Researchers have obtained conflicting results about the role of prosocial motivation in persistence, performance, and productivity. To resolve this discrepancy, I draw on self-determination theory, proposing that prosocial motivation is most likely to predict these outcomes when it is accompanied by intrinsic motivation. Two field studies support the hypothesis that intrinsic motivation moderates the association between prosocial motivation and persistence, performance, and productivity. In Study 1, intrinsic motivation strengthened the relationship between prosocial motivation and the overtime hour persistence of 58 firefighters. In Study 2, intrinsic motivation strengthened the relationship between prosocial motivation and the performance and productivity of 140 fundraising callers. Callers who reported high levels of both prosocial and intrinsic motivations raised more money 1 month later, and this moderated association was mediated by a larger number of calls made. I discuss implications for theory and research on work motivation.

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Does intrinsic motivation fuel the prosocial fire? Motivational synergy in predicting persistence, performance, and productivity.

In seeking to explain the antecedents of public service motivation, James Perry focuses on the formative role of sociohistorical context. Th is study tests Perry’s theory and examines the role that organizational factors play in shaping public service motivation, based on responses from a national survey of state government health and human service managers. Th e fi ndings support the role of sociohistorical context, showing that public service motivation is strongly and positively related to level of education and membership in professional organizations. Th e results also underscore the signifi cant infl uence of organizational institutions, indicating that red tape and length of organizational membership are negatively related to public service motivation, whereas hierarchical authority and reform eff orts have a positive relationship. Th erefore, public organizations have both an opportunity and a responsibility to create an environment that allows employees to feel they are contributing to the public good.

The Role of Organizations in Fostering Public Service Motivation

How has research regarding public service motivation evolved since James L. Perry and Lois Recascino Wise published their essay “The Motivational Bases of Public Service” 20 years ago? The authors assess subsequent studies in public administration and in social and behavioral sciences as well as evolving definitions of public service motivation. What have we learned about public service motivation during the last two decades? What gaps in our understanding and knowledge have appeared with respect to the three propositions offered by Perry and Wise? This essay charts new directions for public service motivation scholarship to help clarify current research questions, advance comparative research, and enhance our overall understanding of individuals’ public service motives.

Revisiting the Motivational Bases of Public Service: Twenty Years of Research and an Agenda for the Future

In this journal, Rainey and Steinbauer proposed a theory of effective government organizations, and Brewer and Selden conducted an empirical study with data from the 1996 Merit Principles Survey that confirmed most hypothesized relationships in the theoretical model of organizational performance. Following these studies, this study focuses only on the individual-level factors, such as job satisfaction, affective commitment, public service motivation, and organizational citizenship behavior. It empirically tests the effects of these variables on organizational performance in the public sector of Korea. When the survey data of 1,739 public employees in government agencies were analyzed, the hypothesized relationships in the proposed model were confirmed. I discuss the survey results in light of previous studies, especially those of Brewer and Selden. In this journal, Rainey and Steinbauer (1999) proposed a theory of effective government organizations, urging that this theory be tested empirically; Brewer and Selden (2000) conducted an empirical study with data from the 1996 Merit Principles Survey and confirmed most hypothesized relationships in the theoretical model of organizational performance. In those studies, both individual-level and organization-level factors are involved in the theoretical models; thus each level was not fully examined, and some important factors remain to be considered. Brewer and Selden (2000) inspire me to pursue further evidence about whether the individual attitudes and behaviors of public employees may affect government performance. Popovich defined high-performance organizations as "groups of employees who produce desired goods or services at higher quality with the same or fewer resources" (1998, 11). Good public employees may be imagined to have such characteristics as high satisfaction with their jobs, high commitment to the organization, high motivation to serve the public, and strong intentions to work for the organization willingly and devotedly. I assume that public employees with these characteristics will contribute to organizational performance and thus that individual-level factors will positively affect organizational performance. I will discuss the individual-level factors and develop the model that relates I would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for the useful suggestions and comments provided through the review process. Address correspondence to the author at smook@snut.ac.kr. doi:l 0.1 093/jopart/mui013 Advance Access publication on December 16, 2004 Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Vol. 15, no. 2 ? 2005 Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Inc.; all rights reserved. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.186 on Sun, 09 Oct 2016 04:20:00 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 246 Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory Figure 1 Theoretical Model of Individual-Level Factors and Organizational Performance

