Project report 1

PROJECT REPORT
ON
A STUDY ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN ALL SECTORS
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMEMT
FOR THE AWAED OF THE DEGREE OF
BACHOLOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATIONS
2011-2014
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF SUBMITTED BY:
MRS. CHARU MOHLA SAHIL RELAN
FACULTY, MAIMS 04814701711
MAHARAJA AGRASEN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMEN STUDIES
AFFILIATED TO
GURU GOBIND SINGH INDRAPRASTH UNIVERSITY, DELHI
PSP AREA, PLOT NO.1, SECTOR 22, ROHINI, DELHI-110086

STUDENT UNDERTAKING
This is to certify that I have completed the Project titled “EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN ALL
SECTOR” under the guidance of “MRS. CHARU MOHLA” in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the award of degree of Bachelor of Business Administration at Maharaja Agrasen
Institute of Management Studies, Delhi. This is an original piece of work & I have not submitted it
earlier elsewhere.
SAHIL RELAN

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project titled “EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN ALL SECTOR” is an
academic work done By “SAHIL RELAN” submitted in the partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the Award Of the degree of Bachelor Of Business Administration from
Maharaja Agrasen Institute Of Management Studies, Delhi, under my guidance & direction.
To the best of my knowledge and belief the data & information presented by him/her in the
project has not been submitted earlier.
MRS. CHARU MOHLA
(Project guide)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In Indian culture a task is said to be incomplete without the blessings of almighty and elders.
Also acknowledging the work and help of all those who have guided me for the compleition
of my project on time, is indeed duty of mine. Knowing the fact that no words can measure
their guidance to any text. I take this opportunity to express my profound sense of gratitude to
all those who encouraged me, assisted me and cooperated with me for successful completion
of this summer project and without them this summer project would not have been possible.
It provides me immense pleasure to extend my grateful thanks to …..and all faculty members
of …… for their guidance, motivation, encouragement and able supervision.
I express my deep sense of gratitude and reverence for my parents and friends for their
endless love guidance moral support encouragement and cooperation throughout my study
and work without which this work would ever have been completed.
It was learning and experience for me and I therefore indebted to all the people mentioned
above as no words can thank them for their love shown towards me.
SAHIL RELAN

Table of Contents
Executive summary ............................................................................................................. 1
I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2
II. Motivation – What is it all about? .................................................................................. 4
III. Importance of Motivation ............................................................................................. 8
IV. Public vs. Private Sector Motivation .......................................................................... 14
V. Motivation Theories and Factors ................................................................................. 20
Need Theories ............................................................................................................... 20
Cognitive theories ......................................................................................................... 24
VIE Theory ............................................................................................................... 24
Equity Theory ........................................................................................................... 25
Goal Setting .............................................................................................................. 26
Technique Theory – Job Design ................................................................................... 28
Public Service Motivation (PSM) Theory .................................................................... 29
The Factors.................................................................................................................... 31
VI. From Theory to Practice ............................................................................................. 35
Rewarding ..................................................................................................................... 36
Recognition ................................................................................................................... 37
Feedback ....................................................................................................................... 38
Relatedness/Commitment ............................................................................................. 39
Responsibility/Autonomy ............................................................................................. 40
Achievement/Challenge/Goal setting ........................................................................... 41
Growth .......................................................................................................................... 42
Career advancement .................................................................................................. 42
Training ..................................................................................................................... 42
Interesting work ............................................................................................................ 43
Important work.............................................................................................................. 44
Participation .................................................................................................................. 44
Interpersonal relationships ............................................................................................ 45
Working environment ................................................................................................... 45
Fairness ......................................................................................................................... 46
Work-Life-Balance ....................................................................................................... 46

Plateaued employees ..................................................................................................... 47
VII. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 48
Appendix A. Summary of Factors and Tactics ................................................................. 49

Executive summary
Motivation plays a key role in employee job performance. Thus, employee
motivation has long been a central research topic for scholars and practitioners. As a
result, an abundance of theories and approaches were developed in order to explain the
nature of employee motivation in the private and the public sector. However, most of
these studies fall short of practical application or offer it only for the private sector. The
problem is that with the effects of the latest financial crisis governments need today,
more than ever before, practical ways that can help motivate public employees to be
productive and get “more for less”.
To that end, this thesis aims at finding theoretical factors and practical tactics that
can help public sector managers to motivate their employees. The method that was used
to reach this goal included an application-oriented meta-analysis of public and private
motivation literature, a set of 10 interviews with past and current public managers, and
projections from the author’s own experience as a public manager. The thesis first
investigates the notion of motivation and its importance generally to employers, and
particularly to public sector organizations. Then, the thesis establishes that private and
public sectors are not as distinct as might be imagined, and thus as a next step
motivational factors are deduced form both private and public sector motivation theories.
Finally, concrete and practical tactics are developed and attributed to each of the factors.
The thesis finds no less than 14 motivational factors, which are translated to 46
concrete and practical tactics that can help to motivate public employees. Furthermore,
the case of plateaued employees is presented in order to demonstrate how the different
tactics can be combined to tackle a specific problem that the public sector confronts.
This thesis refutes, then, the common belief that public managers do not have
means to stimulate their employees, due to rigid civil-service laws. Thus, managers can
use this thesis as a “cookbook” to find tactics how to motivate public sector employees.
Moreover, they can use the results of this thesis as a starting point to develop their own
motivational factors and tactics, which would better fit their organization and employees.

