Managing Organizations to Sustain Passion for Public Service

New behavioural science knowledge about motivation in public service from a pioneer of the field.

James L. Perry (Author)

9781108843256, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 December 2020

325 pages
24 x 16 x 3 cm, 0.8 kg

'In conclusion, the utility that can be gained from reading Managing Organizations to Sustain Passion for Public Service by James Perry is significant. And it also crosses a number of audiences. For the researcher, it provides a connection between different streams of research surrounding organizational management that you might have otherwise been unaware. In this way, it is a book that ties all the research together. For the teacher, it provides a tool for connecting the research with the classes and subjects that we teach. But for everyone, it provides an understanding of the importance and application of PSM for improving the quality of public service organizations. Regardless of where the reader is from, there is something there that applies to the circumstances in which you, your country and community, and their governments face.' Ibrahim Maiga, Public Administration

Almost three decades ago, James Perry created the first survey instrument to measure public service motivation. Since then, social and behavioural scientists have intensively studied the motivating power of public service. This research relating to public service motivation, altruism and prosocial motivation and behaviour has overturned widespread assumptions grounded in market-orientated perspectives and produced a critical mass of new knowledge for transforming the motivation of public employees, civil service policies and management practices. This is the first study to look systematically across the different streams of research. Furthermore, it is the first study to synthesize the research across the applied questions that public organizations and their leaders confront, including: how to recruit ethical and committed staff; how to design meaningful public work; how to create work environments that support prosocial behaviour; how to compensate employees to sustain their public service; how to socialise employees for public service missions; and how to lead employees to engage in causes greater than themselves.

1. New Foundations for Civil Service Systems
2. Theoretical and Empirical Foundations for Public Service Motivation
3. Selecting for High Public Service Motivation is a Priority
4. Leveraging the Meaningfulness of Public Work
5. Creating a Supportive Work Environment
6. Aligning Compensation Systems and Public Service Motivation
7. Providing Opportunities for Newcomers to Learn Public Service Values
8. Leading the Mission, Inspiration and Communication
9. Designing Civil Service to Unleash Public Passion.

Subject Areas: Civil service & public sector [KNV], Organizational theory & behaviour [KJU], Personnel & human resources management [KJMV2], Business ethics & social responsibility [KJG], Business & management [KJ]