Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Zooming In on Public Service Motivation I: Conceptual Facets

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Public Service Motivation and Civic Engagement

  • 724 Accesses

Abstract

PSM has been criticized for being difficult to distinguish from related constructs such as altruism, intrinsic and prosocial motivation. First, this chapter describes the conceptual underpinnings of PSM and introduces its dimensions as commonly found in the literature. Second, this chapter links up to the debate of construct clarity in PSM and discusses conceptual facets of PSM in relation to related constructs. Third, the chapter closes with brief look at civic engagement as interpreted in this book.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adler, R. P., & Goggin, J. (2005). What do we mean by “civic engagement”? Journal of Transformative Education, 3(3), 236–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen, L. B., & Kjeldsen, A. M. (2013). Public service motivation, user orientation, and job satisfaction: A question of employment sector? International Public Management Journal, 16(2), 252–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen, L. B., Pallesen, T., & Salomonsen, H. H. (2013). Doing good for others and/or for society? The relationships between public service motivation, user orientation and university grading. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 17(3), 23–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, C. (2016). Integrating public service motivation and self-determination theory: A framework. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 29(3), 238–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batson, C. D. (2014 [1991]). The altruism question: Toward a social-psychological answer. Psychology Press: New York.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bozeman, B., & Su, X. (2015). Public service motivation concepts and theory: A critique. Public Administration Review, 75(5), 700–710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breaugh, J., Ritz, A., & Alfes, K. (2017). Work motivation and public service motivation: Disentangling varieties of motivation and job satisfaction. Public Management Review, 20(10), 1423–1443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, G. A., & Selden, S. C. (1998). Whistle blowers in the federal civil service: New evidence of the public service ethic. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 8(3), 413–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, G. A., Selden, S. C., & Facer, R. L., II. (2000). Individual conceptions of public service motivation. Public Administration Review, 60(3), 254–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, B., II. (1975). Red tape and the service ethic: Some unexpected differences between public and private managers. Administration & Society, 6(4), 423–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarkson, G. P. (2014). Twenty-first century employment relationships: The case for an altruistic model. Human Resource Management, 53(2), 253–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekman, J., & Amnå, E. (2012). Political participation and civic engagement: Towards a new typology. Human Affairs, 22(3), 283–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esteve, M., & Schuster, C. (2019). Motivating public employees. Cambridge Elements, Cambridge University Press, forthcoming.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fehr, E., & Fischbacher, U. (2003). The nature of human altruism. Nature, 425(6960), 785–791.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francois, P. (2000). Public service motivation’ as an argument for government provision. Journal of Public Economics, 78(3), 275–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Georgellis, Y., Iossa, E., & Tabvuma, V. (2010). Crowding out intrinsic motivation in the public sector. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 21(3), 473–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillet, N., Berjot, S., Vallerand, R. J., & Amoura, S. (2012). The role of autonomy support and motivation in the prediction of interest and dropout intentions in sport and education settings. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 34(3), 278–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant, A. M. (2008a). Does intrinsic motivation fuel the prosocial fire? Motivational synergy in predicting persistence, performance, and productivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(1), 48–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant, A. M. (2008b). Employees without a cause: The motivational effects of prosocial impact in public service. International Public Management Journal, 11(1), 48–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant, A. M. (2013). Give and take: A revolutionary approach to success. New York: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, A. M., & Berry, J. W. (2011). The necessity of others is the mother of invention: Intrinsic and prosocial motivations, perspective taking, and creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 54(1), 73–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guay, F., Mageau, G. A., & Vallerand, R. J. (2003). On the hierarchical structure of self-determined motivation: A test of top-down, bottom-up, reciprocal, and horizontal effects. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(8), 992–1004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, A. D., Kern, D. A., & White, M. A. (2012). Building understanding in strategy research: The importance of employing consistent terminology and convergent measures. Strategic Organization, 10(2), 187–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hondeghem, A., & Perry, J. L. (2009). EGPA symposium on public service motivation and performance. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 75(1), 5–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houston, D. J. (2005). “Walking the walk” of public service motivation: Public employees and charitable gifts of time, blood, and money. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 16(1), 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mui028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houston, D. J. (2011). Implications of occupational locus and focus for public service motivation: Attitudes toward work motives across nations. Public Administration Review, 71(5), 761–771.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobsen, C. B., Hvitved, J., & Andersen, L. B. (2014). Command and motivation: How the perception of external interventions relates to intrinsic motivation and public service motivation. Public Administration, 92(4), 790–806.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, U. T., & Andersen, L. B. (2015). Public service motivation, user orientation, and prescription behaviour: Doing good for society or for the individual user. Public Administration, 93(3), 753–768.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S., & Vandenabeele, W. (2010). A strategy for building public service motivation research internationally. Public Administration Review, 70(5), 701–709.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knoke, D., & Wright-Isak, C. (1982). Individual motives and organizational incentive systems. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 1(2), 209–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotler, P. (2016). Democracy in decline: Rebuilding its future. London: Sage.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Levitsky, S., & Ziblatt, D. (2018). How democracies die. New York: Crown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, N., Kirkman, B. L., & Porter, C. O. (2014). Toward a model of work team altruism. Academy of Management Review, 39(4), 541–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mounk, Y. (2018). The people vs. democracy: Why our freedom is in danger and how to save it. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Moynihan, D. P., & Pandey, S. K. (2007). The role of organizations in fostering public service motivation. Public Administration Review, 67(1), 40–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moynihan, D. P., Vandenabeele, W., & Blom-Hansen, J. (2013). Debate: Advancing public service motivation research. Public Money & Management, 33(4), 288–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naff, K. C., & Crum, J. (1999). Working for America: Does public service motivation make a difference? Review of Public Personnel Administration, 19(4), 5–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osterloh, M., & Frey, B. S. (2000). Motivation, knowledge transfer, and organizational forms. Organization Science, 11(5), 538–550.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, S. M., & Rainey, H. G. (2008). Leadership and public service motivation in US federal agencies. International Public Management Journal, 11(1), 109–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parliament. House of Lords. (2018). The ties that bind: Citizenship and civic engagement in the 21st century (HL 2017–2019 (118)). London. Available online at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldcitizen/118/118.pdf

