Public Service Motivation and Ethical Leadership as Determinates of Organizational Commitment Among Government Employees

IKOROHA S. INNOCENT; MOSES T. IMBUR; AKEEM A. KENKU

doi:10.18535/ijsshi/v13i04.01

Abstract

This study examined the influence of Public Service Motivation (PSM) and Transformational Leadership (TL) on Organizational Commitment (OC) among government employees. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 367 civil servants across selected ministries using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analyses were employed to analyze the data. The findings revealed high levels of public service motivation, perceptions of transformational leadership, and organizational commitment among respondents. Correlation analysis indicated significant positive relationships between PSM and OC (r = 0.58, p < 0.01) and between TL and OC (r = 0.60, p < 0.01). Regression results showed that both PSM (β = 0.35, p < 0.001) and TL (β = 0.41, p < 0.001) significantly predicted organizational commitment, jointly explaining 53% of the variance (R² = 0.53). Transformational leadership exerted a slightly stronger influence on organizational commitment than public service motivation. Further analysis revealed that the dimensions of transformational leadership differentially predicted components of organizational commitment: idealized influence predicted normative commitment, inspirational motivation and individualized consideration predicted affective commitment, while intellectual stimulation predicted continuance commitment. The findings suggest that intrinsically motivated employees who work under transformational leaders are more likely to develop stronger attachment and loyalty to their organizations. The study highlights the importance of promoting public service values and strengthening transformational leadership practices to enhance employee commitment and improve effectiveness within the public sector.

Keywords

Public Service MotivationTransformational LeadershipOrganizational CommitmentGovernment EmployeesPublic Sector Leadership

References

Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (2004). Multifactor leadership questionnaire: Manual and sampler set (3rd ed.). Mind Garden.Google Scholar ↗
Banks, G. C., McCauley, K. D., Gardner, W. L., & Guler, C. E. (2018). A meta‐analytic review of authentic and transformational leadership: A test for redundancy. The Leadership Quarterly, 29(1), 33–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.02.006DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. Free Press.Google Scholar ↗
Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. Sage Publications.Google Scholar ↗
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row.Google Scholar ↗
Caillier, J. G. (2020). Do transformational-oriented leadership and transactional-oriented leadership have an impact on perceived organizational performance? Public Organization Review, 20(4), 641–655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-019-00447-0DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2003). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar ↗
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.Google Scholar ↗
Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Sage Publications.Google Scholar ↗
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.Google Scholar ↗
Jensen, U. T., Andersen, L. B., & Holten, A.-L. (2019). Explaining a dark side: Public service motivation, performance, and burnout. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 29(4), 634–650. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muz010DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Likert, R. (1932). A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Archives of Psychology, 140, 1–55.Google Scholar ↗
Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1(1), 61–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/1053-4822(91)90011-ZDOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar ↗
Ohemeng, F. L. K. (2011). Institutionalizing the performance management system in public organizations in Ghana. Public Performance & Management Review, 34(4), 467–488.Google Scholar ↗
Olowu, D. (2002). Human resource management in Africa: Challenges and opportunities. Public Administration and Development, 22(3), 199–205.Google Scholar ↗
Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS survival manual: A step by step guide to data analysis using IBM SPSS (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.Google Scholar ↗
Perry, J. L. (1996). Measuring public service motivation: An assessment of construct reliability and validity. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 6(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024303DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Perry, J. L., & Wise, L. R. (1990). The motivational bases of public service. Public Administration Review, 50(3), 367–373. https://doi.org/10.2307/976618DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Ritz, A., Brewer, G. A., & Neumann, O. (2016). Public service motivation: A systematic literature review and outlook. Public Administration Review, 76(3), 414–426. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12505DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Pearson.Google Scholar ↗
Vandenabeele, W. (2014). Explaining public service motivation: The role of leadership and basic needs satisfaction. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 34(2), 153–173. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X14521458DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Vandenabeele, W., & Jager, S. C. (2020). Government calling: Public service motivation as an element in selecting government as an employer of choice. Public Administration, 98(4), 1089–1105. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12619DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗
Wright, B. E., Moynihan, D. P., & Pandey, S. K. (2012). Pulling the levers: Transformational leadership, public service motivation, and mission valence. Public Administration Review, 72(2), 206–215. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2011.02496.xDOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-1] Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (2004). Multifactor leadership questionnaire: Manual and sampler set (3rd ed.). Mind Garden.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-2] Banks, G. C., McCauley, K. D., Gardner, W. L., & Guler, C. E. (2018). A meta‐analytic review of authentic and transformational leadership: A test for redundancy. The Leadership Quarterly, 29(1), 33–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.02.006DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-3] Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. Free Press.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-4] Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. Sage Publications.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-5] Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. Harper & Row.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-6] Caillier, J. G. (2020). Do transformational-oriented leadership and transactional-oriented leadership have an impact on perceived organizational performance? Public Organization Review, 20(4), 641–655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-019-00447-0DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-7] Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2003). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-8] Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage Publications.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-9] Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Sage Publications.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-10] Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-11] Jensen, U. T., Andersen, L. B., & Holten, A.-L. (2019). Explaining a dark side: Public service motivation, performance, and burnout. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 29(4), 634–650. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muz010DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-12] Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-13] Likert, R. (1932). A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Archives of Psychology, 140, 1–55.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-14] Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1(1), 61–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/1053-4822(91)90011-ZDOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-15] Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-16] Ohemeng, F. L. K. (2011). Institutionalizing the performance management system in public organizations in Ghana. Public Performance & Management Review, 34(4), 467–488.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-17] Olowu, D. (2002). Human resource management in Africa: Challenges and opportunities. Public Administration and Development, 22(3), 199–205.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-18] Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS survival manual: A step by step guide to data analysis using IBM SPSS (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-19] Perry, J. L. (1996). Measuring public service motivation: An assessment of construct reliability and validity. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 6(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024303DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-20] Perry, J. L., & Wise, L. R. (1990). The motivational bases of public service. Public Administration Review, 50(3), 367–373. https://doi.org/10.2307/976618DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-21] Ritz, A., Brewer, G. A., & Neumann, O. (2016). Public service motivation: A systematic literature review and outlook. Public Administration Review, 76(3), 414–426. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12505DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-22] Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Pearson.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-23] Vandenabeele, W. (2014). Explaining public service motivation: The role of leadership and basic needs satisfaction. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 34(2), 153–173. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X14521458DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-24] Vandenabeele, W., & Jager, S. C. (2020). Government calling: Public service motivation as an element in selecting government as an employer of choice. Public Administration, 98(4), 1089–1105. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12619DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-25] Wright, B. E., Moynihan, D. P., & Pandey, S. K. (2012). Pulling the levers: Transformational leadership, public service motivation, and mission valence. Public Administration Review, 72(2), 206–215. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2011.02496.xDOI ↗Google Scholar ↗