Public Service Motivation Research Articles

Public Service Motivation and Attrition: Studying Individual-Level Turnover Behavior in the Public Sector Using Panel Data

One of the foundational claims of public service motivation (PSM) is that it should influence an individual's willingness to join and remain in public organizations. However, the evidence in support of the “attrition hypothesis” is nuanced, and there is a lack of research examining actual turnover behavior. This study addresses this gap by using longitudinal data from the Youth-Parent Socialization Study to examine the relationship between pre-employment PSM-related values and long-term turnover behavior in the public sector. A multinomial logit model finds that those with higher PSM-related values in childhood are more likely to remain employed in the public sector over time. These results have practical implications for public sector retention strategies, as fostering the development of PSM-related values could lead to reduced employee churn and their related costs.

How digital government capabilities strengthen public sector workforce resilience

ABSTRACT Digital platforms are transforming the way public employees share knowledge, seek peer support, and stay connected. While these digital tools are believed to help employees navigate uncertainties, their impact often hinges on an individual’s digital literacy. This study analyses how the digital government capacity and social media competency may drive employee resilience. Based on survey data from public sector employees, the regression analysis show that strong digital skills and work-related use of social media are found to be instrumental for thriving as well as surviving amidst change. Public service motivation is found to be a significant contributor, which suggests the role of intrinsic purpose in adapting to challenges. These findings suggest the need for targeted digital training and motivation-driven strategies to cultivate a resilient workforce. This article offers recommendations that emphasize the integration of digital skills and employee’s well-being into human resource policy frameworks for public sector.

The Class Ceiling in Politics

Prior studies have documented that working-class individuals rarely become parliamentarians. We know less about when in the career pipeline to parliament workers disappear, and why. We study these questions using detailed data on the universe of Swedish politicians’ careers over a 50-year period. We find roughly equal-sized declines in the proportion of workers on various rungs of the political career ladder ranging from local to national office. We reject the potential explanations that workers lack political ambition, public service motivation, honesty, or voter support. And while workers’ average high school grades and cognitive test scores are lower, this cannot explain their large promotion disadvantage, a situation that we label a class ceiling. Organizational ties to blue-collar unions help workers advance, but only to lower-level positions in left-leaning parties. We conclude that efforts to improve workers’ numerical representation should apply throughout the career ladder and focus on intra-party processes.

From Motivation to Action: The Role of Green Human Resource Management and Public Service Motivation in Promoting a Circular Economy in Cambodia

From Motivation to Action: The Role of Green Human Resource Management and Public Service Motivation in Promoting a Circular Economy in Cambodia

Strategi Tata Kelola Kolaboratif Dalam Meningkatkan Motivasi Pelayanan Publik: Peran Gaya Kepemimpinan Transformasional Dan Kualitas Relasional.

The main objective of this study is to analyze theoretical models to develop empirical research models on factors that influence collaborative governance and public service motivation. The analysis method uses SEM PLS with 367 respondents. All questions related to research data have been tested for validity and reliability and have met the common method bias and nonresponse bias tests. The analysis presented consists of three parts, namely analysis of research respondents, descriptive analysis of research data and PLS analysis. The results show that transformational leadership style and relational quality have a significant effect on collaborative governance. Collaborative governance also affects public service motivation, with transformational leadership style and relational quality playing an important role. The practical implications of this study are the emphasis on collaborative governance in the public sector with the importance of strong transformational leadership style and relational quality so that public service motivation can run optimally through effective and sustainable collaborative governance. Keywords: collaborative governance, public service motivation, transformational leadership, relational quality

The Effects of the Local Government Officials’ Coaching Competency and Public Service Motivation to Job Engagement

The Effects of the Local Government Officials’ Coaching Competency and Public Service Motivation to Job Engagement

Exploring how grassroots civil servants’ professional group identification affects job burnout: Evidence from China

We sought to understand better how to alleviate job burnout among grassroots civil servants. Specifically, we studied how professional group identification alleviated their sense of relative deprivation and enhanced their motivation for public service to reduce their burnout. We conducted a vignette experiment ( N = 151) and an online survey ( N = 439) on grassroots civil servants in China. In the experiment, we manipulated professional group identification to influence burnout in both experimental and control groups. In the survey, we used scales to measure the variables we were concerned about, and used the process plug-in of SPSS to analyze and compare the mediating effects. Results revealed that higher professional group identification led to lower job burnout, and public service motivation (PSM) and group relative deprivation (GRD) played mediating roles in the causal relationship. This study examined the dual pathways through which professional group identification mitigated job burnout, surpassing current understanding of the relationship between identification and job burnout. With greater validity than ever, we provide an original perspective on alleviating job burnout in public organizations.

