Exploring the Context Dependency of the PSM–Performance Relationship

Abstract

The public service motivation (PSM) of public employees matters to their performance at work. Yet research on how context factors moderate the PSM–performance relationship is sparse. This article shows how the PSM–performance relationship may depend on two context factors: (a) the extent of work autonomy that a public organization provides its employees and (b) the service users’ capacity to affect the organization’s service provision. We test a set of moderation hypotheses using school data (teacher survey data with administrative data on schools and student). Using within-student between-teachers fixed effects regression, we find a stronger PSM–performance relationship in organizational contexts involving greater regulation of employee work autonomy for users with low to moderate user capacity.

Procedural Fairness, Public Service Motives, and Employee Work Outcomes: Evidence From Pakistani Public Service Organizations

“…According to Tyler and Lind’s (1992) group value model, the desire for fairness is a consequence of our socialization in groups, and individuals adopt values of fairness that transcend personal interests. Because the procedural fairness carries the relational information, a fair work environment is directly relevant for maintaining and/or increasing employees’ enthusiasm, self-esteem, commitment, satisfaction, performance, and motivation (Lynggaard, Pedersen, & Andersen, 2018; Williams, 2001). Individuals having high levels of PSM dimension of compassion carry affective motives, they believe in doing more than meeting minimum job performance standards, and organizational fairness helps such individuals in achieving their objectives.…”

Public Service Motivation and Individual Job Performance

“…Two studies (Andersen et al 2014; find a positive direct effect of PSM on performance. Lynggaard et al (2018), however, do not confirm such an effect. Instead, they argue that the effect of commitment to public interest on perform ance is contingent on teachers' work autonomy and user capacity.…”

“…Andersen and Serritzlew (2012) operationalize the performance of physiotherapists as the proportion of time they spent on difficult cases or types of treatment, but find only one of three tested direct effects of commitment to public interest on this performance measure to be significant. Andersen et al (2014; and Lynggaard et al (2018) focus on school teachers and draw on students' exam marks as a measure of teacher performance. Two studies (Andersen et al 2014; find a positive direct effect of PSM on performance.…”

“…Interestingly, of the studies using an objective measure of performance, especially those that use a limited assessment of PSM are the ones that do not confirm a positive effect of PSM on individual performance. Two of them (Andersen and Serritzlew 2012;Lynggaard et al 2018) study only commitment to public interest and one (Wright et al 2017) a combination of commitment to public interest and compassion. This brings us to the question of whether it is PSM in its full com bination of four dimensions that has a positive effect on performance or whether specific dimensions drive this effect (see also Brewer 2010).…”

Performance Management Practices and Motivation in Developing Countries: A Further Validation of the Public Service Motivation Construct in Ghana

“…Despite the extensive research on the subject, there is inconclusive evidence on whether or not motivation can influence its effectiveness in LGs. For example, few studies have explored the relationship between PSM and PM (Christensen et al, 2013;Lynggaard et al, 2018). While these studies have contributed to our understanding of the significance of PSM, and its link with the PM system, the findings provide little understanding of how PSM contributes to PM best practices of local government authorities especially relating to their strategic planning, performance monitoring & evaluation, review, and improvement.…”