Public service motivation of Turkish public servants

In this study, the meaning of public service motivation (PSM) for Turkish public servants and how variations exists between public organizations' average PSM levels were examined using sequential exploratory design (QUALquan). Semi-structured interviews conducted with public servants from the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, Ministry of National Education, Social Security Institution, Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Security, and Kütahya Fire Department demonstrate that PSM consists of composure, commitment to public values, self-sacrifice as well as loyalty to nation-state dimensions. A PSM scale consisting of 15 items based on four dimensions was adapted for Turkish public servants. It has been found that Turkish public servants possess high levels of PSM and there are significant differences between public organizations on PSM subscale scores. The study has two implications for practice: (1) PSM is an important motivation content that should not be ignored by forthcoming public human resource reform efforts. (2) Reformers should consider an organizational context-sensitive incentive system. Keywords: Public Service Motivation, Public Administration Ethics, Altruism, Patriotism, Public Personnel, Turkish Public Administration