The concept of public service motivation (PSM) focuses on certain distinctive motivation factors for public sector employees. Applying the characteristics of PSM to specific administrative contexts, the project Public service motivation and identity analyses the appropriateness of various incentive structures in the civil service. The PSM concept as well as its operationalisation for empirical research was originally developed for the Anglo-Saxon context. It is also gaining increasing attention in European public management. However, the empirical data which are currently available are limited and indicate the need to adapt the concept to suit differences in national administrative traditions. Data and contributions from German-speaking countries in particular have not yet been present in academic discourse.
More about the project
Based on an initial questionnaire survey, the current project analyses the relevant dimensions and features of PSM in a continental European administrative context. We are interested in the relevance of various influencing factors (PSM as dependent variable) as well as their impact on identification, commitment and work satisfaction (PSM as independent variable). These analyses should help develop options for a modern human resource management (HRM) in the context of a somewhat rigid salary system.
