Harnessing Sustainable Motivation: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Public Service Motivation in Local Governments of the State of Oregon, United States
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Framework
2.1. Reality Shock as a Predictor of Declining Motivation
2.2. The Interplay and Disentanglement between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motives
2.3. Basic Psychological Needs and Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
2.4. PSM as Dynamic Versus Impervious
2.5. Total Quality Management (TQM) as a Way Forward to Enhance Motivation
2.6. Complex Nature of Public Sector Work
3. Literature Review
3.1. Public Service Motivation (PSM)
3.2. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Sustainable Motivation
4. Data and Methods
4.1. Grounded Theory (GT) Research Process
4.2. Demographic Information
4.3. Setting
4.4. Recruitment of Study Participants
5. Findings
5.1. Factors Affecting the Sector Choice
Quadratic Model: Internal and External Factors of Influence
5.2. Factors Emboldening versus Eroding Motivation
5.2.1. Motivation Boosters
[A]nd somewhere along the lines, I realized that I could apply for human resource management with those skills in any organizations, and I want to do with an organization with a mission, I needed to care about the product, I needed to care about the delivery of that organization [C.L-08, 08:05] (These citations refer to the interviewees’ original remarks and the citations show their pseudonym instead of their original name in order to protect the identity of the interview respondents. The pseudonym is followed by the time and location of the cited comments in the transcribed taped interview of the respondents.)
5.2.2. Factors Impinging Motivation
I think though, perception of government for me personally more of a motivator, because I think people complaining about the government have no desire to actually get involved in changing the things that they are complaining about, nor they really understand what they are complaining about [A.W-03, 29:24].
So the public perception is so narrow focused, and they don’t really understand the depth of their City or local government or State government does, and the differences between them. So the State government is very different than the Federal government and the local government is very different from the State government [A.W-03; 29:56].
5.3. Total Quality Management (TQM) in Public Sector
Applicability of TQM Principles in the Public Sector:
I’m not aware of how if TQM or Kaizen can help improve work motivation, but I certainly know that it improves the working relationship and we feel like working systematically, as opposed to randomly assigning working to colleagues and teams [S.P-11, 44:21].
It has been two years since we first rolled out improvement program (Kaizen), and it resulted in improving lot more… work processes, better cost control, better monitoring of progress, less ambiguity and better teamwork [M.P-16, 39:50].
I must say, it wasn’t any easy task to do, we tried and failed, and we again tried with certain modifications and this time we succeeded. Based on my experience, it’s rather more challenging to master, but once you get hold of it, then it’s fun to play and get the work done [D.F-22, 42:13].
6. Discussion
Well, first and foremost people need to meet their immediate needs. Like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs but I see that day to day in terms of, is your salary enough? [C.L-02, 60:03].
In public service you will never have a regret, in this worthy endeavor. I just feel lucky and blessed to have spent my time in public service (emphasis added)… The value of public service, and the organization, people get it once they are part of it, it just shows itself, the value shows itself [E.K-05, 00:48].
Implications of the Study for Practice
7. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
The Portland State University Consent to Participate in Research “Harnessing Sustainable Motivation” | ||
---|---|---|
Introduction | ||
You are being asked to participate in a research study that is being undertaken by Professor Douglas Morgan, who is the Principal Investigator and Associate Researchers Dr. Masami Nishishiba and Sajjad Haider, from the Department of Public Administration at Portland State University, Portland, Oregon. This research is studying the change in public service motivation through time. You are being asked to participate in this study because you are an experienced human resource professional in Oregon and respected by your colleagues for your knowledge and concern for public employee motivation. This form will explain the research study, and will also explain the possible risks as well as the possible benefits to you. We encourage you to talk with others before you decide to take part in this research study. If you have any questions, please ask one of the study investigators. | ||
What will happen if I decide to participate? If you agree to participate, you will be asked to share how your public service motivation has changed over the course of your career and the internal and external factors that might have affected this change. With your permission, we will voice record the interview, solely for transcribing purposes. | ||
How long will I be in this study? Participation in this study will consist of a one-hour interview. | ||
What are the risks or side effects of being in this study? In any study, there are risks of stress, emotional distress, inconvenience, and possible loss of privacy and confidentiality associated with participating in a research study. In order to reduce the risk of stress, we have carefully reviewed our interview questions to ensure they are as stress-free as possible. We have arranged this interview at a time and place that minimizes inconvenience to you. We will code the information gained from this interview so that the interviewee and the information will be kept confidential. For more information about risks and discomforts, ask the investigator. | ||
What are the benefits to being in this study? We believe that the study results will help public sector human resources professionals understand the dynamics of public service motivation, which in turn can be used to improve public sector human resources practices such as professional development, recruitment, retention, and promotion. | ||
How will my information be kept confidential? We will take measures to protect the security of all your personal information, but we cannot guarantee 100% confidentiality of all study data. We will, however, use pseudonyms in our interview transcript, and keep the list of pseudonyms that corresponds to the identity of the study participants in a password-protected electronic file. Only the research team members will be able to access this list. Your name will not be used in any published reports about this study. | ||
Will I be paid for taking part in this study? No. You will not be compensated to participate in this study. | ||
Can I stop being in the study once I begin? Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. You have the right to choose not to participate or to withdraw your participation at any point in this study without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. | ||
Whom can I call with questions or complaints about this study? If you have any questions, concern’s or complaints at any time about the research study, Sajjad Haider, or his/her associates will be glad to answer them at 971-801-4297. If you need to contact someone after business hours or on weekends, please call 971-801-4297 and ask for Sajjad Haider. | ||
