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

Abstract

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.

Examining the Double-Edged Nature of PSM on Burnout: The Mediating Role of Challenge Stress and Hindrance Stress

“…It is an oversimplistic view to take PSM as a personal job resource. As an individual characteristic in public organizations (Davis et al, 2020), PSM can not only be considered a personal job resource but also be the source of job demand (like high responsibility), which is in line with the reminder that PSM might have a dark side (e.g., Giauque et al, 2013b; Liu et al, 2015; Potipiroon, 2023). This finding is also consistent with the research on deeply meaningful work and calling.…”

“…Scholars have extensively studied the relationship between PSM and burnout (Giauque et al, 2013b; Kim, 2015, 2018; Rayner et al, 2018; van Loon et al, 2015; Potipiroon, 2023). Burnout is defined as a psychological state in response to stress in the work context and consists of three key dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced accomplishment (Maslach & Jackson, 1981; Maslach et al, 2001).…”

Reward Expectancy and External Whistleblowing: Testing the Moderating Roles of Public Service Motivation, Seriousness of Wrongdoing, and Whistleblower Protection

“…Instead of crowding out individuals' intrinsic motivation, this study contends that whistleblower rewards are likely to be perceived favorably by those with high PSM because such rewards can serve as a validation and acknowledgment of their extra efforts and sacrifice in exposing wrongdoing. The underlying logic here is that those with high PSM are highly committed to public service (Perry & Wise, 1990), such that they may anchor their expectations about their jobs and the work environment at a comparatively higher level than others (Potipiroon, 2023). From the language of expectancy theory (Fudge & Schlacter, 1999), such expectations can enhance the perceived value (i.e., valence) of rewards in motivating one's whistleblowing intentions.…”