Testing an international measure of public service motivation : Is there really a bright or dark side?
- Authors: Rayner, Julie , Reimers, Vaughan , Chao, Chih‐Wei (Fred)
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Public Administration Vol. 77, no. 1 (2017), p. 87-101
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: 'Public service motivation’ (PSM) is usually reported as a bright force although recent debatealludes to a dark side. Variables representing each side are, respectively, job satisfaction andburnout. This study tests for both the bright and potential dark direct effects of PSM andresponds to calls to further validate the international PSM instrument developed by Kimet al. (2013). Using a sample of 455 local council workers in Australia, analysis confirmedthat while the measure was robust and generalizable in its structure, none of the dimensionsof PSM were found to influence either job satisfaction or burnout. Plausible explanationsinclude contextual factors, nomological concerns with the measurement instrument, and thenotion that PSM has a non-significant influence on either. The implications of these findingsare discussed and future research proposed.
Are we being served? Emotional labour in local government in Victoria, Australia
- Authors: Rayner, Julie , Lawton, Alan
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Public Administration Vol. 77, no. 3 (2018), p. 360-374
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper explores how front-line street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) cope with the expectations of citizens, clients, or ‘customers’ in daily work and how SLBs may be impacted by emotional labour. The study analyses data from 41 interviews with SLBs in local councils in Victoria, Australia. Although exploratory, it builds awareness and understanding of the emotional labour associated with public service. The situations that SLBs engage with on a daily basis are many and varied and take the form of increased expectations and intense encounters. Respondents experienced abuse, threats, violence, but also ‘sparkle moments’. Resources that helped SLBs cope are diverse and located both within and outside organisations. Implications are discussed and issues that merit additional investigation are raised concerning how SLBs can be supported to better meet the demands of the public. The research is of value to public managers and SLBs operating in a changing society with increased ‘customer’ expectations.