I. Introduction
Managers most often fulfill their organizational goals through the work of
employees. Thus, managers need to have highly efficient and productive staff members.
Although many factors contribute to productivity, job performance is viewed to be the
most influential one. Job performance itself is a function of four variables: ability,
understanding of the task, environment, and motivation (Mitchell, 1982, pp.82-83).
Accordingly, in order to perform well employees need to have the knowledge and tools
that are required for the job as well as the will to do what is asked from them. Therefore,
motivation can be generally equated with action and the understanding of motivation
unfolds to be a key to the success of any private or public organization.
For that reason, motivation has long been a central topic for scholars and
practitioners. An abundance of theories and approaches were developed in order to
explain the nature of employee motivation. Another handful of studies were conducted in
an attempt to discover whether public sector employees have different motivation
antecedents than their private sector counterparts. And indeed a special motivation
theory, called Public Service Motivation (PSM), was conceptualized to explain how
public employees differ from private workers in the level and type of their intrinsic desire
to work and serve.
Yet, grasping motivation should not be limited to theoretical aspects alone.
Managers do not live in ivory towers and they need applicable ways to transfer the
concepts of motivation into everyday life practice. This is especially pertinent to the
public sector where the latest financial crisis presented governments with an exacerbated
situation. On the one hand, the recession has increased the demands on public services,
while on the other it has led to a collapse in taxation revenues and, in turn, a retraction in
funding of public services (Public Affairs Ireland, 2010, p.2). Thus, public sector
managers must motivate their employees to perform at the highest levels of productivity
and effectiveness and get “more for less” (Perry/Porter, 1982, p.89).
The problem is that motivating public employees is easier said than done. Public
workers have a reputation for being lazy and lethargic (Wilson, 1989, p.xviii; Wright,

2001, p.560) and mangers’ room for maneuver is ostensibly very little, due to rigid civilYair
Re’em 3 Motivating Public Sector Employees
service laws. Moreover, the public sector suffers from aging and plateauing employees,
who are especially hard to motivate. It is not surprising, then, that the question how
public managers can motivate their employees is considered to be one of the three “Big
Questions of Public Management” (Behn, 1995).
Although the literature is affluent with motivation theories, the problem is that
most of them fall short of practical application or offer it only for the private sector. To
that end, the question this thesis deals with is: what are the theoretical factors and
practical tactics that can help public sector managers to motivate their employees?
The method that was chosen to answer the research question consisted of an
application-oriented meta-analysis of public and private motivation literature, a set of 10
interviews conducted with managers, who have current or past experience in the German
public service, and projections from my own experience as a public manager. I believe
this method assures that the end result is indeed implementable in the public sector, as
well as generic enough to be adapted to a range of public organization settings and
civilservice
laws.
This thesis is organized as follows. Chapter 2 presents the notion of motivation
and clarifies what exactly we mean by saying “motivation”. Different facets of the
concept are also illuminated. Chapter 3 delves into the issue of the importance of
motivation. It first reflects on the effects of motivation on employee performance;
second, it establishes motivation as a managerial duty; and third, it explicates the
importance of employee motivation in the public sphere. Chapter 4 examines whether
there are differences between public and private sector employee motivation. It also
answers the question whether conclusions that are drawn from private-oriented theories
can be later applied in the public sector. Chapter 5 reviews different motivational theories
and extracts motivational factors that are directly mentioned or alluded to by the theories.
The chapter also analyzes the gleaned factors. Chapter 6 transforms theory to practice by
attributing each of the factors with concrete and practical tactics that can be employed by
public managers. The case of plateaued employees is also presented and a motivational
strategy to tackle the problem is offered by using a combination of the tactics.