  • Perry, J. L. (1996). Measuring public service motivation: An assessment of construct reliability and validity. Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory, 6(1), 5–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, J. L. (2014). The motivational bases of public service: Foundations for a third wave of research. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 36(1), 34–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, J. L., & Hondeghem, A. (Eds.). (2008). Motivation in public management: The call of public service. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry, J. L., Hondeghem, A., & Wise, L. R. (2010). Revisiting the motivational bases of public service: Twenty years of research and an agenda for the future. Public Administration Review, 70, 681–690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, J. L., & Wise, L. R. (1990). The motivational bases of public service. Public Administration Review, 50(3), 367–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Persson, M., & Solevid, M. (2014). Measuring political participation—Testing social desirability bias in a web-survey experiment. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 26(1), 98–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rainey, H. G., & Steinbauer, P. (1999). Galloping elephants: Developing elements of a theory of effective government organizations. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 9(1), 1–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritz, A., Brewer, G. A., & Neumann, O. (2016). Public service motivation: A systematic literature review and outlook. Public Administration Review, 76(3), 414–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruci, L., van Allen, Z. M., & Zelenski, J. M. (2018). Pro-social personality traits, helping behavior, and ego-depletion: Is helping really easier for the dispositionally pro-social? Personality and Individual Differences, 120, 32–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schott, C., Neumann, O., Baertschi, M., & Ritz, A. (2017, April). Public service motivation, prosocial motivation, altruism and prosocial behavior: Towards disentanglement and conceptual clarity. In Conference Paper for IRSPM Annual Conference, Budapest, Hungary. Available online at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carina_Schott/publication/299471328_Public_service_motivation_prosocial_motivation_prosocial_behavior_and_altruism_Towards_disentanglement_and_conceptual_clarity/links/58ff034da6fdcc8ed50d868d/Public-service-motivation-prosocial-motivation-prosocial-behavior-and-altruism-Towards-disentanglement-and-conceptual-clarity.pdf

  • Schott, C., & Pronk, J. L. J. (2014). Investigating and explaining organizational antecedents of PSM. Evidence-based HRM: A Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, 2(1), 28–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schott, C., van Kleef, D. D., & Steen, T. (2015). What does it mean and imply to be public service motivated? The American Review of Public Administration, 45(6), 689–707.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steijn, B. (2008). Person-environment fit and public service motivation. International Public Management Journal, 11(1), 13–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suddaby, R. (2010). Editor’s comments: Construct clarity in theories of management and organization. Academy of Management Review, 35(3), 346–357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szulc, J. (2018). Organizational Altruism: Revising the focus of organizational helping behaviours. European Academy of Management Early Career Colloquium, LUISS University, Rom.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szulc, J., Clarkson, G., & Bown, N. (2018). Organizational Altruism: Conditions for caring at work. European Academy of Management Conference, University of Iceland, Reykjavik.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, J. K., & Clerkin, R. M. (2011). Public service motivation and political action in college undergraduates. Politics & Policy, 39(5), 715–740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vallerand, R. J. (1997). Toward a hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 29, 271–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Loon, N. M. (2017). Does context matter for the type of performance-related behavior of public service motivated employees? Review of Public Personnel Administration, 37(4), 405–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Witteloostuijn, A., Esteve, M., & Boyne, G. (2016). Public sector motivation ad fonts: Personality traits as antecedents of public sector motivation. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 27(1), 20–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenabeele, W. (2007). Toward a public administration theory of public service motivation: An institutional approach. Public Management Review, 9(4), 545–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenabeele, W. (2008). Development of a public service motivation measurement scale: Corroborating and extending Perry’s measurement instrument. International Public Management Journal, 11(1), 143–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenabeele, W., Ritz, A., & Neumann, O. (2018). Public service motivation: State of the art and conceptual cleanup. In The Palgrave handbook of public administration and management in Europe (pp. 261–278). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business & Management, LUISS Guido Carli University, Rome, Italy

    Fabian Homberg

  2. Media School, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK

    Joyce Costello

Authors
  1. Fabian Homberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joyce Costello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Homberg, F., Costello, J. (2019). Zooming In on Public Service Motivation I: Conceptual Facets. In: Public Service Motivation and Civic Engagement. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02453-6_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation