Levels Of Public Service Motivation Research Articles

Building blocks of good governance: Fostering an ethical work climate in public sector organizations

AbstractPromoting an ethical work environment in public‐sector organizations is crucial for good governance, particularly in developing countries that face internal and external pressures to modernize their public service and combat corruption. This study examined the mechanisms by which an ethical environment in public‐sector organizations is enhanced by investigating the role that employee public service motivation (PSM) as well as ethical leadership plays in the workplace. Utilizing first‐hand data collected in 2022 through a survey of public employees working at the Jordanian ministries and public sector agencies, the study showed that public employees in Jordan enjoy a high level of PSM, which was positively correlated with an ethical work environment. This relationship was, however, improved when mediated by ethical leadership, indicating the importance of ethical leadership as an organizational intervention to promote a more ethical workplace. The implications, contributions, and limitations of the study were further discussed.

Public service motivation and public sector employment in Korea

AbstractThis study aims to investigate whether individual differences in public service motivation (PSM) between the public and private sectors are a cause or a consequence of choosing a job, testing self‐selection and socialization hypotheses using a longitudinal dataset from a nationally representative cohort in Korea. The study uses two samples from the data of three successive waves (t − 2, t, t + 2) surveyed biennially, finding that “self‐selection” can more persuasively explain the state that employees in the public sector have higher levels of PSM than those in the private sector, with job seekers with high PSM levels being more likely to work in the public sector and with the magnitude of differences in PSM between the public and private sectors maintained through the early years after entry into the workplace, while the levels of PSM, however, decrease in all job sectors. Implications of our findings are discussed.

Do Motivated Public Servants Behave More Ethically?

Understanding who behaves more ethically and how to boost one’s ethical decision making are important but relatively neglected human resource management (HRM) questions. To fill this gap, we extend recent experimental research on the role of public service motivation (PSM) in enhancing ethical behavior by leveraging a unique setting of anti-corruption reform in South Korea. Building on the difference-in-differences design in a quasi-experimental setting with more than 10,000 civil servants, gathered as part of a representative survey, we find that not only do civil servants’ higher levels of PSM lead to more ethical behavior but that their colleagues with higher levels of PSM are also perceived to be more ethical after policy implementation. As the first quasi-experimental research attempting to estimate PSM’s causal effect on ethical behavioral change, with the largest survey samples to date, our analysis has important implications regarding the greater efficacy of anti-corruption policies and the role of PSM in this context.

Job sector or PSM? Examining the relative effects of sector and public service motivation on prosocial behaviour

ABSTRACT Since public service motivation (PSM) arose from the literature on public/private differences and explaining what motivates workers in government, job sector and PSM intertwine. Many have examined how PSM relates to job sector and have even used job sector as a proxy for PSM, but are job sector and PSM interchangeable? More specifically, does sector or PSM drive individuals to prosocial behaviour? We use volunteering to decompose the relative contribution of employment sector and PSM to engaging in prosocial behaviours. We find nearly the entire cross-sector gap in prosocial behaviours is driven by differing average levels of PSM and observables.

Sector attraction and the role of job information: Evidence from a conjoint experiment

AbstractAre public and private employees different? And is this difference due to the fact that different people are attracted to work for government rather than companies? It has been proposed that individuals with certain characteristics, such as having high levels of risk aversion or public service motivation (PSM), are more likely to self‐select into public service. This study argues that this sector attraction effect depends on the amount of job‐related information available to job seekers at different stages of the job search process. We test our hypotheses using a three‐stage conjoint experimental design. The employment sector only matters to job seekers when little direct information is provided. Once more job‐related information is available to them, it diminishes. This effect is especially strong for people with high levels of PSM. These findings suggest that the sector attraction effect is situational, which has important implications for theory and practice of public sector attraction.

Do public service motivation and organizational processes influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment? A comparative study in public and private organizations

This study investigates the impact of public service motivation (PSM) on job satisfaction and organizational commitment while controlling for four types of organizational processes and individual attributes. Furthermore, it tests whether PSM is unique to public organizations by comparing public and private organizations. We use individual-level microdata from the “Survey on the Comparison of Public and Private Organizations in Korea” to address these issues. The sample for this survey, conducted by the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA) in 2014, included 2,047 participants, consisting of 1,000 civil servants and 1,047 private sector employees. First, we find that PSM positively impacts job-related work outcomes such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment in both public and private organizations. Second, we show that public sector employees have significantly higher levels of PSM than their private sector counterparts. These results indicate the importance of PSM in public administration and have a policy implication that public organizations need to design effective methods to improve the PSM levels of their employees. Third, both PSM and organizational processes jointly influence job satisfaction and organizational commitment; however, their effects differ between the public and private sectors. In conclusion, our research confirms that PSM is a crucial determinant of public organization characteristics in the East Asian context, highlighting its significance for public administration.

