Process / pipelineorganizational-motivation

Public Service Motivation Scale

The Public Service Motivation Scale (PSMS), developed by Perry (1996) and refined by Kim et al. (2013), measures the intrinsic motivation of public sector employees to serve the public interest, contribute to civic good, feel compassion for others, and make self-sacrifices for collective benefit. Public service motivation (PSM) is a defining characteristic of effective public administration, predicting job satisfaction, organizational commitment, performance, and willingness to engage in prosocial behaviors. Essential for public sector recruitment, retention, and culture assessment in government agencies, tourism authorities, and civic institutions.

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Sources

  1. Perry, J. L. (1996). Measuring public service motivation: An assessment of construct reliability and validity. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 6(1), 5-22. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024287
  2. Kim, S., Vandenabeele, W., Brady, L., Madison, S., Pandey, S., & Ferris, E. (2013). Investigating work motivation across cultures: Development and validation of the multidimensional work motivation scale (MWMS). Public Administration Review, 73(1), 71-81. DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02646.x
  3. Caillier, J. G. (2016). Does public service motivation matter in all contexts? Detailing the structural differences on the relationship between PSM and job satisfaction for public and private sector workers. Public Personnel Management, 45(2), 146-167. DOI: 10.1177/0091026016641315
  4. Vandenabeele, W. (2007). Toward a public administration theory of public service motivation: An institutional approach. Public Management Review, 9(4), 545-556. DOI: 10.1080/14719030701726697

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Referenced by

ScholarGatePublic Service Motivation Scale (Public Service Motivation Scale (PSMS)). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/tourism-management/public-service-motivation-scale