Public Service Motivation in Organizational Contexts

Public service motivation (PSM) refers to an individual’s predisposition to respond to motives grounded primarily in public institutions and the collective interest. It encompasses dimensions such as commitment to the public interest, compassion, self-sacrifice and attraction to policy making. Within organisational contexts, elevated PSM has been linked to superior job performance, innovative behaviour, organisational citizenship and ethical decision-making. Research highlights leadership styles, human resource practices and institutional incentives as primary antecedents of PSM. Cultivating psychological safety, empowerment and alignment with public values enhances the translation of PSM into discretionary effort. Agile methodologies and network governance approaches further bolster team learning and service quality. Globally, studies underscore the need to adapt PSM strategies to diverse cultural and policy environments. Practitioners are encouraged to foster supportive climates, calibrate reward systems to intrinsic motives and develop leadership that sustains PSM to strengthen public service delivery and organisational resilience.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Public Service Motivation in Organizational Contexts publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in public service motivation in organizational contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Public Service Motivation (PSM): A predisposition to serve the public interest and the values driving individuals in public organisations.

Psychological Safety: A team climate in which members feel secure to express ideas and take interpersonal risks.

Self-Determination Theory: A theory of motivation emphasising autonomy, competence and relatedness as drivers of intrinsic behaviour.

Performance-Contingent Rewards: Incentives awarded based on individual or organisational performance metrics.

Network Governance Leadership: An approach that encourages public managers to build external networks and collaborations to access resources and expertise.

Agile Project Management: A methodology characterised by iterative planning, flexibility and rapid response to change.

References

1. Effects of Public Service Motivation on R&D Project-Based Team Learning Where Psychological Safety Is a Mediator and Project Management Style Is a Moderator. Administrative Sciences (2024).
2. How Leadership and Public Service Motivation Enhance Innovative Behavior. Public Administration Review (2017).
3. Can Public Leadership Increase Public Service Motivation and Job Performance?. Public Administration Review (2020).
4. Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Public and Private Sectors: A Multilevel Test of Public Service Motivation and Traditional Antecedents. Review of Public Personnel Administration (2018).
5. Crowding-in or crowding-out: the contribution of self-determination theory to public service motivation. Public Management Review (2020).
6. POLICY ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE MOTIVATION. Public Administration (2013).