Organizational Error Tolerance and Change-Oriented Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment and Moderating Role of Public Service Motivation.

Error management is an important element of organizational management research, and organizational error tolerance has gradually received attention from researchers in recent years. Most previous studies concluded that organizational error tolerance positively affects both the perceived organizational support and job performance of public sector employees, but few have examined the relationship between organizational error tolerance and change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. This research examines how organizational error tolerance affects change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior using an experimental approach (Study 1, N = 162 and Study 2, N = 228) and a field survey approach (Study 3, N = 377). The results indicate that organizational error tolerance increases psychological empowerment, which in turn increases change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. Public service motivation plays a moderating role in this process. Specifically, the positive mediating effect of organizational error tolerance on change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior through psychological empowerment was not significant when the level of public service motivation was high, while it was significant when the level of public service motivation was low. This study clarifies the mechanism and boundary conditions of the effect of organizational error tolerance on change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior, provides a more comprehensive and dialectical perspective for research on organizational error tolerance, and extends research on psychological empowerment and change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior.

Public Service Motivation Leveling pada Aparatur Sipil Negara di Lingkungan Kantor Imigrasi Kelas I Non TPI Tangerang

The performance of the State Civil Apparatus which is further abbreviated as (ASN) is crucial and interesting to discuss, it is related to the image of the organization and competence in carrying out tasks within the organization. An ASN with good performance will certainly display a good image for the organization as well. The aspect that needs to be given special attention by the government in the motivational aspect is internal motivation. One of the internal motivations that can improve employee performance is public service motivation. This study used quantitative methods and took place at the Class I Immigration Office in Tangerang with 109 ASN (State Civil Apparatus) respondents at the office. This study aims to find significant differences in the level of public service motivation among civil servants based on demographics. This study found that there were no significant differences in the level of public service motivation based on position and educational background. However, there were significant differences in the level of public service motivation based on age and gender.

Public Service Motivation and Ethical Behavior amid Challenge Stressors

This study aims to investigate the relationship between Public Service Motivation (PSM) and ethical or unethical behaviors in the context of work stressors. A survey was conducted on 300 public sector employees in Nepal using structured questionnaires with a seven-Likert scale. The study used a deductive approach to examine the association between PSM and ethical behavior in situations of challenge stressors at work. The research found that high levels of PSM are linked to high levels of ethical behavior intentions, and this relationship is further strengthened in the presence of challenge stressors as a positive moderator. The study also highlights the challenges of self-reported measures and social desirability bias when observing ethical or unethical behavior. The primary variables observed in the public sector of Nepal were PSM, ethical behavior, and challenge stressors, with only three variables and a limited sample size being the major limitations. Overall, this study suggests that the use of PSM as a tool and creating workplace challenges may contribute to improving ethical conduct among public sector employees.

The Curvilinear Effects of Leader Public Service Motivation on Person–Supervisor Fit and Subordinate Emotional Exhaustion: Evidence From Field and Experimental Studies

Past research has shed important light on the dark side of individuals’ public service motivation (PSM) in relation to their own well-being. This study turns attention to the role of leader PSM and asks whether it could have a curvilinear relationship with subordinate emotional exhaustion. Drawing from the person–environment (P-E) fit perspective, this study proposes that this curvilinear relationship is mediated by perceptions of person–supervisor (PS) fit and moderated by subordinate PSM. The results from the field and two experimental vignette studies in Thailand provide support for the proposed hypotheses. In particular, higher levels of emotional exhaustion and lower levels of PS fit were observed at the low and high levels of leader PSM, whereas the moderate level of leader PSM was associated with lower emotional exhaustion and higher PS fit. The results from the experimental studies further indicate that individuals with high PSM, in comparison with those with low PSM, perceived higher PS fit with leaders who have moderate to high levels of PSM, in turn, experiencing less emotional exhaustion. These findings highlight the potential dark side of leader PSM, which lends further credence to the too-much-of-a-good-thing effect. Nevertheless, these effects also depend on employees’ PSM levels.

