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ABSTRACT
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ture. I then review the procedures that were used for translating
the theoretical dimensions into a scale. The scale's reliability and
validity were assessed with survey data from 376 respondents
using confirmatory factor analysis. I conclude the study with a
discussion of the validity of the theoretical construct and future
steps to refine the scale.
pretation of public interest but still agree that the norm is integral
to most conceptions of public service motivation.
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from the concept of social justice. Social justice involves activ-
ities intended to enhance the well-being of minorities who lack
political and economic resources. Frederickson (1971) argues that
the obligations of public administrators are threefold: to provide
services efficiently and economically while enhancing social
equity. He suggests that the inclusion of social equity among the
values that public administrators serve helps to define the
political nature of public administration roles.
METHODS
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developed starting with the conceptual dimensions identified in
the literature review. Likert-type items were written for each of
the six dimensions. The wording of items initially was based on
how various writers had described motivations associated with
public service. Both positively and negatively worded items were
developed. A focus group of students in a master of public
administration (MPA) program convened to discuss their ideas
about public service. Approximately thirty-five items were
created based on the literature and the input from the focus
group.
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this item was later rejected because of its weak correlation with
the overall scale.) Items were also personalized with "I" or "me"
to assure that respondents did not answer in the abstract. In some
cases, intensive adverbs (e.g., rarely, definitely) were used to
elicit a range of responses.
Exhibit 1
Public Service Motivation Items by Subscale
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(Reversed)
PSM 16 It is hard for me to get intensely interested in what is going on in my community. (Reversed)
PSM 23 I unselfishly contribute to my community.
PSM 30 Meaningful public service is very important to me.
PSM 34 I would prefer seeing public officials do what is best for the whole community even if it harmed my
interests.
PSM 37 An official's obligation to the public should always come before loyalty to superiors.
PSM 39 I consider public service my civic duty.
Compassion (8 items)
PSM 2 I am rarely moved by the plight of the underprivileged. (Reversed)
PSM 3 Most social programs are too vital to do without.
PSM 4 It is difficult for me to contain my feelings when I see people in distress.
PSM 8 To me, patriotism includes seeing to the welfare of others.
PSM 10 I seldom think about the welfare of people whom I don't know personally. (Reversed)
PSM 13 I am often reminded by daily events about how dependent we are on one another.
PSM 24 I have little compassion for people in need who are unwilling to take the first step to help themselves.
(Reversed)
PSM 40 There are few public programs that I wholeheartedly support. (Reversed)
Exhibit 1 (concluded)
Self-Sacrifice (8 items)
PSM 1 Making a difference in society means more to me than personal achievements.
PSM 5 I believe in putting duty before self.
PSM 6 Doing well financially is definitely more important to me than doing good deeds. (Reversed)
PSM 9 Much of what I do is for a cause bigger than myself.
PSM 12 Serving citizens would give me a good feeling even if no one paid me for it.
PSM 17 I feel people should give back to society more than they get from it.
PSM 19 I am one of those rare people who would risk personal loss to help someone else.
PSM 26 I am prepared to make enormous sacrifices for the good of society.