II. Motivation – What is it all about?
We all feel familiar with the concept of motivation and yet, when asked to, we
struggle to find a proper definition. In fact, in 1981 Kleinginna and Kleinginna mapped
no less than 140 distinct definitions (p.263). Thus, if we are to answer the question of
how to motivate public employees, we first need to understand what motivation exactly
does mean. This chapter clarifies the notion of motivation as well as illuminates different
facets of the concept.
The word motivation is coined from the Latin word motus, a form of the verb
movere, which means to move, influence, affect, and excite. By motivation we then mean
the degree to which a person is moved or aroused to act (Rainey, 1993, p.20).
Dictionaries simply describe motivation as “the goad to action” (Mitchell, 1982, p.81),
whereas scholars expand the term to the set of psychological processes that cause the
arousal, direction, and persistence of individual’s behavior toward attaining a goal
(ibid.; Greenberg/Baron, 2003, p.190; Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.209).
The latter definition underlines three pillars of motivation. The first – arousal –
has to do with the drive or energy that ignites behavior (Greenberg/Baron, 2003, p.190).
The second – direction – has to do with the type of behavior that is exerted and whether it
is in line with demand or organization goal (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.209). The third pillar
– persistence – deals with the lastingness of behavior. Though, this factor is of less
importance, because persistence can be simply defined as the reaffirmation of the initial

arousal and direction processes (Mitchell, 1982, p.81).
Furthermore, the definition asserts that motivation is an individual phenomenon.
Each individual is unique and has different needs, expectations, values, history, attitudes
and goals (ibid.). Hence, a manager cannot assume that what motivates him/her will also
motivate the employee. And what motivates one employee may not necessarily motivate
another.
Another aspect of motivation is that it pertains to determination, intention, and
self choice. That is, motivation is under the employee’s control and he/she actively
chooses whether to put effort and take action (Mitchell, 1982, p.81). There is both good
and bad news here: the good news is that an employee’s level of motivation can be
influenced; the bad news is that only the employee himself/herself can do that. In other
words, managers cannot motivate employees; they can only influence employees in a
manner that makes them feel motivated (Bruce/Pepitone, 1998, p.1; Kumar/Sharma,
2001, p.585). Thus, the verb to motivate is somewhat misleading and should be replaced
by the phrase “to induce motivation”, but for the sake of simplicity I will keep on using it.
Motivation, then, is fundamentally an inside job (Bruce/Pepitone, 1998, p.2). It
originates from within the individual and causes him/her to be internally stimulated. This
type of motivation is called intrinsic motivation. Ryan and Deci (2000) consider intrinsic
motivation to be the most important and pervasive motivation. Because it is through this
kind of natural motivational tendency that humans develop cognitive, social, and physical
abilities (p.56).
Frey and Osterloh (2002) distinguish between three forms of intrinsic motivation.
In the first, people engage in an activity for its own sake, since they find the activity itself
as a source of joy and satisfaction (p.8). Examples can be hobbies that one chooses to
pursue, or in the work context fulfilling an interesting task. The second form is activities
which are tedious and unexciting, but their accomplishment is a source of pleasure. For
instance, meeting a deadline at work brings a sense of achievement, albeit the process is
sometimes arduous. In the third form of intrinsic motivation it is a matter of compliance
with standards for their own sake that propels people to act. These may be ethical
standards one feels a need to respect, commitment to group members, or the desire to act
according to values of material or procedural fairness (ibid.). The three forms of intrinsic
motivation are illustrated in figure 1.
Despite its significance, many a time people act not because they are intrinsically
motivated, but rather because external factors prompt them to take action (Ryan/Deci,

2000, p.60). This type of motivation is called extrinsic motivation and it concerns
whenever an activity is done in order to attain an outcome that is separable from the
activity itself (ibid.). In a career context, extrinsic motivation means the desire to satisfy
needs or goals that are not related to the work itself. For example, work as a mere tool for
earning money.
Figure 1: Forms of intrinsic motivation (Frey/Osterloh, 2002, p.9)
Be it intrinsic or extrinsic, motivation is not an end in itself, but rather a mean to
an end (Wright, 2001, p.560). The ultimate goal of motivation is action, as insinuated by
the last part of the definition – toward attaining a goal. And in the workplace, action
means performance. Thus, the objective of work motivation research is “to learn how to
motivate employees to perform the duties and responsibilities assigned by the
organization” (ibid.).
That being said, it is important to pay attention not to automatically team
motivation with performance. Motivation alone does not determine performance. It is
only one factor in a series of components that contribute to the level of employee
performance (Rainey, 1993, p.22). This topic will be further developed in the following
chapter, but for time being it is enough to remember that motivation is not the same as
performance. And performance should not be mistakenly understood as productivity,
since sabotage and absence are motivated behaviors as well (Landy/Coote, 2010, p.365).
Motivation is also not to be confused with job satisfaction. Early experiments,
such as the famous Hawthorne plant study in the late 1920s, led researchers to the false
conclusion that happiness and satisfaction on the job equals high employee motivation to
work. This has long been proven wrong (ibid., pp.406-407). A worker can be extremely
satisfied with his/her job and at the same time be unmotivated to exert effort. In fact, that
is exactly one of the problems the public sector experiences – some employees are very
pleased with their comfort work conditions, e.g. job security, and still have very little
motivation to work. Nonetheless, job satisfaction should not be mislaid. It may not have a
direct effect on motivation, performance, and productivity, but it sure has been found to
be related to employee retention, thus indirectly influencing organizational costs
associated with employee absenteeism and turnover (Wright/Davis, 2003, p.71).
Given the elaborations thus far, it is possible to conclude that work motivation is
about the internal and external forces that influence individual’s degree of willingness
and choice to engage in a certain specified behavior and action (Mitchell, 1982, p.82).
The purpose of motivational theories, then, is to analyze and predict the reasons that

