Organizational Influences, Public Service Motivation and Work Outcomes: An Australian Study

ABSTRACT

This research examines the influence of organizational factors—intrinsic rewards, extrinsic rewards, work relations with management, and work relations with co-workers—on the relationship between public service motivation (PSM) and two work outcomes: job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Using data from the 2005 Australian Survey of Social Attitudes of over 2,200 employees in the Australian public and private sectors, this study found a direct and significant association between the two work outcomes and PSM (and the PSM-fit variable). Despite their significant and direct effects on the work outcomes, the organizational factors did not show any significant moderating effects on the relationships between PSM-fit and the two work outcomes.

Notes

Notes: The absolute value of correlations above or equal to .06 are significant at .05 level or better. Response categories for: PSM: 5 = very important; 4 = important; 3 = neither important nor unimportant; 2 = not important; 1 = not important at all. Organizational rewards and organizational commitment: 5 = strongly agree; 4 = agree; 3 = neither agree nor disagree; 2 = disagree; 1 = strongly disagree. Work relations: 5 = very good; 4 = quite good; 3 = neither good nor bad; 2 = quite bad; 1 = very bad. Job satisfaction: 7 = completely satisfied; 6 = very satisfied; 5 = fairly satisfied; 4 = neither satisfied nor dissatisfied; 3 = fairly dissatisfied; 2 = very dissatisfied; 1 = completely dissatisfied. PSM-fit: 1 = high congruence; 0 = poor congruence.

Notes: Standardized regression coefficient for each variable is reported.

N = 688.

Level of significance: *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.

Notes: Standardized regression coefficient for each variable is reported.

N = 674.

Level of significance: *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.

According to Kristof (1996, 4–5), P-O fit is “the compatibility between people and organizations that occur when: (a) at least one entity provides what the other needs, or (b) they share similar fundamental characteristics, or (c) both.”

The principle of fair pay is based on the equity theory that proposes that individuals evaluate the ratio of their inputs to outcomes for a given task in relation to a comparative referent (Adams 1965). The optimal point exists when individuals perceive the ratio to be a balanced one, when they are getting what they want from their organization.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeannette Taylor

Jeannette Taylor ([email protected]) is a lecturer of public policy at the Political Science and International Relations discipline, School of Social and Cultural Studies at the University of Western Australia. Her research interests cover performance measurement and reporting, graduate recruitment, and public service motivation.