A quantitative research on the effect of public service motivation on job performance: The case of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality

"Public Service Motivation" (PSM) is a motivational approach that argues that the motivational factors of public officials are different from those of private sector employees and that individuals want to work in public institutions to do useful work for society. Contrary to mainstream economic doctrines, the KHM approach argues that public officials are not only self-interested individuals but also prioritize social needs. In the literature, there are studies suggesting that PSM affects factors such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, and career choice. This study aims to investigate the effect of PSM on job performance. In this context, the study will explore the correlations between PSM and job performance in metropolitan municipalities. Accordingly, the sample of the study consists of 230 people working as managers in Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. In the study, two different scales, namely the PSM scale and the job performance scale, were used and survey research design, one of the quantitative data collection methods, was used as a data collection tool. In the study, the effect of four sub-dimensions of PSM on job performance was analyzed. Hierarchical regression analysis was utilized to test the theoretical hypotheses based on the literature. As a result of the hypothesis tests, it was concluded that PSM predicts job performance significantly and positively, and it was determined that especially the sub-dimensions of dedication and commitment to the public good have a strong effect on job performance. In addition, it was concluded that the level of PSM of metropolitan municipality managers differed according to the position and the frequency of meeting with citizens.