Who Loves Lockdowns? Public Service Motivation, Bureaucratic Personality, and Support for COVID-19 Containment Policy

Policies adopted to curb the spread of COVID-19 impose limits on individual freedom and although some citizens have consistently supported containment policy, others have resisted. Beyond political orientation, however, little research has explored the attitudinal basis of support for stringent virus containment policy. We argue that individuals with high levels of public service motivation (PSM) will more readily accept the sacrifices entailed by containment policy and thereby express stronger support for it. Second, we argue that the positive relationship between PSM and containment policy support is both mediated by trust in government and moderated by bureaucratic personality, the latter denoting a favorable orientation towards rules in general. Using a country-wide sample of 568 South Korean citizens collected in the fall of 2021, we estimate a conditional process model of support for COVID-19 policy stringency. We find that PSM has both a direct and indirect relationship with support via trust in government and that the indirect effect is moderated by bureaucratic personality, though not in the expected direction. We also report the results of a post hoc analysis which suggests interesting differences in how individuals evaluate rules that limit individual versus organizational freedom.

Testing A Curvilinear Effect of Leader Public Service Motivation on Employee Emotional Exhaustion

Past research has shed light on the dark sides of individuals’ public service motivation (PSM) in relation to their well-being. This study draws attention to this important construct and proposes that it could have a curvilinear (U-shaped) effect on employee emotional exhaustion. It further argues that this curvilinear relationship will be linearly moderated by employee PSM and mediated by perceptions of fit with the leader (i.e., person-supervisor [P-S] fit). In both the field and experimental vignette studies, the results showed significant curvilinear effects of leader PSM and employee emotional exhaustion. In particular, higher levels of employee emotional exhaustion were observed at low and high levels of leader PSM, whereas a moderate level of leader PSM was associated with the lowest level of employee emotional exhaustion. The results further revealed that this curvilinear effect was mediated by P-S fit. Moreover, in the experimental study, the results showed that those with high PSM, in comparison with those with low PSM, were less negatively affected by leaders who are perceived to have moderate to high levels of PSM. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

ANALISIS PUBLIC SERVICE MOTIVATION DAN KORELASINYA DENGAN KONSEP ALTRUISME

Many previous studies have found that employee performance can be influenced by their motivation. One of the intrinsic motivations that are believed to have an influence on employee performance is public service motivation. In this study, the concept of altruism will be represented by one of its dimensions, namely the belief in a just world dimension. The objective of this study is to analyze the correlation and influence of belief in a just world on public service motivation among civil servants in Jakarta. The research was carried out using quantitative method and also literature rule as an analytical tool. Respondents in this study were 951 civil servants who came from 3 agencies with the highest incomes in Jakarta, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, the Directorate General of Taxes and the Directorate General of Immigration. The results of the study show that the belief in a just world dimension has a significant correlation and influence on the level of public service motivation, besides that this dimension is suitable to be applied as an additional dimension of public service motivation from Perry and Wise (1990) to measure the level of public service motivation of employees in Indonesia.

Undergraduate education in public administration and public service motivation: A quasi-experiment with the intervention of an introductory course

This study aims to explore whether an introductory undergraduate course in Public Administration might be an appropriate educational tool for enhancing public service motivation (PSM) among undergraduate students. A quasi-experimental design involves surveying participants both before and after the intervention (taking an Introduction to Public Administration course) to examine whether their levels of PSM increase as a result of the intervention. The hypotheses were tested by comparing 96 students exposed to an intervention (experimental group) with 166 students who were not exposed (control group). There was no significant change in the total score of PSM and its individual dimensions before and after the intervention in both groups, and so the Introduction to Public Administration course was not effective in enhancing the level of PSM. The implications and limitations of this quasi-experiment are also discussed.

Is there passion for public service in authoritarian bureaucracies? Exploring public service motivation across regime types

ABSTRACT Although previous research has explored broadly the determinants of public service motivation (PSM), little is known about how it is affected by formal institutional variations. This article examines the presence of PSM in the bureaucracies of democratic and autocratic political regimes. Merging data from the four waves of the International Social Survey Programme with a recent classification of regime types, this study confirms that autocracies seem neither to diminish public servants’ levels of PSM, nor hinder its cultivation. In fact, we find indications that PSM is likely to be higher in autocracies, where the positive effect of relatedness on PSM is also stronger than in democracies, albeit the latter is partially non-significant. Future research and practical implications of the findings are further discussed.

