The public sector provides a broad range of incentives to apply for jobs, but these incentives have rarely been studied in concert. The present study disentangles how job candidates form intentions to apply for a public sector job in multi-incentive settings and how this process depends on public service motivation (PSM). Using a speeded categorization task in an experimental vignette methodology with 340 current job seekers in the United Kingdom, we focus on perceptions that potential applicants have, or do not have, of a range of employment attributes (i.e., extrinsic, intrinsic, and prosocial) when they screen job advertisements. Results of multilevel analyses suggest that perceptions of intrinsic and extrinsic attributes are similarly strong predictors of the intent to apply for public sector jobs, whereas perceptions of prosocial employment attributes do not yield such an overall effect. However, PSM moderates the relationship between perceptions of prosocial attributes and application intentions, but only among nonstudents. Theoretical implications for the alignment of PSM with extrinsic rewards are discussed. Findings are also important for human resource managers in the public sector who want to adjust their recruitment strategies to specific target groups.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose that leaders who promote ethical values authentically will be more effective in inspiring followers to behave ethically than inauthentic leaders. It further hypothesizes that authentic ethical inspiration by leaders will transform followers’ prosocial motivation so that they internalize their leader’s values and act accordingly. Design/methodology/approach The study tests this moderated-mediation model based on survey data from 741 officers in the Federal Armed Forces Germany who are leaders and follower simultaneously. Findings Leader authenticity moderates the relationship between leader ethical influence and follower ethical behaviors. The effect is significant and substantial. Leader ethical influence has a significant, yet marginal effect on follower prosocial motivation, which, in turn, strongly relates to follower ethical behaviors. Research limitations/implications Although leader authenticity is a value in itself, it says little about the contents of leaders’ ethical values. Thus, future research should not confound authentic leadership with ethical leadership. Prosocial motivation is a comparatively stable characteristic of individuals, which is rather resilient against leader influence. Practical implications “Softer” means of leader influence are effective in the coercive context of public command-and-control organizations. By cascading down the hierarchy, ethical values disseminate throughout the organization. The study draws these conclusions within the limitations of a cross-sectional analysis. Originality/value This study is the first to investigate the moderating role of perceived leader authenticity in the relationship between leader ethical inspiration and follower ethical behaviors.

Purpose This paper aims to determine whether prosocial motivation acts as a mediator between the individual motivation types of self-determination theory and knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach A partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) based on data collection (N = 303) ) was calculated, using “Smart PLS 3” software. Findings In respect of the influence of individual motivation types on knowledge sharing, it was found that prosocial motivation provides indirect mediation for external motivation and complementary mediation for introjected motivation, whereas it has no mediation effect on intrinsic and identified motivation. Research limitations/implications Future research should consider the use of prosocial motivation as a mediator to reveal indirect effects that, otherwise, are at risk of remaining hidden. Practical implications To foster knowledge sharing within organizations, measures should be taken to increase external, introjected and prosocial motivation, as it was found that these types of motivation have a significant positive impact on knowledge sharing. Originality/value The current unanswered question – whether or not prosocial motivation acts as a mediator between the motivation types of self-determination theory and knowledge sharing – is examined, thereby providing insights into the hitherto largely unexplored role of prosocial motivation in knowledge-sharing models.

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