Our study explores the simultaneous and independent effects that extrinsic, intrinsic, and public service motivation may have on the decision to join 18F. Our effort follows up on recent theoretical (e.g., Andrews 2016; Grant... [ view full abstract ]
Our study explores the simultaneous and independent effects that extrinsic, intrinsic, and public service motivation may have on the decision to join 18F. Our effort follows up on recent theoretical (e.g., Andrews 2016; Grant and Berry 2011; Neumann 2016; Neumann and Ritz 2015; Perry and Vandenabeele 2008; Vandenabeele 2007) and empirical studies (Grant and Berry 2011) that have attempted to disentangle these three motivational forces. In line with recent research on the motives that drive prosocial behavior (e.g., Belle 2015; Grant 2008a; Grant and Berry 2011), we ground our study in self-determination theory (e.g., Deci and Ryan 1985), which features at its core the distinction between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Grant (2008) has recently integrated the construct of prosocial motivation into the self-determination framework by conceptualizing prosocial motivation in terms of varying degrees of autonomous regulation. While not native to the self-determination theory, the construct of public service motivation overlaps with the concept of prosocial motivation, to the point that Wright, Christensen, and Pandey (2013) conclude that these two constructs are ‘indistinguishable from each other’ (Wright et al. 2013: 211).
We analyzed statements of a group of 170 software engineers joining public service from the private and non-profit sectors on a so-called ‘tour of duty’ to help the U.S. federal government transform digital service delivery. The engineers hailed from Silicon Valley companies such as Google, Twitter, or Facebook, but also government-related non-profits, such as the Sunlight Foundation. As part of the on-boarding process they were asked: “Why did you join [the digital start-up] 18F?” First, the authors hand-coded each statement to distinguish between extrinsic, intrinsic, and public service motivation (PSM). Then the public service motivation quotes were mapped to Perry’s four dimensions of PSM (2006): attraction to public policy making, commitment to the public interest, self-sacrifice, and compassion. We found that prosocial motivation such as improving government operations in the public interest and using ones’ skills to make an impact on the country as a whole, are the most dominant incentives for joining government. Intrinsic motivations, such as the exciting task, the start-up atmosphere of the team, the impression that the programmers bring the right competencies to government as well as extrinsic motivations, such as the status or reputation of the team, play a minor role for joining government.
Our aim is to contribute to the existing public service motivation literature and offer suggestions for public managers who are looking at new ways to hire and retain IT professionals who are not immediately close to the public sector.
