Abstract
A recent thread in public administration research suggests that public service motivation (PSM) may have a dark side. However, empirical research supporting this assumption remains scarce. In this study, we build on and combine previous theoretical studies on the relationship between PSM and (im)morality. In particular, we test whether highly public-service motivated individuals vary their justification of an unethical behavior when the value advanced by this behavior safeguards or puts at risk their interpretation of the public interest. The research design combines two vignettes and various survey questions. Using a sample of more than 1500 citizens in Catalonia (Spain), we provide initial support for a dark side of PSM: justification of unethical behavior. The results for vignette A confirm our hypotheses, while the results for vignette B are insignificant. The discussion addresses the different findings, and provides directions for future research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-22 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | International Public Management Journal |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 12 Oct 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Funding
This article was funded by a project of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spain) on Public Service Motivation, Objective Performance and Citizen Satisfaction (CSO2017-86,653-P). This work would not have been possible without the helpful comments and criticisms of the anonymous reviewers and editors.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Citizen Satisfaction | CSO2017-86,653-P |
| Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad |
Keywords
- Ethical decision-making
- Integrity
- Method bias
- Organizations
- Values