Untangling the Association Between Goal Clarity and Public Service Motivation With the Moderating Role of Value Congruence

Abstract

Drawing on the socialization aspect of public service motivation (PSM) and the internalization process of organizational values, this study empirically tests the argument that goal clarity leads to higher PSM, with a specific focus on the moderating role of value congruence between them. Using data from 4,133 Korean public employees in the 2021 Public Employee Perception Survey, the current study finds that individuals’ perception of goal clarity generally has a positive relationship with their PSM, especially among those who have high individual–organization value congruence. We also discovered that certain matched levels of both goal clarity and value congruence are crucial for the positive relationship between clear goal perception and PSM to exist. This study concludes that the relationship between goal clarity and PSM is not straightforward, but instead follows a U-shaped pattern, characterized by a decrease followed by an increase. This implies that perceiving clearer goals may have a demotivating effect on some employees; those with relatively low levels of goal clarity and, therefore, low goal congruence (i.e., lack of internalization of clear organizational goals) would instead be demotivated as they perceive clearer goals.

How perceived risks in interorganizational collaboration shape disaster response strategies

“…To address EM challenges more effectively, especially among those with lower intrinsic motivation for public service, the establishment of relevant monetary or non-monetary incentives could prove beneficial (Ki, 2022). Additionally, managerial strategies that harmonize the personal aims of employees with the goals of the organization may enhance their motivation to work toward community welfare and public service (Kim et al, 2023).…”

Identification of Public Service Logic (PSL) and Public Service Motivation (PSM) elements in Open Government Data (OGD) initiatives

“…There is a debate on the exact nature of PSM in whether it is a trait or a state and unidimensional or multidimensional (Christensen et al, 2021; Florczak et al, 2022; Kim et al, 2012; Wright et al, 2013). It has been argued that PSM may have a stable or a variable stance among public officials and situations unique to the individual or external to her may call for adjustments accordingly (Florczak et al, 2022; Kim et al, 2023). Apart from this, the association across PSM, public service value and public service ethos has been attested in empirical research wherein the role of PSM has been found to be maximal in influencing the actual decision‐making processes with respect to the servicing of the people (Witesman et al, 2023).…”