Public service motivation

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Public service motivation (PSM) is a theorized attribute of government employees that provides them with a desire to serve the public. The existence and extent of this service ethic have been examined many times in scholarly literature. PSM is important because it explains why some people choose careers in the government and non-profit sectors despite the potential for more financially lucrative careers in the private sector.

Early authors in the field of public administration described differences between public and private employees and concerns over motivating public sector employees.[1] Paul Van Riper described the issue in his 1952 history of the U.S. civil service system.[2] Even Woodrow Wilson's seminal 1882 essay that founded the field of public administration expressed concern over the performance of civil servants. Much of Max Weber's work on bureaucracy focused on similar issues.[1] Kaufman's The Forest Ranger introduced the idea of an organizational culture unique to government employees in the 1960s, which contributed significantly to the field of study.[3]

The concept of Public Service Motivation was formalized in the late 1970s and early 1980s by authors like Buchanan, Mosher, Perry, Porter, and Rainey.[4][5][6][7] Since then, it has gained international prominence.[8] PSM varies between employees and it is difficult to generalize the motivations of everyone who works in the public sector. With that said, PSM is an important driver in public sector employment.[9]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Perry, edited by James L.; Hondeghem, Annie (2008). "Editor's Introduction". Motivation in public management : the call of public service (Reprint. ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 2. ISBN 0199234035. 
  2. ↑ Paul P. Van Riper (1958). History of the United States civil service. Row, Peterson. Retrieved 14 December 2012. 
  3. ↑ Kaufman, Herbert (1960). The forest ranger : a study in administrative behavior (Special reprint ed. ed.). Washington, DC: Resources for the Future. ISBN 1933115270. 
  4. ↑ Buchanan, Bruce (1975). "Red-Tape and the Service Ethic Some Unexpected Differences Between Public and Private Managers". Administration & Society 6 (4): 423–444. 
  5. ↑ Mosher, Frederick C. (1982). Democracy and the Public Service. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-503018-1. Retrieved 14 December 2012. 
  6. ↑ Perry, James L.; Lyman W. Porter (January 1982). "Factors Affecting the Context for Motivation in Public Organizations". The Academy of Management Review 7 (1). 
  7. ↑ Rainey, H.G. (1982). "Reward Preferences among Public and Private Managers: In Search of the Service Ethic". The American Review of Public Administration 16 (4): 288–302. doi:10.1177/027507408201600402. 
  8. ↑ Donald F. Kettl (2005). The Global Public Management Revolution. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-8157-4919-6. Retrieved 14 December 2012. 
  9. ↑ Pandey, Sanjay; Edmund C. Stazyk (2008). "Antecedents and Correlates of Public Service Motivation". Motivation in public management: The call of public service: 101–117. 
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