Public Service Motivation and Innovation in the Korean and Chinese Public Sectors: Exploring the Role of Confucian Values and Social Capital

Abstract

ABSTRACT:This study investigates the important issue of public service innovation (perceived organizational innovativeness and creative behavior) by analyzing a theoretical model concerning the roles of Confucian culture (hierarchical and group-oriented values), public service motivation (policymaking-oriented and societally driven), and social capital (trust and reciprocity). Recognizing the importance of public service motivation (PSM) in the Asian context, we explore whether and how PSM and social capital mediate the impact of cultural beliefs on the indicators of innovation in Korean and Chinese public agencies. The study uses survey data on public employees’ attitudes and behaviors, collected between March and August 2015. Results confirm the hypothesized relationships among the variables, although one contradictory finding was demonstrated in the Chinese sample.