Seeking the Public Good: Public Service Motivation and Political Ambition

Seeking the Public Good: Public Service Motivation and Political Ambition

The Interactive Effect of Extrinsic Controls and Public Service Motivation on Blame Avoidance

Extrinsic and intrinsic systems of control are two prominent determinants of bureaucratic behavior. An exploration of the respective effects of the two forms of control may overlook that they often interact to exert impacts on bureaucrats. Drawing on a dataset of 870 civil servants in China, this study examines the interactive effect of extrinsic controls and intrinsic public service motivation (PSM) on blame avoidance. Three extrinsic interventions are explored: contingent rewards, punishment, and peer influence. The results show that contingent rewards may inhibit blame avoidance, and civil servants with higher PSM are more likely to be incentivized by reward contingency to contain their blame-avoiding propensity. Furthermore, extrinsic punishment may provoke bureaucrats’ intention to avoid blame, but PSM can inhibit this propensity. Finally, bureaucrats with higher PSM are more inclined to be invigorated by their peers’ industriousness, whereas those low in PSM tend to shift responsibilities to their more hard-working associates.

Mediating Effect of Firefighters' Resilience and Public Service Motivation Regarding the Influence of Depression on Their Work Engagement During COVID-19.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of resilience or public service motivation (PSM) on firefighters' work engagement during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted an online survey with 304 firefighters assigned to Gyeonggi-do between October 27 and 28, 2022, and collected their demographic information; work-related data; mood, anxiety and insomnia symptoms; and work-related attitudes. The leading causes of firefighters' stress were physical and mental health decline due to heavy workloads (46.4%), verbal abuse and assault from civilians (33.9%), conflict with coworkers (18.4%), and death of colleagues (13.2%). The results of the logistic regression analysis revealed that high levels of resilience (OR = 1.28, p < 0.001), service motivation (OR = 1.17, p < 0.001), and non-exposure to death (OR = 0.33, p = 0.005) led to high work engagement. Mediation analysis showed that resilience and PSM mediated the influence of depression on work engagement. The work engagement of firefighters is influenced by resilience, PSM, and exposure to death.

A Moderated Mediation Model on the Relationship Among Public Service Motivation (PSM), Self-Efficacy, Job Satisfaction, and Readiness for Change

Despite the pivotal role of employees in relation to organizational change, few studies have proposed an integrated influence mechanism that accounts for employee change readiness. By combining public service motivation (PSM), person–organization (P–O) fit, and expectancy–disconfirmation theories (EDT), we developed a moderated mediation model to explore individual-level impacts on organizational change. Based on questionnaire data collected from 512 doctors working in public hospitals in China, we found that individual doctors’ PSM positively contributed to their readiness for change but was moderated by self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Specifically, doctors with decreased job satisfaction resulting from realizing their limited capacity to influence policies from higher-ups tend to show a lack of willingness to actively prepare for change. In sum, this study not only contributes to a micro-level understanding of employees’ readiness for change but also proposes feasible suggestions to enable smoother and more successful organizational changes in public sector organizations. The research findings illuminate the crucial role that individual-level dynamics play in organizational change for scholars and practitioners.

Are Extrinsic Goals Detrimental to Public Service Motivation? A Panel Analysis Based in Taiwan

ABSTRACT The relationship between utilitarian incentives and public service motivation (PSM) has long been a core issue in public administration research. Scholars have accumulated ample evidence regarding how the pursuit of monetary rewards can affect PSM, but we know relatively little about the effect of various non-monetary rewards on PSM. The pursuit of utilitarian incentives, in goal content theory (GCT), is referred to as extrinsic goals. The present study identifies multiple extrinsic and intrinsic goals and tests whether pursuing extrinsic goals relative to intrinsic goals compromises PSM. Regression results based on panel data collected from Taiwanese public servants in 2018 and 2019 render support to this proposition.

Exploring the Influence of Artificial Intelligence Usage on Ethical Decision Making Among Public Sector Employees: Insights into Moral Identity and Service Motivation

This study constructs a moderating mediation model to link public sector employees’ Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage with employees’ moral norms and ethical decision-making behaviors. Based on the theory of public service motivation, this study hypothesizes that the impact of AI usage on employees’ ethical decision-making behaviors acts through the mediating effects of employees’ service motivation, employees’ moral norms, and employees’ ethical perceptions and that the relationship between AI usage and employees’ service motivation, employees’ ethical norms, and employees’ ethical perceptions is moderated by the culture of the public organization. The selected data from 417 public sector employees in China supported most of the research hypotheses. The findings show that employee service motivation, employee moral norms, and employee moral cognition mediate the relationship between AI usage and employee ethical decision-making behavior. Public organization culture moderated the relationship between AI usage and employee service motivation, as well as AI usage and employee ethics. This study reveals the complex mediating and moderating relationships between AI usage and employees’ ethical decision-making behaviors in the public sector. It provides important theoretical and practical insights for further understanding and promoting public sector employees’ ethical behaviors in the era of AI.

