A Strategy for Building Public Service Motivation Research Internationally

Abstract

As the scholarly research on public service motivation (PSM) has grown and the geographic scope of the research has expanded, there is growing concern about whether the conceptual composition and dimensionalities of PSM are appropriate for explaining and predicting public service-related behavior in different countries and internationally. For doing cross-national research and comparison, we need to assure that the dimensionalities are stable and a measure of PSM can be used confidently. This article sets out a strategy for convergence internationally in research and measurement approaches. It will review research to assess commonalities in the content of PSM internationally, and revise the construct and operational definition of PSM to develop a more universal construct that can be used globally and is more likely to generate cumulative knowledge.There are three significant subjects that need to be analyzed in this study. They are to sharpen the concept of PSM by refining the conceptual components in Perry and Wise's (1990) study, to clarify the dimensionalities of PSM by refining the four dimensions in Perry's (1996) scale, and to specify the relationship between PSM and its dimensions by comparing a reflective measure with a formative one.After reviewing the previous studies, we propose that public service motives are based on self-sacrifice and can fall into three categories (instrumental, value-based, and identification motives) and that the dimensions of the PSM construct are refined as attraction to public participation, commitment to public values, compassion, and self-sacrifice. We also suggest that developing more appropriate items for better discriminant validity is essential for further research. The careful consideration of the relationships between PSM and its dimensions shows that it is more reasonable to define PSM as a formative construct: first-order reflective and second-order formative.

Investigating the Structure and Meaning of Public Service Motivation across Populations: Developing an International Instrument and Addressing Issues of Measurement Invariance

“…Using lessons from this past research, Kim and Vandenabeele (2010) have recently proposed a number of changes to the current multidimensional measures of PSM that would address its weaknesses and support the development of a more universal measure that can be used globally. Building on Perry's (1996) multidimensional measure of PSM, they argue that PSM should continue to be conceived as a 4D construct, with SS as the foundational concept representing the altruistic or pro-social origins of PSM.…”

“…Instrumental motives, for example, focus on the extent to which individuals want to participate in the public policy process or other activities that contribute to their community or society. Based on this motive, Kim and Vandenabeele (2010) propose redefining Perry's (1996) attraction to policy making dimension as APP and developing items that better represent such instrumental motives. Value-based motives, on the other hand, reflect the extent to which an individual's interest in public service is driven by their internalization of and interest in pursuing commonly held public values such as equity, concern for future generations, accountability and ethics.…”

“…Value-based motives, on the other hand, reflect the extent to which an individual's interest in public service is driven by their internalization of and interest in pursuing commonly held public values such as equity, concern for future generations, accountability and ethics. Using this motive, Kim and Vandenabeele (2010) propose redefining Perry's (1996) commitment to public interest dimension as CPV and identifying measurement items that specifically represent the degree to which individuals share these common values. The final dimension is based on identification motives and it emphasizes an individual's affective commitment to or concern for the needs of specific individuals and groups.…”

Professionals onder druk of professionele tegendruk? Gebalanceerde motivatie voor de publieke zaak in professionele publieke dienstverlening

“…Ten tweede onderscheiden zij affectieve motivatie, waarbij medewerkers vanuit emotie bij het zien van mensen die het minder hebben of vanuit affectie voor een specifieke groep willen werken aan publieke dienstverlening. Tot slot zien zij dat normen een rol spelen in de motivatie, normatieve motivatie, in de zin dat medewerkers worden gedreven door waarden, een 'plichtsbesef' naar de maatschappij of een gevoel van 'roeping' waardoor zij werk willen doen met een publieke functie (Perry & Wise, 1990;Kim & Vandenabeele, 2010). Hoewel deze motieven theoretisch van elkaar te onderscheiden zijn, vormt de motivatie van individuen een complexe mix van verschillende typen motieven (Kjeldsen, 2012b;Perry, 2000;Perry & Wise, 1990).…”

“…Onderzoek rondom de motivatie voor de publieke zaak, public service motivation (Perry & Wise, 1990;Kim & Vandenabeele, 2010), laat namelijk zien dat medewerkers in de publieke sector een sterke autonome, dat wil zeggen vanuit zichzelf aangedreven, drive hebben om te werken aan maatschappelijke problemen in een bredere context. Zo blijkt dat organisaties met publieke professionals met hoge motivatie om bij te dragen aan de maatschappij beter presteren omdat deze medewerkers meer tijd en moeite in hun maatschappelijk relevante werk stoppen (Brewer, 2008).…”