The Public Servants’ Response When Facing Pandemic: The Role of Public Service Motivation, Accountability Pressure, and Emergency Response Capacity

Abstract

(1) Background: Public servants are regarded as guardians of the public interest, and their pandemic response played a vital role in controlling the spread of the epidemic. However, there is limited knowledge of the factors that influence public servants’ response (PSR) when facing pandemic prevention and control tasks. (2) Methods: Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), models were constructed and a regression method was employed with Chinese civil servant data to investigate how PSR is influenced by public service motivation (PSM), accountability pressure (AP), and emergency response capacity (ERC). (3) Results and discussion: PSM, AP, and ERC all have a positive effect on PSR, with AP having the greatest influence, followed by PSM and ERC. The effects of PSM, AP, and ERC on PSR have group heterogeneity, which had little effect on civil servants with very low levels of PSR and the greatest impact on civil servants with medium-level PSR. Job categories of civil servants also are a factor related to PSR; PSM and AP have the strongest effects on civil servants in professional technology, and ERC has the greatest influence on administrative law enforcement. Moreover, gender, administrative level, and leadership positions also have an impact on PSR. (4) Conclusions: Based on the factors of PSR, we found at least three important aspects that governments need to consider in encouraging PSR when facing a pandemic.

Factors influencing civil servants' willingness to implement cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Chongqing, China: Based on the theory of planned behavior

“…Subjective norm was the strongest predictor of civil servants' willingness to implement CPR ( H2 ), which is consistent with the findings of Ye [ 58 ] on civil servants' emergency response behaviors in the face of an epidemic. Among the subjective norms, the requirement of mainstream social values scored the highest.…”

“…On the other hand, it may also be related to the particularity of the profession of civil servants. Civil servants are willing to make self-sacrifices for the benefit of the public and not for their own benefit [ 58 ]. Therefore, civil servants generally show a positive attitude towards bystander CPR, believing that bystander CPR is important and valuable and that there is a sense of accomplishment in saving lives by implementing CPR.…”

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“…Although it was expected that individual differences impact sensemaking processes and political decisions, the strong relationship between PSM and local politicians' risk perceptions catches the eye. Ye, Liu, and Zhang (2021) found similar relationships when analysing the impact of PSM on public servants' likelihood to actively carry out tasks of epidemic prevention and control. Individuals with a high level of PSMa general motivation linked to societal altruismthus 'seem to place a greater value on intrinsically rewarding actions, such as service to society, the nation, and public interests' (Zhang, Welch, and Miao 2018, 3).…”

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