Driving Organizational Innovation in Public Healthcare: The Strategic Impact of Inclusive Leadership

In the public sector, it is essential to prioritize innovation and adaptation to efficiently tackle intricate and ever-changing difficulties. The objective of this study is to analyze how inclusive leadership affects the innovative work behavior of employees in the public healthcare sector and to determine the function of public service motivation and leader-member exchange theory in regulating this relationship. To evaluate the study’s hypotheses, data was collected from a field study of 300 public healthcare workers. The data was gathered via structured surveys and analyzed using Hayes' technique with the help of Mplus. The testing was combined with bootstrapping to analyze mediation and moderation relationships in the study. The results show a strong and positive connection between inclusive leadership and employees’ innovative work behavior in the public healthcare sector. Furthermore, the variables of autonomy and competence played a mediating role in the connection between inclusive leadership and individual work behavior. The study also includes a rigorous investigation of its results, as well as an analysis of their implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research endeavors.

Practical Course Experience Promotes the Improvement of Graduate Students' Motivation for Public Service: The Chain Mediated Effect of Positive Psychological Capital and Social Emotional Ability

Objective: To investigate the impact of practical course experience(PCE) on graduate students' motivation for public service(PSM), as well as the mediating role of positive psychological capital(PPC) and social emotional ability(SEA). Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted on 266 graduate students from a university in Beijing using the Delaware Social Emotional Ability Scale, Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and Public Service Motivation Scale. Result: (1) After controlling for variables such as age and student cadre experience, the predictive effect of PCE on PSM was significant. (2) PCE can influence PSM through the individual mediation of PPC and the chain mediation of PPC and PCE. Conclusion: PPC and SEA play a chain mediated role between practical course experience and graduate public service motivation. This conclusion contributes to providing empirical support for promoting high-quality development of graduate education from the perspective of self-determination theory.

The Antecedents and Outcomes of Public Service Motivation: A Meta-Analysis Using the Job Demands-Resources Model.

Understanding what drives public service motivation and its impacts is crucial for improving public sector performance. This meta-analysis synthesized the antecedents and outcomes of public service motivation based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Incorporating 177 studies and 179 independent samples, with a total of 319 effect sizes, the results indicated the following: (1) Job resources and personal resources were positively related to public service motivation, while hindrance demands were negatively related to it. (2) Public service motivation had a positive relationship with overall job attitudes, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work engagement. It also had a positive relationship with overall job performance, in-role performance, and extra-role performance. (3) In terms of the antecedents, individualism/collectivism moderated the relationship between job resources and public service motivation, as well as the relationship between hindrance demands and public service motivation. As for the outcomes, individualism/collectivism moderated the relationship between public service motivation and both job attitudes and job performance. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the antecedents and outcomes of public service motivation, offering valuable insights for future research and serving as a reference for theory development and practical application.

The role of Confucian values in Korean administrative culture: a cultural-contextual perspective

ABSTRACT The Korean administrative culture and its philosophy have been developed through the philosophical underpinnings of religious and spiritual practices of Confucianism. This paper argues how, as an administrative culture, Confucian tradition has significantly impacted Korean bureaucrat’s and citizens’ behavioural and attitudinal patterns. The managerial values developed by Western countries still could not be absorbed and integrated with Korean administrative culture due to the strong ethical and cultural Confucian values. However, in contemporary times, there is a diminishing trend of public service motivation and an erosion of public trust towards public officials in Korea. Many aspects of bureaucracy have been standardised regardless of their applicability in the cultural context. Although the rule of law remains the universally accepted mode of governance, understanding the contextual or situated specificity of the role of religion in Asia Pacific states is significant as the world is reverting to traditions and culture. The conclusion offers that in rendering public services, public values shape the ethics or moral standards of the bureaucrats. The morality of Confucian values and ethics can complement in Korea’s public organisational behaviour and religion, which could be a way to achieve an impersonal ethical code in modern public governance.

Sleepless for the family: The relationship between public employees’ family motivation and work stress

IMPACT This article explains how family motivation can be a stressor for public sector employees in the workplace and why public sector organizations should be aware of family motivation and its potential stress and health-related effects. In addition, it shows that physical activity—but not public service motivation—can help civil servants alleviate their work stress caused by family motivation. Public organizations need to develop policies to help employees deal with work stress and insomnia including promoting more physical activity which can improve employees’ well-being when facing pressing issues, such as budget cuts and family financial problems. Based on a study in China, the authors’ recommendations for practice have international relevance but most particularly in collectivist cultures such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

Influences on police self-efficacy: public service motivation, job burnout, and organizational support

Influences on police self-efficacy: public service motivation, job burnout, and organizational support

Impact of leaders’ public service motivation on educational equity

There is growing concern that discriminatory access to education depending on socioeconomic status is becoming increasingly difficult and costly to resolve. This study highlights high school principals’ public service motivation (PSM) to reduce gaps in academic achievement. Using the data from a survey of high school principals in Korea in 2018 and conducting a series of interviews, this study explores how principals’ PSM influences educational equity for the socially underprivileged students. The results suggest that three dimensions of PSM (attraction to public participation, compassion, and self-sacrifice) are significantly related to increasing budget allocation for students’ equity. The study concludes with suggestions for further research and presents possible alternatives to enhance educational equity for students.