A motive is a necessary but—per se—insufficient driver: people also need the means and the opportunity to apply themselves to the best of their abilities, be this in the public, private, or civil sectors. Barriers that commonly hamper the focus, integration, presence, and energy that staff can leverage toward their organization’s success include:

• Low perceptions of organizational advocacy by senior management, which weaken or shatter trust and respect;
• Inconsistent management styles on account of the attitudes of individual managers, which lead to perceptions of unfairness;
• Reactive decision making, which does not pick up problems until it is too late;
• Lack of consistency, clarity, timeliness, and fluidity in messages, which stems from rigid communication channels or cultural norms;
• Unimaginative human resource practices, which fail to recognize that certain positions are difficult to fill or have high turnover rates: staff in these areas are likely to disengage if no consideration is given to the need to involve them; and
• Poor work–life balance caused by cultures of long working hours.

Alessandro,

What motivation? How about the understanding that what one is, what one has learned, what one can be are all a function of living and acting in a society. The dichotomy of altruism vs self-interest is false. Being social beings, the well-being of one's society should be understood as an element of one's own well-being. Public service is simultaneously service to the "public", i.e., society as a whole, AND service to one's self as a member of society. Acting for the betterment of society as a whole includes the betterment of one's world and one's self in that world. We exist as individuals with our peculiar and particular needs and desires, but we are shaped from birth as social individuals. It is only ideology - these days capitalist ideology, designed to pit individual against individual - that prevents this from being obvious to everyone and that leads to absurdly blind, narrow understandings of "self-interest" and thus the idea that there is something "altruistic" about public service, as if one's self-interest and that of others are separate and at odds.

Good morning, Mr Cleaver!

I refer to the intrinsic desire to wake up, rise and successfully perform our human role from the opportunity of work! What moves you? What is it about your work that encourages you to continue? It is these responses that lead us to understand the factors that encourage us to seek improvement as professionals and human beings!

Good vibes!

Alessandro,

You ask " What moves you? What is it about your work that encourages you to continue?" It seems to me that my response to your original query explains at least one general motivation; does it not? If you don't find that response adequate, I wonder if you are looking for specific motivations associated with specific forms of public service? In that case, there would be probably be more answers than there are forms of public service.

In any case, I would sharply differentiate between improvement "as professionals" and as "human beings", indeed they are often in conflict. Professions are job categories and usually organized hierarchically and based on competition such that "improvement" means moving up the hierarchy at someone else's expense, "up" according more power over others. Improvement as human beings depends on what that means for you. It might, for example, mean the rejection of competition in favor of collaboration, of understanding and empathizing with others, the rejection of hierarchy, of ranking some individuals above others - characteristic of not only professions but capitalist society more generally.

I think you still don't understand the question, Mr Cleaver!

What is it about your work that stimulates you? What elements intrinsic or extrinsic to the public office that you hold, cause satisfaction in you?!

Your latest formulation implies, as I wondered, that "you are looking for specific motivations associated with specific forms of public service", i.e., the specific "public office that you hold". Mine has been teaching and two of the "elements" that give me satisfaction are: 1) helping others learn what they want to learn and 2) the intellectual stimulus that comes from interaction with other curious, thoughtful minds, which often raise questions about issues I haven't yet thought about or bring to bear on a subject aspects I haven't yet considered. Both of those elements are extrinsic to the job because the way things are set up in public education a teacher's "work" is supposed to be rank-ordering students according to their willingness and ability to do what they are told, the way they are told to do it with the tools given - all in "service" not to them but to their future employers. I find that work, intrinsically alienating. Voila! There is one answer about one form of public service. My guess is there there will be as many different answers as there are teachers out there serving the public.

Very Good!

Thank you for sharing your experience and contributions, Mr Cleaver!

I am motivated by intrinsic factors for example a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in my work. And yes, work needs to be fun to be motivating! Doing something that is enjoyable to do and offers intellectual challenges, having control over how the work is completed and the goal accomplished, increasing responsibility, empowerment and recognition. Finally in my case the ability to help others. I believe most public service employees are motivated by these types of intrinsic factors.

Hi Mr Walterhouse,

I appreciate your response and share the same opinion!

Greetings!

I totally agree with Ben Levin. Nicely said.

Thaks for your experience, Mr Levin!

Motivation in the public sector has to come from the need to want to improve infrastructure and help people. You need to be self motivated and selfless in thinking.

My motivation comes from the fact that I am an engineer who always wanted to add value to the people as well. This motivates me.

Hello @Prathna Gopi !

I also believe that public service motivation stems from the server's perception that his work can improve other people's lives. The greater the feedback, the greater the strengthening of this counterpart!

Thank you for your participation!

1. Education you learnt from your home family

2. "Giving" has major benefits than "taking"

3. Building a social-educational-economically vision of your life

My motivation comes from the desire to see others succeed. When you work with someone who has has given all of themselves and look to you to save them, giving them that last ounce and watching them win, is a source of my motivation. Working with African American youth who are left for dead and helping them understand life does exist, while they too are pulling others up, is a source of motivation for me.

Congratulations on your work @Jeffrey Shorter, and thanks for sharing your experience

Greetings!

I think the desire to see other grow and not lead with egos is also very important. Great work

In Nigeria, normally pay (wages/income/salary) and promotion are the commonest motivators. There are other psycho-social (parochial) motivators like ethnicity, religion, secret society, nepotism, etc. Prof. (Ass.) Okechukwu Dominic Nwankwo, PhD/Barr, [email protected] Department of Psychology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus, Anambra State, Eastern Nigeria (Biafra)

Thanks, prof Nwankwo

Some employees in Brazil have a similar perception about stimulating elements for work!

Greetings

Hi dears...

Hello dear respondents!

Invitation to read... Developed in the UFES Master's program in Public Management, this work revisited the literature on motivation in the public service from a bibliometric analysis!

Article A PRODUÇÃO CIENTÍFICA SOBRE A MOTIVAÇÃO NO SERVIÇO PÚBLICO: ...

Searching for results, not only for process.

Dear all, without seeking of self-realization and happiness, it is impossible to be motivated. The payment also matters.

Thanks for the contribution, Mr Guogis!

Thanks for sharing your experience, Mr Dvorak!

Hi professor Gaber,

Thanks for answer! What about your motivation to work? Show the most important factors for you!

Thanks for the testimonial, mrs Honsayco!

Congrats!!1

Hello. I started public service for just almost 3 years now, and what motivates me amidst these routinary activities is the security of tenure and the salary I receive.

A wonderful scientific achievement. I wish you all success