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/3525699.pdf

Individual-Level Factors and Organizational Performance in Government Organizations

This study contributes to our understanding of the differences in work motivation between the public and private sectors. Data from a survey of 3,314 private sector and 409 public sector employees in Belgium strongly confirm previous research showing that public sector employees are less extrinsically motivated. Differences in hierarchical level are more important determinants of work motivation than sectoral differences. In addition, most observed differences can be wholly or partially explained by differences in job content, not by the sector itself. Evidence is presented to show that motivational differences can be explained by a positive choice of work–life balance.

An analysis of differences in work motivation between public and private sector organizations

Considerable research has asked whether public sector employees have different values and respond to different incen tives than private sector employees Recently, Jim Perry developed a scale design...

Working for America: Does Public Service Motivation Make a Difference?

Policy makers have long recognized the importance of achieving a representative federal bureaucracy, but the four most recent presidents have expressed divergent views about policies designed to achieve this goal. Meanwhile, there have been widespread perceptions among federal employees that the administrations' ideologies have had a direct impact on the opportunities of minorities, women, and white men for advancement. Using government-wide data from 1979 to 1996, this article examines whether such employment opportunities have varied in the manner suggested by these perceptions. We find little evidence of a correlation between the president's views on affirmative action and minority and female representation in the overall federal workforce. Moreover, the curtailment of promotion opportunities during the Reagan and Clinton administrations has affected all groups nearly equally. Potential presidential influence has been more notable in the representation of women and minorities in politically appointed and career senior executive jobs. We conclude that equal employment opportunity and affirmative action policies have remained basically intact during the 18-year period, but that recent court decisions, along with efforts to reduce the size of government, may slow progress toward achieving a representative bureaucracy.

The President and Representative Bureaucracy: Rhetoric and Reality

: This study was conducted by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board to find out whether women in Federal Government service face subtle barriers to career advancement, also known as the "glass ceiling." The Board found that women do confront inequitable barriers to advancement in their Federal careers. These barriers take the form of subtle assumptions, attitudes, and stereotypes that affect how managers may view women's potential for advancement and, in some cases, their effectiveness on the job. Furthermore, the Board found that women face obstacles to advancement not only at the GS/GM 13 level and above but also at lower levels in the pipeline. In addition, it appears that minority women face a double disadvantage because of their gender and their race or national origin.

A Question of Equity: Women and the Glass Ceiling in the Federal Government

Looking like America: The Continuing Importance of Affirmative Action in Federal Employment

One of the major substantive components of “big government conservatism” was a decided predisposition against public employee unions, toward privileging managerial discretion, and yet still maintaining equal opportunity in the workplace. However, could this predisposition be resolved in practice without harming federal employees’ rights, benefits, and morale in the workplace? To address this question, this article examines whether the attitudes of federal employees toward variants of subjective discrimination in the workplace changed significantly during the George W. Bush presidency. We find that trends related to perceptions of retaliation and discrimination have improved in recent years. However, perceptions of retaliation and discrimination are found to exist among minority and female employees and managers in the federal workplace that require vigilance. These results suggest that big government conservatism’s predisposition to pursue equal opportunity as opposed to affirmative action—while diminishing the power of public employee unions and enhancing managerial prerogatives—either succeeded on its own merits or that the earlier momentum could not be stopped.

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John Crum

Papers

Working for America: Does Public Service Motivation Make a Difference?

The President and Representative Bureaucracy: Rhetoric and Reality

A Question of Equity: Women and the Glass Ceiling in the Federal Government

Looking like America: The Continuing Importance of Affirmative Action in Federal Employment

Continuity amid discontinuity? George W. Bush, federal employment discrimination, and "big government conservatism"