Whom can I call with questions about my rights as a research participant? If you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant, you may call the PSU Office for Research Integrity at (503) 725-2227 or 1(877) 480-4400. The ORI is the office that supports the PSU Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB is a group of people from PSU and the community who provide independent oversight of safety and ethical issues related to research involving human participants. For more information, you may also access the IRB website at https://sites.google.com/a/pdx.edu/research/integrity. | ||
CONSENT You are making a decision whether to participate in this study. Your signature below indicates that you have read the information provided (or the information was read to you). By signing this consent form, you are not waiving any of your legal rights as a research participant. You have had an opportunity to ask questions and all questions have been answered to your satisfaction. By signing this consent form, you agree to participate in this study. A copy of this consent form will be provided to you. | ||
(Name of Adult Subject-print) | (Signature of Adult Subject) | Date |
INVESTIGATOR SIGNATURE This research study has been explained to the participant and all of his/her questions have been answered. The participant understands the information described in this consent form and freely consents to participate. Professor Douglas Morgan / Sajjad Haider (Name of Investigator/Research Team Member) | ||
(Signature of Investigator/Research Team Member) | Date |
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Hierarchical Level | Age | Gender | |
---|---|---|---|
Male | Female | ||
Senior Executives | 46 and above | 7 | 1 |
Mid-career Professionals | 31–45 | 3 | 6 |
Junior/Entry level | Under 30 | 0 | 8 |
Code # | Open/Initial Codes | Focused Codes | Categories | Concepts and Themes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Q 1: Interviewer So, let’s begin, just a broad open-ended question, when did you decide, and how did you decide you wanted to work in public sector? How did you get to where you are currently? What brings you here, please tell us your story? | ||||
1.1 | Unconscious decision; Circumstance and opportunities; Family reasons | Circumstances and opportunities available | Circumstances and opportunities Exploring career options | Themes: 1) Career choice based on circumstances and opportunities |
1.2 | Partly driven to public service (PS) | Partly driven to PS | Values acquired from family and growing up in community Values instilled by family Volunteering and growing up in community | 2) Stability, decent working hours, and pay/benefits |
1.3 | Undecided about career; Go checkout; Exploring different options; Government not a priority early on | Exploring various career options | People-oriented career Seeking a career focusing on people | Subtheme: Values acquired from the family, schooling, and growing up in community |
1.4 | Prior experiences; Education; Internships; Part-Time jobs; Gaining experience | Schooling and experiences | Job security Decent working hours, pay and benefits Economic reasons | Concepts: Seeking people-oriented career |
1.5 | Parental guidance; Values instilled by the family; Family orientation of PS | Values instilled by the family | ||
1.6 | Grown up in community like environment; Volunteering; Actively participating in student council | Volunteering and growing up in community | ||
1.7 | Opportunities focusing on people; Spirit of helping others | Looking for people-oriented career opportunities | ||
1.8 | Seeking a stable and consistent job; Decent working hours; Reasonable pay and perks | Job security Decent working hours, pay and benefits | ||
1.9 | Parents in low economic strata; Living and grown up in rural area; Studying on scholarship | Economic reasons |
Description | Junior Employees | Mid-Career | Senior Executives | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sector choice | Instrumental reasons | Partly opportunistic and partly driven by desire to serve public interest; Being influenced by people around; Desire to find a stable job for various reasons | Careerist; Conscious and purposeful decision to serve public interest; Value alignment—personal values meshing together with the organizational values |
2. | Motivation boosters | Variety of work; Decent working hours; Transparency and fairness; Community outreach | Job security and stability; Sense of contributing to public good; Fascination for public service; Seeing community thriving | Meaningful work; Seeing the impact of the work; Intrinsic value; Making a tangible contribution in communities; Solving the real community issues |
3. | Motivation dampeners | Lack of flexibility; Red tape and slow processes; Citizens’ undue complaining about the government; Apathetic attitude of the managers and higher-ups; Micromanaging | Red tape, procedural complexities and rigid rules; Stereotypical attitude of public towards the government; Fear of redundancy and ripple effects; Seeing dwindling motivation of colleagues; Diminishing work–life balance; Discouraging feedback from colleagues; Negative news and government bashing in media | Anti-government rhetoric; Demeaning government officials; Challenges in dealing with elected officials; Lacking concrete feedback from the community; Community disengagement; Declining civility; Crippling issues perturb, but resolve to continue serving |
4. | Public versus Private Sector | Public sector: Lack of ownership; Red tape; Meaningful work | Status quo oriented and resistance to change; Complexity in dealing with labor unions; Decent working hours; Accountability | Structured and standardized work processes; Opportunity of making tangible and intangible contribution to community |
Private sector: Atrocious working hours; Relentless firing; Flexible work schedules | More resources and individual authority in spending budget; Fragile career; Lacking working-life balance | Temporary charm; Profit-oriented; Lack of job security and retirement benefits. |
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Haider, S.; Bao, G.; Larsen, G.L.; Draz, M.U. Harnessing Sustainable Motivation: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Public Service Motivation in Local Governments of the State of Oregon, United States. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3105. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113105
Haider S, Bao G, Larsen GL, Draz MU. Harnessing Sustainable Motivation: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Public Service Motivation in Local Governments of the State of Oregon, United States. Sustainability. 2019; 11(11):3105. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113105
Chicago/Turabian StyleHaider, Sajjad, Guoxian Bao, Gary L. Larsen, and Muhammad Umar Draz. 2019. "Harnessing Sustainable Motivation: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Public Service Motivation in Local Governments of the State of Oregon, United States" Sustainability 11, no. 11: 3105. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113105
APA StyleHaider, S., Bao, G., Larsen, G. L., & Draz, M. U. (2019). Harnessing Sustainable Motivation: A Grounded Theory Exploration of Public Service Motivation in Local Governments of the State of Oregon, United States. Sustainability, 11(11), 3105. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113105