What Drives Morally Committed Citizens? A Study of the Antecedents of Public Service Motivation
Corresponding Author
Indiana University—Bloomington
James L. Perry is Chancellor’s Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University—Bloomington. He is the 2008 recipient of the Dwight Waldo Award.E-mail: perry@indiana.edu
Laura Littlepage is a member of the faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, senior researcher in the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, and campus director of the American Humanics Certificate for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. She is currently coinvestigator of a project researching the impact of service learning on nonprofits, as well as a project coordinating the Homeless Count in Indianapolis. She was the coinvestigator of several national evaluations for the Points of Light Foundation.E-mail: llittlep@iupui.edu
Jeffrey L. Brudney is Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University.E-mail: j.brudney@csuohio.edu
David Coursey is visiting scholar at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater (www.decisiontheater.org). He specializes in public management, information technology, and research methods. Most of his recent work is in public service motivation, measurement models and theory, and e-government.E-mail: david.coursey@asu.edu
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Cleveland State University
James L. Perry is Chancellor’s Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University—Bloomington. He is the 2008 recipient of the Dwight Waldo Award.E-mail: perry@indiana.edu
Laura Littlepage is a member of the faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, senior researcher in the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, and campus director of the American Humanics Certificate for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. She is currently coinvestigator of a project researching the impact of service learning on nonprofits, as well as a project coordinating the Homeless Count in Indianapolis. She was the coinvestigator of several national evaluations for the Points of Light Foundation.E-mail: llittlep@iupui.edu
Jeffrey L. Brudney is Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University.E-mail: j.brudney@csuohio.edu
David Coursey is visiting scholar at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater (www.decisiontheater.org). He specializes in public management, information technology, and research methods. Most of his recent work is in public service motivation, measurement models and theory, and e-government.E-mail: david.coursey@asu.edu
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Arizona State University
James L. Perry is Chancellor’s Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University—Bloomington. He is the 2008 recipient of the Dwight Waldo Award.E-mail: perry@indiana.edu
Laura Littlepage is a member of the faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, senior researcher in the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, and campus director of the American Humanics Certificate for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. She is currently coinvestigator of a project researching the impact of service learning on nonprofits, as well as a project coordinating the Homeless Count in Indianapolis. She was the coinvestigator of several national evaluations for the Points of Light Foundation.E-mail: llittlep@iupui.edu
Jeffrey L. Brudney is Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University.E-mail: j.brudney@csuohio.edu
David Coursey is visiting scholar at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater (www.decisiontheater.org). He specializes in public management, information technology, and research methods. Most of his recent work is in public service motivation, measurement models and theory, and e-government.E-mail: david.coursey@asu.edu
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
James L. Perry is Chancellor’s Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University—Bloomington. He is the 2008 recipient of the Dwight Waldo Award.E-mail: perry@indiana.edu
Laura Littlepage is a member of the faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, senior researcher in the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, and campus director of the American Humanics Certificate for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. She is currently coinvestigator of a project researching the impact of service learning on nonprofits, as well as a project coordinating the Homeless Count in Indianapolis. She was the coinvestigator of several national evaluations for the Points of Light Foundation.E-mail: llittlep@iupui.edu
Jeffrey L. Brudney is Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University.E-mail: j.brudney@csuohio.edu
David Coursey is visiting scholar at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater (www.decisiontheater.org). He specializes in public management, information technology, and research methods. Most of his recent work is in public service motivation, measurement models and theory, and e-government.E-mail: david.coursey@asu.edu
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Indiana University—Bloomington
James L. Perry is Chancellor’s Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University—Bloomington. He is the 2008 recipient of the Dwight Waldo Award.E-mail: perry@indiana.edu
Laura Littlepage is a member of the faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, senior researcher in the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, and campus director of the American Humanics Certificate for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. She is currently coinvestigator of a project researching the impact of service learning on nonprofits, as well as a project coordinating the Homeless Count in Indianapolis. She was the coinvestigator of several national evaluations for the Points of Light Foundation.E-mail: llittlep@iupui.edu
Jeffrey L. Brudney is Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University.E-mail: j.brudney@csuohio.edu
David Coursey is visiting scholar at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater (www.decisiontheater.org). He specializes in public management, information technology, and research methods. Most of his recent work is in public service motivation, measurement models and theory, and e-government.E-mail: david.coursey@asu.edu
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Cleveland State University
James L. Perry is Chancellor’s Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University—Bloomington. He is the 2008 recipient of the Dwight Waldo Award.E-mail: perry@indiana.edu
Laura Littlepage is a member of the faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, senior researcher in the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, and campus director of the American Humanics Certificate for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. She is currently coinvestigator of a project researching the impact of service learning on nonprofits, as well as a project coordinating the Homeless Count in Indianapolis. She was the coinvestigator of several national evaluations for the Points of Light Foundation.E-mail: llittlep@iupui.edu
Jeffrey L. Brudney is Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University.E-mail: j.brudney@csuohio.edu
David Coursey is visiting scholar at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater (www.decisiontheater.org). He specializes in public management, information technology, and research methods. Most of his recent work is in public service motivation, measurement models and theory, and e-government.E-mail: david.coursey@asu.edu
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Arizona State University
James L. Perry is Chancellor’s Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University—Bloomington. He is the 2008 recipient of the Dwight Waldo Award.E-mail: perry@indiana.edu
Laura Littlepage is a member of the faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, senior researcher in the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, and campus director of the American Humanics Certificate for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. She is currently coinvestigator of a project researching the impact of service learning on nonprofits, as well as a project coordinating the Homeless Count in Indianapolis. She was the coinvestigator of several national evaluations for the Points of Light Foundation.E-mail: llittlep@iupui.edu
Jeffrey L. Brudney is Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University.E-mail: j.brudney@csuohio.edu
David Coursey is visiting scholar at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater (www.decisiontheater.org). He specializes in public management, information technology, and research methods. Most of his recent work is in public service motivation, measurement models and theory, and e-government.E-mail: david.coursey@asu.edu
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
James L. Perry is Chancellor’s Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University—Bloomington. He is the 2008 recipient of the Dwight Waldo Award.E-mail: perry@indiana.edu
Laura Littlepage is a member of the faculty in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, senior researcher in the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, and campus director of the American Humanics Certificate for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. She is currently coinvestigator of a project researching the impact of service learning on nonprofits, as well as a project coordinating the Homeless Count in Indianapolis. She was the coinvestigator of several national evaluations for the Points of Light Foundation.E-mail: llittlep@iupui.edu
Jeffrey L. Brudney is Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University.E-mail: j.brudney@csuohio.edu
David Coursey is visiting scholar at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater (www.decisiontheater.org). He specializes in public management, information technology, and research methods. Most of his recent work is in public service motivation, measurement models and theory, and e-government.E-mail: david.coursey@asu.edu
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
This study examines the relationship between public service motivation and antecedents believed to be important determinants of moral commitment. Research conducted during the past decade indicates that public service motivation is a valid construct that is useful for predicting outcomes that are important to public organizations and to society. The sample for the empirical study consists of winners of the Daily Point of Light Award and the President’s Community Volunteer Award. Antecedents studied are volunteer experience, religious activity, and parental socialization. Quantitative and qualitative analyses are used to identify key determinants of public sector motivation. Religious activity is positively related to formal and informal volunteering. Interviews strongly support the quantitative findings, especially the importance of religion, but also highlight the role of life-changing events.
