Work motivation and public service motivation: disentangling varieties of motivation and job satisfaction |
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| Authors: | Jessica Breaugh Adrian Ritz Kerstin Alfes |
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| Institution: | 1. Organization, Management and Leadership Cluster, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany;2. KPM Center for Public Management, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland;3. Chair of Organization and Human Resource Management, ESCP Europe Wirtschaftshochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany |
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| Abstract: | Research on motivation in the public sector has used public service motivation (PSM) and self-determination theory (SDT) interchangeably. This paper compares both theories, develops hypotheses pertaining to their assumptions, and empirically tests them in two public offices in Switzerland. We then explore their relationship with job satisfaction as an indicator of predictive validity. We find that SDT and PSM display conceptual differentiation and SDT has a strongest relationship to job satisfaction. However, moderation analysis suggests that employees with high levels of PSM have more stable job satisfaction compared to their low-PSM counterparts. |
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| Keywords: | Public Service Motivation job satisfaction public sector self determination theory work motivation |
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