Importance of motivation in the public service context
The importance of public service to a society has been there since the human civilization began. From the earliest ancient Chinese empires and Egyptian dynasties to Roman
empires and throughout the middle ages to the present day, the idea of committing oneself to a life of services is reflected with such frequency as to become common places. (Tongo, 2009 )
Studies have found that motivation is the driving force in providing quality and expeditious public service delivery. Thus, motivation in context of public service motivation (PSM) is seen as an important pillar in human resource management. In short, these are documents to make the work more professional, sepcific and provide better platform to exhibit discretionary behaviour.
Concept of Public Service Motivation (PSM) and its effect on organizational performance
Different authors, experts, researchers and public service managers gave numerous concepts of Public Service Motivation (PSM). Motivation is the activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior which can be internal or external. (Wikipedia) Motivation can also be defined as rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, hobby, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, morality or avoiding morality. In the Bhutanese context, motivation may mostly consist of recognition, monetary rewards, training and promotion.
Over the years, PSM has been characterized in many different ways, such as a service ethic, calling, or altruistic intentions that attracts some individuals to serve the public interest. There is a traditional belief among scholars and practitioners in the field of public administration that PSM attract individuals to the public sector and to public service work because it is in these contexts that the public interest is most served. (Bright, 2009)
PSM’s effect on organizational performance
Studies also have shown that individuals strongly motivated to perform public services are huge asset, but they may be difficult to manage if they believe the public service mission is being compromised. Such individuals feel primary responsibility to the people they serve and to the nation and lesser responisbility to public managers and policy makers. It is therefore, important for the policy makes and public mangers need to make bureaucacy more democratic by relaxing rigid bureaucratic strutured, including employees in decision making processes and trying to forge and maintain a broad extensions on what is in the public interest
A research by leonard Bright revealed that PSM is a significant predictor of public employees' desire for personal recognition, task meaningfulness, and professional growth, over and above the effects of several confounding variables assessed. This included management &, salary level and gender were the best predictors of public employees' desire for leadership responsibility, while public sector tenure and minority status were the best predictors of public employees' desire for career advancement.
Universal applicability of PSM
In the United Kingdom, for instance, there was a stronger focus on values such as impartiality and neutrality, while in France the focus was more on the public provision of services.
Studies have shown that PSM that all four of Perry’s dimensions can be found describing the French and Dutch variants. But their research paper also showed that, there were several differences too. For example, the esteem of politicians and consequently, the loyalty to these, differ across all three models.
Antecedents of PSM
PSM has generated particular interest because it is percieved or assumed to have a positive impact on the job behavior of individuals in particular, job satisfaction and fulfilment, and their respective level of performance. It is therefore important that public sector organizations find ways of encouraging PSM amongst its employees. (Camilleri, 2007)
That PSM is significantly related to family socialization, religious activity, and volunteer experience. In depth iinterviews suggest the importance of both transcend values, such as spirituality, doing good for others, and life-changing events, in the development of public service motivation. The study (James L. Perry & etal., 2008) found out that the motivations of exemplary volunteers are quite complex, tied to self-perceptions of a need for personal integrity or wholeness in one’s life, and linked to personal understnading of the importance of community (James L. Perry & etal., 2008)
Implications of PSM in motivating public servants
Today the world is becoming more and more competitive. Every organization aims to target the customer friendly service be it in the government or corporate or private. In such materialistic world, the implications of PSM in motivating public servants are enormous.
It has been taken decades for the human resource function to fight its way to the top and be recognized as a key contributor. However, the function continues a struggle to define it and how it is perceived as evidenced by the use of platitudes such as “strategic partner” or “business partner” to supports its contention that it is a value added activity. (Pilenzo, 2009).
In short, the implications of the PSM are even more as globalization affects more and more people demand a lot of qaulity sevices.
The importance of public service to a society has been there since the human civilization began. From the earliest ancient Chinese empires and Egyptian dynasties to Roman
empires and throughout the middle ages to the present day, the idea of committing oneself to a life of services is reflected with such frequency as to become common places. (Tongo, 2009 )
Studies have found that motivation is the driving force in providing quality and expeditious public service delivery. Thus, motivation in context of public service motivation (PSM) is seen as an important pillar in human resource management. In short, these are documents to make the work more professional, sepcific and provide better platform to exhibit discretionary behaviour.
Concept of Public Service Motivation (PSM) and its effect on organizational performance
Different authors, experts, researchers and public service managers gave numerous concepts of Public Service Motivation (PSM). Motivation is the activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior which can be internal or external. (Wikipedia) Motivation can also be defined as rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, hobby, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, morality or avoiding morality. In the Bhutanese context, motivation may mostly consist of recognition, monetary rewards, training and promotion.
Over the years, PSM has been characterized in many different ways, such as a service ethic, calling, or altruistic intentions that attracts some individuals to serve the public interest. There is a traditional belief among scholars and practitioners in the field of public administration that PSM attract individuals to the public sector and to public service work because it is in these contexts that the public interest is most served. (Bright, 2009)
PSM’s effect on organizational performance
Studies also have shown that individuals strongly motivated to perform public services are huge asset, but they may be difficult to manage if they believe the public service mission is being compromised. Such individuals feel primary responsibility to the people they serve and to the nation and lesser responisbility to public managers and policy makers. It is therefore, important for the policy makes and public mangers need to make bureaucacy more democratic by relaxing rigid bureaucratic strutured, including employees in decision making processes and trying to forge and maintain a broad extensions on what is in the public interest
A research by leonard Bright revealed that PSM is a significant predictor of public employees' desire for personal recognition, task meaningfulness, and professional growth, over and above the effects of several confounding variables assessed. This included management &, salary level and gender were the best predictors of public employees' desire for leadership responsibility, while public sector tenure and minority status were the best predictors of public employees' desire for career advancement.
Universal applicability of PSM
In the United Kingdom, for instance, there was a stronger focus on values such as impartiality and neutrality, while in France the focus was more on the public provision of services.
Studies have shown that PSM that all four of Perry’s dimensions can be found describing the French and Dutch variants. But their research paper also showed that, there were several differences too. For example, the esteem of politicians and consequently, the loyalty to these, differ across all three models.
Antecedents of PSM
PSM has generated particular interest because it is percieved or assumed to have a positive impact on the job behavior of individuals in particular, job satisfaction and fulfilment, and their respective level of performance. It is therefore important that public sector organizations find ways of encouraging PSM amongst its employees. (Camilleri, 2007)
That PSM is significantly related to family socialization, religious activity, and volunteer experience. In depth iinterviews suggest the importance of both transcend values, such as spirituality, doing good for others, and life-changing events, in the development of public service motivation. The study (James L. Perry & etal., 2008) found out that the motivations of exemplary volunteers are quite complex, tied to self-perceptions of a need for personal integrity or wholeness in one’s life, and linked to personal understnading of the importance of community (James L. Perry & etal., 2008)
Implications of PSM in motivating public servants
Today the world is becoming more and more competitive. Every organization aims to target the customer friendly service be it in the government or corporate or private. In such materialistic world, the implications of PSM in motivating public servants are enormous.
It has been taken decades for the human resource function to fight its way to the top and be recognized as a key contributor. However, the function continues a struggle to define it and how it is perceived as evidenced by the use of platitudes such as “strategic partner” or “business partner” to supports its contention that it is a value added activity. (Pilenzo, 2009).
In short, the implications of the PSM are even more as globalization affects more and more people demand a lot of qaulity sevices.
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