International Comparison of Public and Private Employees’ Work Motives, Attitudes, and Perceived Rewards

Abstract

This article presents a conceptual perspective on the distinctive characteristics of public organizations and their personnel. This perspective leads to hypotheses that public organizations deliver distinctive goods and services that influence the motives and rewards for their employees. These hypotheses are tested with evidence from the International Social Survey Programme in order to compare public and private employees in 30 nations. Public employees in 28 of the 30 nations expressed higher levels of public‐service‐oriented motives. In all of the countries, public employees were more likely to say they receive rewards in the form of perceived social impact. In most of the countries, public employees placed less importance on high income as a reward and expressed higher levels of organizational commitment. The findings presented here add to previous evidence that public employees seek and attain more altruistic and public‐service‐oriented rewards than private sector employees. In particular, we add evidence that these differences hold in many different nations and cultural contexts. Compensation and incentive system reforms in many governments have often concentrated on financial incentives and streamlining procedures for discipline and removal. Such matters are important but should not drive out concerns with showing public employees the impact of their work on the well‐being of others and on the community and society. Leaders and managers should invest in incentive systems that emphasize such motives and rewards. Leaders and managers should invest in the use of altruistic and socially beneficial motives and rewards in recruiting systems.

Employee Motivation: A Leadership Imperative

“…Further studies have explored the relationship between organizational commitment and employee motivation from an international perspective (Bullock, Stritch, & Rainey, 2015;Gagne et al, 2014;Cerase & Farinella, 2009). In a study of employees across 30 countries, Bullock, Stritch, & Rainey found that organizational commitment varied between public and private employees.…”

“…Bullock, Stritch, and Rainey (2015) surveyed public and private sector employees across 30 countries to determine employee motivation factors. The results of the study indicated that public employees held more concern for the social impact of their job as a major motivational factor.…”

Culture and organisational context: how it influences voice behaviour

“…Public institutions tend to have other organisational cultures, and its employees have different work motives and attitudes towards their jobs (Bullock, Stritch, & Rainey, 2015). Employees in public organisations are thought to have a unique set of values, attract a particular type of employees, and are motivated by different condition (Vandenabeele, 2007).…”

“…Employees in the public sector are more motivated by their contribution to the public service and society (Wright, Donald, & Sanjay, 2012). Moreover, public workers place less emphasis on their income (Crewson, 1997) and show less organisational commitment (Bullock et al, 2015). Specifically, the idea that public workers are less committed to their organisation may contribute to the absence of evidence in this case.…”

National Culture and Application of Telework in Europe

“…A serious problem is usually the lack of understanding of organizational culture, or in an amendment notice to change staff behaviour (Thatcher and Bagger, 2011;Bullock et al, 2015).…”