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Sample
Exhibit 2
Descriptive Statistics
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PSM7 2.5720 1.1280 .11
PSM8 3.8907 .9871 .49
PSM9 3.6038 1.0798 .46
PSM10 3.7705 1.1162 .40
PSM11 3.1311 1.3197 .31
PSM12 3.9399 1.0023 .47
PSM13 4.1038 .9006 .45
PSM14 4.1515 1.0785 .23
PSM15 4.2121 .8938 .26
PSM16 3.7268 1.1062 .42
PSM17 3.8579 .9135 .48
PSM18 4.2760 .7819 .51
PSM19 3.4836 1.0329 .44
PSM20 3.5164 1.3006 .38
PSM21 3.4809 .9950 .34
PSM22 4.5833 .6646 .20
PSM23 3.5000 .9616 .46
PSM24 2.4754 1.2728 .38
PSM25 3.6995 L.0162 .37
PSM26 2.9426 1.0174 .55
PSM27 3.0601 1.1898 .40
PSM28 3.6011 1.0227 .50
PSM29 3.4344 1.1078 .60
PSM3O 3.8115 .9986 .64
PSM31 2.7350 1.2200 .31
PSM32 3.5874 1.1380 .36
PSM33 3.0628 1.1510 .54
PSM34 3.8224 .9355 .45
PSM35 3.4153 1.1597 .26
PSM36 3.3087 1.0015 .57
PSM37 4.0189 1.0298 .16
PSM38 4.0109 .9005 .43
PSM39 3.4617 1.0243 .58
PSM40 3.1066 1.1969 .39
N=366
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acceptable fit (Anderson and Gerbing 1988), confirmatory factor
analysis is typically used in two distinct ways. The first is strictly
confirmatory (Joreskog 1993). The six-dimension, thirty-five-
variable model would be tested to determine whether to accept or
reject it.1 Depending on the results from this application of
confirmatory factor analysis, a second potential application is
model generating (Joreskog 1993). If the initial model is rejected,
then the model may be modified and tested again using the same
data.
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combined because of the high correlation between the two dimen-
sions. In the next iteration, PSM 36 was removed because the
modification indices indicated it was related to social justice and
compassion in addition to the modified public interest dimension.
(Public Policy ]
Making
I \
8,
\
«, 8,
I
Self- 1
A Sacrifice t
A. y^
I
PSM2 PSM3 PSM4 PSM8 PSM10 PSM13 PSM24 PSM40 PSMt PSM5 PSM6 PSM9 PSM12 PSM17 PSM19 PSM26
x. x,. x,, x,, x,, x,, x, s x,. X,, x,, X- x,, Xa xo
f TTTTTTT
8, 8,0 8,, 8,, 8,. 8,, 8,,
rTTTTTTl
8,, «,. 8,, 8B 8n 8,
"For clarity, 0 s (i.e., correlations between the dimensions) are not shown on this diagram.
Measuring Public Service Motivation
Exhibit 4
Maximum Likelihood Estimates for Four-Dimensional Model
Standardized
ML Estimates
Coefficients (Standard Errors) t-Values R2
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x3. 0.77 14.16 0.59
(0.05)
Commitment to the Public Interest/Civic Duty
X42 0.42 7.73 0.17
(0.05)
X* 0.55 10.69 0.31
(0.05)
Xa 0.78 16.31 0.60
(0.05)
XTJ 0.43 8.01 0.18
(0.05)
xE 0.68 13.86 0.47
(0.05)
Compassion
x« 0.61 11.38 0.37
(0.05)
X](D 0.44 7.86 0.19
(0.06)
Xll3 0.39 6.85 0.15
(0.06)
X|23 0.57 10.52 0.32
(0.05)
X|33 0.54 9.89 0.29
(0.05)
Xl43 0.46 8.33 0.21
(0.06)
X|S3 0.57 10.60 0.32
(0.05)
X|63 0.43 7.73 0.19
(0.06)
Self-Sacrifice
X]74 0.55 10.62 0.30
(0.05)
X|84 0.41 7.69 0.17
(0.05)
Exhibit 4 (continued)
Standardized
ML Estimates
Coefficients (Standard Errors) t-Values R2
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"224 0.54 10.32 0.29
(0.05)
X234 0.48 8.96 0.23
(0.05)
. ^244 0.68 13.82 0.47
(0.05)
Correlations of Dimensions
0ii 1.00'
033 1.001
044 1.00"
Exhibit 4 (concluded)
Standardized
ML Estimates
Coefficients (Standard Errors) t-Values R2
0.69 12.48
(0.06)
0.40 9.30
(0.04)
V A R («7) 0.82 13.08
(0.06)
V A R (fig) 0.53 11.22
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(0.05)
V A R (fi9) 0.63 11.38
(0.06)
V A R (510) 0.81 12.75
(0.06)
V A R («„) 0.85 13.00
(0.07)
V A R («12) 0.68 11.80
(0.06)
V A R (6I3) 0.71 12.07
