Measuring the public service motivation in Hong Kong

Abstract

Following the publication of Perry and Wise’s essay on public service motivation (PSM) in 1990 and Perry’s PSM measurement scale in 1996, the concept of public service motivation has attracted wide attention and empirical research on its definition, measurement and incidence in the past twenty years. However, little empirical research has been conducted on PSM in Hong Kong. This research is intended to examine the dimensionality and generalizability of PSM in Hong Kong by using self-administered survey instruments with two groups of different respondents. Group 1 consisted of 55 students of Master of Public Administration of the University of Hong Kong (mostly full time public servants) whilst Group 2 consisted of 78 undergraduates from different faculties in the same university. Two separate survey instruments were used for group 1 and group 2 respondents. All 40 items of Perry’s PSM dimensions were included in the two survey instruments with additional 7 items and 8 items added for group 1 and group 2 respectively. The additional items were introduced to measure the relationship of variables including organizational commitment and job expectation and PSM dimensions.

The findings did not reveal the PSM level of group 1 was higher than group 2. However, females were found having relatively higher PSM level than males under the dimension of Attraction to Public Policy Making. The independent variable of Organization Commitment was strongly and positively correlated with the dimensions of Commitment to Public Interest, Civic Duty and Self Sacrifice while Job Expectation was strongly and positively correlated with the dimensions of Attraction to Public Policy Making, Social Justice, Civic Duty and Self Sacrifice.

This research contributed to provide better understanding and knowledge of PSM in the Hong Kong context especially on the influence of the independent variables of organizational commitment and job expectation on PSM dimensions.