Public Service Motivation and Organizational Performance

Public Service Motivation and Organizational Performance

 Throughout history, individuals develop particular attributes, motives, and aspirations before determining the occupation that would help them achieve their goals. Even though individuals may have the drive towards working in a particular industry or organization, different factors, including the reward system, leadership style, organizational climate, and the work structure, often influence the motivation of the individual. Public service motivation is an employment factor or attribute that explains the desire among individuals to serve other people while linking personal actions with the interest of the public. As such, public service motivation is the person’s internal drive to help other people. The purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship and the role of public service motivation in enhancing the performance of the organizations. While different factors play a critical role in improving the performance of an organization, does public service motivation increase the performance of the organization?

It is noteworthy that the employees’ productivity and performance often determine the productivity and performance of an organization. In light of this, administrators or managers of various organizations, both public and private institutions, endeavor to maintain specific policies, procedures, and structures that can influence motivation among the employees for better productivity and performance.

For example, many administrators hold that the fundamental motivation factor is good to pay after work. Therefore, these kinds of managers continue to make reviews on the remuneration package for the employees each year or at particular times. Conversely, some administrators believe that some people work well when the management recognizes or appreciates their efforts. Other managers believe that some employees can only work as desired when they are aware of possible promotion in the organization. In this regard, the management of individuals is distinct among various leaders in efforts to maintain excellent performance.

However, some individuals have the urge to work for the public and thus direct al their efforts towards ensuring that they satisfy the demands of the public. In recent years, public service motivation has become a critical area of study mainly because public service can not only attract and retain the workers but can also motivate the workers with the ability to deliver on complex goals and objectives of public service. Developments in recent years have given public service motivation new importance.

Description of the issue

For many years, racism and racial discrimination have been a debate in the United States. Notably, administrators in both the public and private organizations have been the victims of discrimination at workplaces, mainly because of individualism and lack of public service motivation. Public administration demand fairness and equality in the distribution of the resources and service delivery to the public. For the public administrators to ensure equity among the people, they should demonstrate public service motivation. As shown below, public service motivation helps in enhancing the performance of the workers and the overall performance of the organization through servant leadership, listening and excellent communication, awareness, and empathy, among others. Usually, the lack of public service motivation influences individualism while neglecting other people. Therefore, public service motivation eradicates discrimination at workplaces while improving service delivery to the public and raising the performance of the organization.

 

 

 

Literature review

Usually, individuals are highly motivated by their interests. On the contrary, public service motivation suggests a different view of motivation by claiming that their service to others highly motivates some workers. Notably, different personalities employ diverse leadership styles, thus determining the success of the organization or the public sector. According to the study by Mostafa, Gould‐Williams & Bottomley (2015), public service motivation improves the performance of organizations and government agencies because of various reasons. First, the study observes that public service motivation permits servant leadership that is critical for the success of any organization and excellent service delivery to the public. Typically, people consider the achievement of their goals or those of the organization while forgetting the demand of the public. With public service motivation, the workers have the internal drive towards meeting the needs of society.

Therefore, public service motivation helps the workers to exercise professionalism and ethics at workplaces. Perry, Hondeghem & Wise (2010) argue that increases ethics and professionalism through careful planning, goal setting, and time management, among other factors. For example, the research established that public service motivation helps the worker to develop goals that align with the needs of the public. In this regard, the worker creates a time plan for delivering services to the audience while meeting individual or organizational goals. It is noteworthy that many people have different ambitions, goals, and demands in life. Although the success of the organization or public agency largely depends on the continued adherence to the set policies in the organization, public service motivation enhances the performance when the workers go the extra mile to ensure quality service to the people.

Also, public service motivation helps the organization determine the weaknesses and strengths of the processes, structure, and procedures. Gould-Williams (2016) asserts that many people in the public sector who lack public service motivation perceive the organization as their avenue to make wealth. The lack of public service motivation influences some managers to perform their duties and responsibilities without regard to the public in various ways. According to the study by Perry, Hondeghem & Wise (2010), lack of public service motivation make some workers in the public sector develop workgroups aligned to a particular race or exercise discrimination among the clients in terms of gender, race and nationality or disability. It is noteworthy that public officers should work for all without prejudice. However, the latter is only achievable by persons with public service motivation.