(0.06)
V A R («„) 0.79 12.62
(0.06)
V A R (613) 0.68 11.77
(0.06)
V A R (516) 0.81 12.78
(0.06)
V A R («„) 0.70 12.50
(0.06)
V A R (518) 0.83 13.13
(0.06)
V A R (519) 0.83 13.15
(0.06)
VARtf*) 0.71 12.57
(0.06)
V A R (52I) 0.77 12.87
(0.06)
VAR i 0.71 12.58
(0.06)
0.77 12.90
(0.06)
VAR 0.53 11.25
(0.05)
N = 376
X2 = 576.82 df = 246 p = 0.00
"Constrained parameter
Exhibit 5
Model Fit Indices for Confirmatory Factor Analysis
of 24-Item PSM Scale
Adjusted
Goodness of Goodness of
Fit Index Fit Index
Model1 X2 df p-value (GFI) (AGFI)
Mo 2371.80 276
M, 596.15 249 0.00 .88 .86
M, 576.82 246 0.00 .88 .86
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"Mo = Complete null model (baseline model);
M, = Three-dimensional solution;
M2 = Four-dimensional solution.
DISCUSSION
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The model generation process indicated that respondents did
not discriminate significantly among constructs of civic duty,
social justice, and commitment to the public interest, the three
dimensions that are associated with norm-based motives. This
suggests that the norm collectively underlying these constructs is
a global "public regardingness" or "concern for the public weal."
Although this norm has long been prominent in the public admin-
istration literature in a variety of forms (i.e., the public interest,
civic duty, social justice), it is also a prominent intellectual focus
in political science (Wilson 1993, 228; Putnam 1993), sociology
(Etzioni 1988), and political economy (Hirschman 1982). A com-
mon theme among these intellectual traditions is that a form of
public orientation is a precondition for public, cooperative action.
CONCLUSION
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face and construct validity, discriminant validity among four
component dimensions, and high reliability.
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following articles: Scholarship and Leadership Ross Clayton
The Practice Gap: Strategy and Theory for The Public Administration Doctorate: A Degree
Emotional and Interpersonal Development in in Search of a Purpose
Public Administration Education Guy B. Adams and Jay D. White
Leanna L. Holmer and Guy B. Adams Ranking Public Administration Programs
Teaching Intergovernmental Relations and James L. Perry
Management Richard C. Box The Bad (U.S.) News Ranking of MPA Programs
Beyond "Ethical Awareness": Incorporating C.E. Teasley m
Prejudice Reduction Curricula into the The Rating System: Determining What
Management Classroom Pamela J. Leland Constitutes A Quality Program Curtis Ventriss
Coping With The Super-Abstract: Teaching
Volume 2, Number 1 will include the following:
About the Implications of Postmodernism for The "Deprofessorization of Professors": A Case
Public Administration Study and Polemic
David John Farmer Larry Hubbell and Fred Homer
Teaching Introduction to Public Administration
Practicing What We Teach: Beyond the Lecture
Via the Case Method Cynthia ZeliffMassic in Teaching Public Administration
Using Interactive Video Technology in Graduate
Meredith Ann Newman,
Programs in Public Administration An Integrated Approach to the Internet Home
Don A Cozzetto and Robert W. Kweit Page in Public Administration Education
Volume 1, Numbers 1 and 2 Included the Will Miller and Jeff Ryan
following Special Issues Section Editorials: Special Issue Topic: Technology and Public
Behind the Scenes: The Doing of Public Administration Education with essays by
Administration AstridE. Merget E. Sam Overman, Tony Cahill, Mary Timney
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