Revisiting Public Service Motivation in Asia: Do Rank and Confucian Values Matter?

Public service motivation (PSM) is one of most widely and intensively investigated topics in the public administration literature since the seminary article entitled “Motivational Bases of Public Service” was published by... [ view full abstract ]

Public service motivation (PSM) is one of most widely and intensively investigated topics in the public administration literature since the seminary article entitled “Motivational Bases of Public Service” was published by Perry and Wise a quarter century ago. Many scholars have conducted numerous studies to examine definitions, measurements, and determining factors of PSM based on both theoretical and empirical research. While we have more solid and comprehensive understanding of PSM in general, we still do not know how PSM is applied to different levels of public officials (senior and junior officials) and how PSM interacts with organizational culture like Confucian culture in Asian countries.

This study attempts to analyze how organizational factors affect the level of PSM differently to junior and senior officials in China and Korea which share Confucian culture. First of all, this study aims to investigate the factors which motivate junior and senior officials in public organizations. Second, this study also conducts comparative studies to examine how PSM affects public officials in China and Korea. Lastly, this study also extends the PSM literature by particularly investigating the potential linkage between PSM and Confucian values which arguably emphasize organizational interests, altruism (self-sacrifice), and compassion.

Using the survey data collected from public officials and public corporation employees in China and Korea between January and October in 2015, this study conducts empirical analysis to test research hypotheses posited based on previous PSM literature and Confucian literature. We expect this study make important theoretical and empirical contribution to the PSM literature by comparing motivational factors of junior and senior officials of two different countries as well as exploring potential linkages between Confucian values and PSM which is not much studied.