate motivation in software engineering, is used to understand the complex topic of motivation in public administration. The analysis of the relationships between the motivators and job outcomes, taking into account achievement-orientation and innovativeness, as well as personality traits, is based on mediation models. The source of the data for the model estimations is a questionnaire survey carried out among public administration employees aged 25–45 with higher education.The findings show that public servants respond best to three motivators, namely development opportunities, respect and teamwork. Younger public servants need a clear development path, while older public servants want respect from their superiors. Achievement-orientation in younger public servants and innovativeness in older employees, combined with openness and agreeableness, translate into better job outcomes provided that the employees are satisfied with the teamwork.