Public service motivation

The concept of PSM is founded on the “motives and actions in the public domain” demonstrated by “self-sacrifice and altruism” (Tria and Valotti 2012, p. This includes showing interest in the progress of other people for a social breakthrough. PSM adopts sense in disposing of a set of values spurred by public institutions. The PSM espouses the values of integrity and responsibility towards the improvement of public institutions. Indeed, the concept of PSM magnifies the satisfaction realized in serving the public than what the person accrues. ” According to the authors, PSM is merely a technical term known to the research community. The center of the matter is that the personnel involved in public service delivery are least informed about its existence and role.

Additionally, the successful conceptualization of the PSM in public services sector needs researchers to discern and communicate the role of PSM to social knowledge. The approach will ensure aspects of PSM are adequately distinguished, as well as promoting validation of the studies in PSM which current literature lack. Leisink, Knies & Loon (2018) examines the extent to which PSM addresses all human resource practices in the public services sector with a specific focus on volunteering. However, the impact of economic incentive in influencing service delivery in healthcare, the influence of PSM in the delivery of social services in the private sector, and the resulting relationship between PSM and behavior cum performance implies the actual impact of PSM on the behavior of employees. Geff (2014) reports about the shifting behavior of both nonprofit and public organizations to explicitly motivate employees.

The report disregards the essence of PSM as an important aspect of these organizations since employees rely on incentive-based pay systems. The ravaging competition for administrative roles in organizations is slowly changing from one based on constructs of the PSM, but rather one driven by the quest to access better pay and improve talent. Organizations no longer consider the constructs of PSM but adopt employee development and retention as motivational practices in human resource management. Essentially, motivation influences the behavior of people by enhancing an open, receptive and highly responsive social relationships. Alternatively, human motivation is at the epitome of determining combative behavior among humans. Such aspects as aggression, prejudice, and conflict as established within the constructs of human motivation. Cultivating motivation within a population is dependent on the real perspective about relationships, desire to command trust and acceptance among people as well as fostering transparent human systems.

It is on these characteristics that motivation is essential in creating constructive human relationships. Affiliation to a professional organization is an assurance of improved understanding of relationships and is requisite in promoting knowledge, commitment and personal beliefs in the organizational mandates. As a result, the PSM is cultivated through the institutional framework of the organization as well as the employee professional background. Homberg and McCarthy (2015) undertaken a meta-analysis of 28 studies to find out the effects of PSM on job satisfaction. The study reported a direct relationship between job satisfaction and PSM. The breadth of the impact is distinguished when the public service motivated persons have the chance to serve the public, where they experience a higher level of satisfaction at their jobs (p.

These factors are the core issues that influence service delivery in nonprofit organizations, otherwise other motivation factors such as the action to policy making least count on the NPSM model (Perry, 1998). Core constructs used in the analysis had different implications on PSM and satisfaction in the nonprofit organization. “Race, attraction to organizational mission, depth of involvement and location by state” positively influenced the NPSM. As a result, the study found minority groups in these organizations highly motivated. Additionally, increasing the involvement of employees enhance the motivation of employees in the provision of social services (p. Of the motivation styles represented under the self-determination theory, external motivation is preferred to service motivation by public managers. Under the umbrella of self-determination theory, both intrinsic and the non-intrinsic rewards are the most essential for both public and nonprofit managers.

Self-determination is an influential determinant of motivation in the nonprofit sector. Additionally, the study found that nonprofit organizations least attract individuals who have no interest in the public sector as well as those attracted to external rewards. PSM is contingent on the autonomy, locus of control and self-determination which are the key variables vindicating its relevance in the nonprofit sector (p. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used for testing the scale. The results found that the approach was reliable and proved valid according to constructs that constitute PSM. Perry’s findings on measuring PSM and the accompanying classification of analysis into either a three-dimensional or four-dimensional approach has influenced recent investigations about measuring PSM. The three-dimensional and four-dimensional approaches rely on the following constructs attraction to policy, commitment to public interest, and compassion, and self-sacrifice.

However, the fourth dimension, self-sacrifice, was reported to have the least impact on the PSM (Perry, 1996). The four-dimensional approach to measuring PSM was found critical. The four dimensions of attraction to public service were to measure instrumental motives of employees, commitment to public interest measures value-based motivations, compassion identifies the identification motives, and self-sacrifice dimensions. The four-dimensional approach gives deep assurance in measuring PSM in a cross-national context. Moreover, the study found attraction to public policy, commitment to public interest and compassion to have a high degree of correlation. Conclusion PSM is an essential concept of public administration which springs from the balance of promoting the social well-being of the society. References Bogh Andersen, L. and S. Serritzlew (2012). "Does public service motivation affect the behavior of professionals?" International Journal of Public Administration 35(1): 19-29.