In many cases, public administrators lacking public service motivation to engage in practices that pull back the performance of the organization. For example, Leisink & Steijn (2009) claim that many human resources managers lacking public service motivation may not always consider the best persons for particular positions. Instead, they feel some individuals who meet their interests and hence, discrimination. Besides demonstrating unprofessionalism and being unethical, managers who hire individuals based on personal interests rather than qualifications as specified by the organizational procedures, the manager permits inefficiency in job performance. The latter contributes to the poor performance of the organization. In light of this, it is clear that public service motivation helps in ensuring professionalism and ethics at the workplace for increased organizational performance.

Findings

Leadership is very critical for the delivery of services to the public as well as the success of the organization and the employee. As mentioned earlier, public service motivation influences a particular leadership style that permits equity and equality as well as fairness and justice to the public. Public service motivation helps the managers towards enhancing the decision-making process by embracing inclusivity in general matters. It is apparent that public administration is complex and that the leaders must demonstrate the willingness to embrace the views of other people for the prosperity and growth of everyone. As such, the leaders can conduct public participation where appropriate and maintain the standards of operations for the benefits of the public and not the individual. While many workers may want to achieve their personal goals, the leaders remind the subordinate of the need to work for the benefit of the public. Mainly, the leaders adopt a servant leadership style in the management of the organization and overall public affairs.

One of the essential characteristics of servant leadership enhanced by public service motivation is listening. It is noteworthy that civil servants must listen to the public without discrimination. Besides, the leader should be in a position to act by the laid policies, procedures, and processes to ensure that the public receives the right services and as needed. However, without careful listening, administrators might provide services that do not meet the demands of society. As such, public service motivation helps in ensuring that there is excellent communication between the organization and the public. Servant leadership style allows demonstrates the passion and urges to serve other people and not one’s interest.

Also, public service motivation helps an individual to become aware of the demands of the public by interacting with them and determining the significant problems and the areas that need corrections. Mostafa, Gould‐Williams & Bottomley (2015) assert that by becoming more aware of the needs of the public and other workers, public administrators with public service motivation can give priorities as per the demands of the people.

Commitment for service

As demonstrated above, public service delivery is an excellent attribute for the running of public affairs. It is noteworthy that many individuals lack the necessary commitment towards fairness and quality service delivery to the public. According to the study by Samuel & Chipunza (2009), public service motivation is one of the most desirable motivational variables for better service delivery to the public. The research establishes that many federal employees are likely to engage in corruption because of individualism and lack of public service motivation. In most of the civic organizations, the employees participate in corrupt tending processes by awarding tenders to their close friends and relatives. Although friends and relatives are also part of the public, actions of these nature violate the procedures, structures, and policies of public administration as they facilitate conflict of interest.

One of the most common challenges that the public administrators must fight for the success and enhanced performance of the organization is the conflict of interest among the workers. According to Samuel & Chipunza (2009), workers who only concentrate on their investment while neglecting the public end up in acting in ways that are not professional and hence accepting bribes on various occasions, including the award of tenders and the delivery of other services. As demonstrated by Leisink & Steijn, B. (2009), public service motivation is the primary tool and attribute for better services among the members of the public.

Motivational theories

According to Perry, Hondeghem & Wise (2010), the public administrators need to understand the various motivational methods to ensure that the workers are well motivated for the delivery of quality services to the public. Considering Abraham Maslow’s motivational theory, administrators should ensure that the workers enjoy the work environment in addition to other basic needs. Usually, some employees behave in specific ways that contradict work ethics because of the lack of basic needs.  Abraham Maslow observed that motivation among individuals happens when they have achieved the basic needs through the hierarchy until self-actualization. In this regard, public administrators must understand their subordinates and the level of each employee to ensure that the work environment motivates them towards high performance.

Often, employees tend to work well when their needs are met and that the organizations can effectively listen to their suggestions and views for the success of the organization. According to Maslow’s theory, the workers can only deliver the services as expected when they feel motivated through job security and that the remuneration can cater for other personal demands.

Considering the needs of the workers, public administrators must also incorporate other motivational strategies towards improving the morale of the workers and hence improved the performance of the workers. For example, a recent study shows that promotions motivate many workers at workplaces.  Although advertisements and excellent remunerations are not the principal factors towards public service motivation and increased service delivery, the latter increases motivation to the already self-motivated individuals. Primarily, the latter catalyzes the performance among the federal workers. It is observed that the workers in the public service must be highly motivated using different strategies to ensure there are equity and equality in service delivery.

 

It is apparent that public administration is complicated and that the leaders must demonstrate the willingness to embrace the views of other people for the prosperity and growth of everyone. As such, the leaders can conduct public participation where appropriate and maintain the standards of operations for the benefits of the public and not the individual. While many workers may want to achieve their personal goals, the leaders remind the subordinate of the need to work for the benefit of the public. Mainly, the leaders adopt the servant leadership style in the management of the organizational and the overall public

In many cases, public administrators lacking public service motivation to engage in practices that pull back the performance of the organization. For example, Leisink & Steijn (2009) claim that many human resources managers lacking public service motivation may not always consider the best persons for particular positions. Rather, they believe some individuals who meet their interests and hence discrimination. Besides demonstrating unprofessionalism and being unethical, managers who hire individuals based on their interests rather than qualifications as specified by the organizational procedures, the manager permits inefficiency in job performance. The latter contributes to the poor performance of the organization. In light of this, it is clear that public service motivation helps in ensuring professionalism and ethics at the workplace for increased organizational performance.

It is noteworthy that the employees’ productivity and performance often determine the productivity and performance of an organization. In light of this, administrators or managers of various organizations, both public and private institutions, endeavor to maintain specific policies, procedures, and structures that can influence motivation among the employees for better productivity and performance. For example, many administrators hold that the fundamental motivation factor is good to pay after work. Therefore, these kinds of managers continue to make reviews on the remuneration package for the employees each year or at particular times. Conversely, some administrators believe that some people work well when the management recognizes or appreciates their efforts. Other managers believe that some employees can only work as desired when they are aware of possible promotion in the organization. In this regard, the management of individuals is distinct among various leaders in efforts to maintain excellent performance.

 

Conclusion

As demonstrated above, public service motivation is one of the most critical attributes of public service delivery and improved organizational performance. Although different factors influence motivation among the workers, public service motivation permits excellent services while eradicating unethical work behaviors, including conflict of interest among the employees. Nonetheless, public administrators must consider the needs of the employees so that they can employ other motivational factors to enhance their performance.  The research observes that one of the factors contributing to discrimination at workplaces is the lack of public service motivation. As such, cultivating public service motivation can increase the performance of an organization, also permitting the delivery of quality services to the public.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Leisink, P., & Steijn, B. (2009). Public service motivation and job performance of public sector employees in the Netherlands. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 75(1), 35-52.

Samuel, M. O., & Chipunza, C. (2009). Employee retention and turnover: Using motivational variables as a panacea. African journal of business management, 3(9), 410-415.

Perry, J. L., Hondeghem, A., & Wise, L. R. (2010). Revisiting the motivational bases of public service: Twenty years of research and an agenda for the future. Public administration review, 70(5), 681-690.

Gould-Williams, J. S. (2016). Managers’ motives for investing in HR practices and their implications for public service motivation: a theoretical perspective. International Journal of Manpower, 37(5), 764-776.

Mostafa, A. M. S., Gould‐Williams, J. S., & Bottomley, P. (2015). High‐performance human resource practices and employee outcomes: The mediating role of public service motivation. Public Administration Review, 75(5), 747-757.