Developing public service motivation in the non-Western world

The concept of public service motivation (PSM) was introduced more than three decades ago. Although the field continues to be dominated by research from the US and Western Europe, a growing number of studies utilise data from elsewhere, gradually expanding the geography of PSM. With this recent research, the field has started to answer the call of PSM’s founder (Perry, 2014) for more research into what he called “multi-incentive” settings, where the status of PSM is less clear due to historical and cultural factors.

In the first systematic review of non-Western PSM scholarship, namely, research published outside the US, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand published in reputable English-language outlets, Van der Wal (2015) appraised the state of the art and proposed a research agenda. This agenda contained three key areas: (1) cultural values and societal disposition, (2) distribution and interplay between different types of motivators, and (3) relations between PSM, public service ethos, and institutions in developing political economies.

In a recent follow up review, Mussagulova and Van der Wal (2021) noted a further extension and expansion of PSM scholarship across the globe. In particular, they reported that non-Western PSM scholarship is growing, and increasingly using contextual variables to explain variance in findings in comparison with Western studies. That being said, ample opportunity remains for leveraging contextual and regional particularities to build a more distinct body of scholarship.

We acknowledge that the effort to promote regional and global perspectives on PSM is more than the sum of journal submissions. It is about working closely with scholars in non-Western institutions, encouraging research in under-represented contexts, building ongoing conversations among colleagues spanning institutional, geographical, and ideological boundaries. This is especially pertinent in the post-pandemic world that saw the emergence of new work modes, management challenges, budgetary restrictions, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

In the first special issue of Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration on public service motivation, published in September 2022 (V44.2), we featured articles that focused on the global relevance of the concept. This second special issue on public service motivation emphasises regional perspectives, It includes four articles addressing gaps in PSM scholarship drawing on a variety of perspectives, and exploring the empirical nature of PSM situated in China, Pakistan, Turkey, and Vietnam. Each article brings a unique perspective on PSM and goes beyond simply testing it in a different context.

We note the emergence of two distinct themes in this special issue: the role of societal and religious values in shaping PSM, and the relationship of PSM with other important variables that yield useful public management lessons. Both themes are important, timely, and much-needed responses to the call for more studies rooted in local public administration traditions, as well as more diverse research methods to rectify a bias towards quantitative methods (Mussagulova & Van der Wal, 2021).

PSM, value systems and religion

PSM’s relationship with cultural value systems, and religious values in particular, are not novel topics. However, they have begun to gain steam recently. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions have been used previously to understand how PSM is related to contrasting values (S. Kim, 2017). More recently, the impact of Confucian, Buddhist, and Islamic values has been explored in studies on PSM and other types of public sector motivation (Chen & Hsieh, 2017; Chen et al., 2023; T. Kim et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2019; Mussagulova & Demircioglu, 2022; Van der Wal et al., 2021). It is hardly surprising that religious and cultural beliefs are correlated with the value-laden nature of PSM. Many religious traditions emphasise self-sacrifice and commitment to working for the public good, which dovetails neatly with the prosocial nature of PSM.

The first article in our special issue, by Bo and Wen, is based on interviews of 22 Chinese civil servants. They use the insights from the interviews to reconstruct the three underlying PSM motives – rational, norm-based, and affective by identifying civil servants’ primary motives for choosing their occupations. The motives are grounded in the local context and are driven by the Confucian values of the Chinese society, as well as its distinct attachment to prestige, filial piety, and devotion to the country and the party.

In a similar vein, Azhar and Steen use interviews to explore the structure of PSM of Pakistani civil servants. However, they find that public service-related behaviours in Pakistan do not follow the established motivational structure of PSM. This is partly attributed to the influence of Islamic values, rather than PSM, on public service behaviours associated with empathy and compassion. Further, power, prestige, and status commonly seen as desirable attributes of the civil service in Pakistan were also cited as motivators in addition to PSM, confirming the multi-faceted nature of motivation for working in the civil service (Mussagulova & Van der Wal, 2021; Perry, 2014; Xu et al., 2023)

It is worth noting that the authors who pursued this line of inquiry took the road less travelled and engaged with qualitative methods to enrich our understanding of PSM. Exploration of values and attitudes as expressed by civil servants themselves is amenable to this research method as it allows scholars to explore lived experiences and record thick, rich descriptions of the value-driven motives that lead civil servants bring to choosing a public sector career. It is heartening to see that qualitative research methods are increasingly chosen for public management studies.

Expanding the boundaries of PSM and its relationship with other public management concepts

There is no lack of studies that explore the relationship of PSM with other important management concepts. More studies are published every year that throw light on how PSM is related to different types of leadership, for example. This is crucial in the post-pandemic world that first saw the Great Resignation wave and is now experiencing challenges associated with the rise of AI and the disruption it threatens to bring to many jobs. In this environment it’s crucial to understand how various types of leadership as well as the characteristics of jobs themselves affect employees’ motivation, which feeds into their intentions to stay or leave.

Vuong explores leadership in the context of Vietnam by investigating the effects of servant leadership on work performance. He finds that PSM acts as a moderator in this relationship. This article contributes to the growing body of scholarship on servant leadership which is often studies in conjunction with PSM due to their conceptual similarities. Vuong’s recommendations may be of particular interest to practitioners from the Global South facing challenges similar to those of Vietnam.

Kiyak and Karkin examine the effect of job characteristics on the PSM of highly skilled employees. The results show that employees’ PSM is fostered when they use high-quality skills in implementing their duties. Autonomy, an employee’s self-direction to decide the methods and timing of work, is another important factor affecting PSM. The authors recommend job redesign to foster PSM of highly qualified employees.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zeger Van der Wal

Zeger Van der Wal is Professor by Special Appointment at Leiden University, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University. He is a globally recognized speaker, researcher, and consultant in the domain of public leadership. Zeger (co)authored over 130 publications, including books, journal articles, and op-ed pieces in magazines and newspapers. Top-tier journals which have published his work include International Public Management Journal, Public Administration Review, Public Administration, Administration & Society, American Review of Public Administration, Public Management Review, and Journal of Business Ethics. His main publications have been translated into Arabic, Russian and Chinese. His latest book The 21st Century Public Manager was published with Bloomsbury.

Assel Mussagulova

Assel Mussagulova is a Lecturer in Public Policy and Public Administration at the University of Sydney. Her current research project focuses on career transitions of Singaporean workers, the main factors contributing to successful career transitions, and policies needed to support the workforce in precarious employment conditions. Assel’s work has been published in Public Administration Review, Review of Public Personnel Administration, Public Administration, Public Administration and Development, Australian Journal of Public Administration, and Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, among others. She is an associate editor for social media at Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration.