Public Service Motivation

Abstract

To what extent can PSM be considered a characteristic that evolves in the course of the individual's working life? After offering this question as a contribution to a research agenda on PSM, the article examines in what way the different dimensions of PSM, held by a group of employees in the Italian Revenue Agency, relate to their perceptions of recent changes in working conditions. It also explores the relationship between perception of change, PSM dimensions and job satisfaction, work motivation and organizational commitment. Out of the web of interactions that tie together these variables some support is found for the argument that there is a relationship between some PSM dimensions and changes in the work environment. It is suggested, however, that the question raised, besides needing further studies, could be much better researched with a longitudinal study of a cohort of individuals.

Employee Motivation: A Leadership Imperative

“…"In 22 of the 30 countries, government workers report higher levels of organizational commitment than private sector workers" (p. 484). Furthermore, Cerase & Farinella (2009) as well as Gagne et al (2014) explored the relationship between employee motivation and organizational commitment, with findings that affirm the positive relationship between these two phenomena.…”

“…Further studies have explored the relationship between organizational commitment and employee motivation from an international perspective (Bullock, Stritch, & Rainey, 2015;Gagne et al, 2014;Cerase & Farinella, 2009). In a study of employees across 30 countries, Bullock, Stritch, & Rainey found that organizational commitment varied between public and private employees.…”

Can public service motivation increase work engagement?—A meta-analysis across cultures

“…The concept and measurement of public service motivation are not universally accepted due to the different cultural scenarios, and scholars have begun to re-examine its vision and operational definition (Cerase and Farinella, 2009 ; Giauque et al, 2011 ). Some scholars argued that the measurement should be appropriately abridged (Leisink and Steijn, 2009 ) or combined (Vandenabeele, 2008 ; Ritz, 2011 ) according to specific cultural differences.…”