Linking public service motivation, perceived external career barriers, and public-sector attraction

ABSTRACT

This study explores the association of different dimensions of public service motivation (PSM) and perceived external career barriers with the attraction, including general attractiveness and prestige, of the public sector in Vietnam. Perceived external career barriers are negatively related to the public sector’s prestige and applicants’ intentions to work in the sector. The analyses also reveal that individuals who demonstrate compassion exhibit stronger intentions to join the sector. Individual intentions, however, are influenced more by perceived external career barriers than by compassion. Also, there is a significant relationship between self-sacrifice and public organisation’s general attractiveness as well as between attraction to public services and perceived prestige. By contrast, the commitment to public values dimension shows no significant correlation with any aspects of public sector attraction. Interestingly, we discovered that a higher level of self-sacrifice would dampen the negative relationship between perceived external career barriers and perceived prestige. These findings highlight the role of the two affective-based PSM dimensions on public organisational attraction. The practical implications of the findings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• perceived external career barriers
• public service motivation
• public organisational attraction
• general attractiveness
• public organisation prestige

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

We confirm that the paper has not been published previously, it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, and the manuscript is not being simultaneously submitted elsewhere

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This research is funded by the University of Economics and Law, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM).

Notes on contributors

Thi Quynh Trang Nguyen

Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang is a lecturer in the University of Economics and Law, VNU HCMC. She is an alumnus of the Fulbright Master program of Public Policy and Management and currently a Ph.D. student in Public Management at the International University, Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City. She spent 10 years as a researcher at the Danang Institute of Socioeconomic Development in Vietnam. Her research interests focus on Public Service Motivation, human resource recruitment and retention in the public sector, talent management, and public management research methodology.

Tu Phuoc Truong

Truong Tu Phuoc is an acting manager of the Elearning Centre at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law. Phuoc has been working as a Lecturer there for 10 years. He earned a master’s degree in law from the Kutafin Moscow State Law University in Russian Federation and a master’s degree in public policy from the Fulbright University in Vietnam. He also participated in a short-term exchange program at the Nagoya University for 6 months. His fields of research specifically focus on constitutional law, administrative law, administrative procedure, and public policy. He is a member of the editorial council of Kutafin Law Review.