Personal values and value congruence of public administration graduate students: An exploratory study in China

Abstract

Explorations on the value profiles of current and prospective public organisation employees in China are scarce. The current study investigates this critical issue. Data were collected via a questionnaire from graduate students enrolled in a school of public administration in China. The sample consisted of both full‐time students who were prepared to pursue their careers in public organisations upon graduation, and part‐time students who were mostly public organisation employees. Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) and analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were used for data analysis. The results show that there are consistent value preferences among all students, and some noteworthy patterns in the relationship between value profiles and demographic and work‐related features. The results also shed light on whether a unique value set could differentiate various types of organisations, and demonstrate that employees in the core public service perceive higher level of value congruence than those in parapublic sectors. These findings provide implications and insights for the management practices in public organisations.

Profiling Public Sector Choice: Perceptions and Motivational Determinants at the Pre-Entry Level

“…Regarding the dichotomy public vs. private sector, it is interesting to observe that MSc students-older and more experienced-tend to be more optimistic about the public sector as opposed to undergrad students who show a predisposition for the private sector. This different pattern of choice, depending on cycle of studies and age, has been found elsewhere (e.g., [43,45]). Moreover, the public sector is generally perceived as lacking the capacity for innovation and a stimulating work environment, as opposed to the private sector, with the exception of students from Exact and Medical Sciences.…”

“…The literature is not consensual regarding this pattern and cultural-based differences may impair a valid comparison, given different values system. For instance, a more collectivist system, in the case of Zhong and Bao [45], shows that older Chinese students are more concerned with altruistic values than younger ones. Pondering on these results requires keeping in mind a comprehensive socialisation model and a sharp questioning of what is being fostered during these formation years.…”

Celebrating differences while reserving commonality: work values of Chinese public organization employees

“…However, such studies are mostly conducted in Western contexts. Few efforts have been made, in either Chinese or English, to compare the work values of employees across sectors in China (Zhong and Bao 2018). Sectoral differences in employee work values in the country are best characterized as ambiguous, particularly in public organizations.…”