Research from China finds no significant difference in impact of public service motivation (PSM) in public and private sectors

Abstract

Purpose

The authors assumed PSM would be higher in the public sector, but they set up a trial to find out if this was the case.

Design/methodology/approach

To test their theories, the authors conducted two independent surveys. The first consisted of 220 usable responses from public sector employees in Changsha, China. The second survey involved 260 usable responses from private sector employees taking an MBA course at a university in the Changsha district. A questionnaire was used to assess attitudes.

Findings

The results found no significant difference between the impact of public sector motivation (PSM) on employee performance across the public and private sectors. The data showed that PSM had a significant impact on self-reported employee performance, but the relationship did not differ much between sectors. Meanwhile, it was in the private sector that PSM had the greatest impact on intention to leave.

Originality/value

The authors said the research project was one of the first to test if the concept of PSM operated in the same way across sectors. It also contributed, they said, to the ongoing debate about PSM in China.

Citation

(2021), "Research from China finds no significant difference in impact of public service motivation (PSM) in public and private sectors", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 29 No. 7, pp. 19-21. https://doi.org/10.1108/HRMID-08-2021-0169