Public Service Motivation of Street- Level Bureaucrats Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Experiences in Implementation of an at-Home Vaccination Program

This article details public service motivation of emergency medical services (EMS) personnel within a local fire department in Texas, as they implemented an at-home vaccination program, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. EMS personnel were surveyed and interviewed to learn more about their professional experiences. Using mixed methods, this work finds that EMS personnel in the local department exhibit high levels of public service motivation in both deciding to participate in the at-home vaccination program and throughout their experience in administering the vaccine to community members. This research offers insight local public servants’ motives during a time of crisis and while working in a new, innovative capacity.

Teachers and School Administrators on Public Service Motivation and their Relationship with Work Ethic Attitudes

The aim of this study was to determine the views of primary and secondary school teachers and school administrators from different generations related to public service motivation and work ethics attitudes in terms of various variables and the relationship between public service motivation and work ethics. The research was carried out with single and relational survey models, which are quantitative research methods. A total of 384 teachers and 370 school administrators were included in the two-sample stratified design. Data of the study was collected with the “Public Service Motivation Scale” and “Work Ethics Scale” developed by the researchers. The Public Service Motivation scale consists of three dimensions as "commitment to the public interest", "public awareness" and "responsibility towards society", while the Work Ethics scale consists of two subscales as "study orientation" and "pleasure orientation". According to the results, public school teachers and school administrators have a high level of public service motivation. In the teachers’ and school administrators’ work ethics attitudes, Work-oriented attitudes were more dominant than pleasure-oriented tendencies. Lastly, there is a relationship between the public service motivations of teachers and school administrators and their work ethics attitudes. According to this, as the teachers’ “being work-oriented” values strengthen, their “public service motivation” increases and as their “being pleasure-oriented” values strengthen, their public service motivations decrease. To this end, it would be useful to organize trainings for teachers and administrators to develop their awareness related to the values and obligations of public service. In addition, future study, which examines the views of public and private school teachers comparatively, can shed light on how education, which is a public service, resembles or differs from the principles of the public and private sector, which have their own rules.

Performance Management Practices and Motivation in Developing Countries: A Further Validation of the Public Service Motivation Construct in Ghana

This study aims to test if the local government's performance management practices are predicted by their employee's public service motivation levels. Local government's performance management practices are effective when their employees are committed and motivated. Employees whose motivations are unique to public institutions will be committed to both their key performance indicators and the general strategic goals of the local government's core mission. The lack of such motivations may be detrimental to the practice of management at the local level. The study used a cross-sectional survey of 850 local government employees in the Greater Accra of Ghana. The method of analysis of the data was multiple regression techniques. The findings suggest that employees' scores on attraction to policymaking, civic duty, and commitment to the public interest are strongly positively associated with performance management practices. The regression analysis demonstrated that public service motivation subscales combined to predict the variance in the dependent variable. Several performance management studies examine federal government utilization and rational decision-making processes. However, this study is one of the few to examine performance management practices of local governments and public service motivation theory by showing that employees' public service motivation levels can significantly predict the changes in performance management practices.

Red Tape, Rule Legitimacy, and Public Service Motivation: Experimental Evidence From Korean Citizens

While legitimacy plays a key role in determining if a public sector rule or process objectively qualifies as red tape, it is unclear if legitimacy shapes subjective red tape judgments. We use a sample of South Korean citizens and a vignette-based survey experiment describing applying for a small business COVID-19 relief fund to test the relevance of rule legitimacy for perceived red tape. We find that obtaining a favorable outcome (receiving the fund) reduces perceived red tape, but that neither input nor output legitimacy plays a consistent role. Second, we find that public service motivation moderates the role of both input and output legitimacy on perceived red tape, though in different directions. For those with high levels of public service motivation, output legitimacy reduces perceived red tape. However, for the same group, input legitimacy increases it. We provide a detailed discussion of the contributions of our study.

The interactive influence of public service motivation, perceived reward equity, and prosocial impact on employee engagement: a panel study in Pakistan

ABSTRACT We examine independent and joint influences of public service motivation (PSM), job prosocial impact, and job reward equity on public employee engagement. Using panel data collected from 56 public managers in Pakistan, we find that managers with high levels of PSM feel more engaged when they experience high reward equity but low job prosocial impact or when they experience high job prosocial impact but low reward equity. Managers with low to moderate levels of PSM, however, report being more engaged when both job reward equity and job prosocial impact are high. These findings provide a nuanced understanding of how PSM affects public employee engagement.