A Study Of The Content And Structure Of Public Service Motivation In Chinese Context

Public Service Motivation (PSM) is a particular form of altruism orprosocial motivation that is animated by specific dispositions and valuesarising from public institutions and missions. Although PSM has beenconfirmed in Chinese context, its content and dimensions are significantlydifferent due to the cultural difference between the East and the West.Results from empirical studies indicate that, traditional Chinese culture has agreat influence on the content and dimensions of PSM.This article explores, and then further confirms the unique content anddimensions of PSM in Chinese context through three studies. First, byconducting in-depth interview, the first study explores the specific contentand demonstration of PSM in China, as well as its connection with Chinesesocial orientation. Second, based on the analysis (EFA、CFA) of large samplewhich consists of820employees from four different vocations, the secondstudy proposes a three-dimension model of PSM in Chinese context. Itproves that PSM in China has a unique dimensional model from that in western society, followed by a deep interpretation from the point of culture.Finally, the three-dimension model is further analyzed by CFA、one-wayANOVA to confirm its application in varied vocations. Moreover, the resultsreveal that, employees in different vocations own various levels of PSM dueto significant difference on vocational culture and characteristics.At the end of this article, full discussion and conclusion are provided,emphasizing the importance of culture emic in the PSM’s cross-culturalresearch. Further, it points out the limitation of these studies and suggests thedirection for future research.