arouse and direct people to choose certain behaviors over others. Standing on the
shoulders of these theories, I aim later to develop tactics that can help increase
motivational behavior among public employees.
III. Importance of Motivation
Having answered the question of what motivation is, the next question is why it is
important for management, and moreover why it should be of special interest to managers
in the public sector. To that end, this chapter focuses on three parts: First, it reflects on
the effects of motivation on employee performance; second, it establishes motivation as a
managerial duty; and third, it explicates the importance of employee motivation in the
public sphere.
The number of publications is often used as an indicator for the importance,
interest, and trends of certain subjects. In that sense, motivation is clearly a hot topic. The
number of research articles and books that incorporated the word “motivation” in their
title or abstract from 1950 to 2008 is around 65,000 (Landy/Conte, 2010, p.360).
Moreover, the importance of motivation seems to be increasing within the years, since
prior to 1980 the term appeared approximately 5,000 times each decade, whereas in the
1980s and 1990s it appeared more than 12,000 times each decade, and since 2000 it has
been mentioned over 14,000 times (ibid.). What makes motivation so important? In one
word, the answer is “performance”.
Productivity is the raison d’etre of management (Accel-Team website, 2010).
That is, managers across-the-board strive to achieve organizational goals by increasing
efficiency and effectiveness. Although many factors contribute to productivity, job
performance is viewed to be the most influential one (Mitchell, 1982, p.82). As was
clarified in the previous chapter, work motivation does not determine employee’s level of
performance, but it does influence his/her effort toward performing the task
(Ahlstrom/Bruton, 2009, p.198). The role of motivation in performance can be
summarized in the following formula:
Performance = Ability x Understanding of the task x Motivation x Environment
Accordingly, in order to perform well employees need first to have the knowledge
and skills that are required for the job. Then, they must understand what they are required
to do and have the motivation to expand effort to do so. And last, employees need to
work in an environment that allows them to carry out the task, e.g. by allocating
sufficient resources (Mitchell, 1982, p.83). The multiplication sign in the equation
emphasizes the importance of motivation – if motivation is equal to zero, even the most

talented employee will not deliver. Similarly, an energized and highly motivated
employee can reach good performance despite having some knowledge gaps
Landy/Conte, 2010, p.365). A good example for the latter situation is a new worker or
trainee, who joins the organization fully motivated to work, yet lacks skills and
experience. The motivation to learn and develop will quickly outweigh the weaknesses.
The effects of motivation do not stop with performance. In the group of motivated
employees there are fewer work accidents, fewer rates of ethical problems, less employee
turnover and lower levels of absenteeism (Jurkiewicz/Massey/Brown, 1998, p.246).
Motivated employees feel less stress, enjoy their work, and as a result have better
physical and mental health (Robison, 2010). Furthermore, motivated employees are more
committed to their organizations and show less insubordination and grievance
(Jurkiewicz et al., 1998, p.246). They are also more creative, innovative, and responsive
to customers, thus indirectly contributing to the long-term success of the organization
(MANforum, 2009, p.11). In short, motivated employees are the greatest asset of any
organization.
Managers interact daily with front-line employees, especially in the case of junior
and mid-level management. During these interactions supervisors unavoidably influence
staff motivation with either good or bad results for the organization (Bruce/Pepitone,
1998, p.2). For example, if you are a manager who does not offer feedback and shows no
interest in the employee as a human being, it is natural for your subordinate to interpret
this as a sign that you do not care about him/her (ibid.). And when continuously
neglected, employees are likely to switch-off and resign inwardly, i.e. their motivation to
work substantially decreases (MANforum, 2009, p.11).
Therefore, actively engaging in employee motivation should be one of the
primary tasks of a manager (Jurkiewicz et al., 1998, p.230). Surveys show most managers
support this assertion (ibid., Kraut/Pedigo/McKenna/Dunnette, 2005, p.122) and believe
they are doing a good job in motivating their staff (MANforum, 2009, p.13). Yet, reality
proves the opposite is true: managers do not clearly understand the subject of motivation
and more often than not motivational techniques are poorly practiced (Accel-Team
website, 2010). What is more, although many employees are highly motivated when
joining an organization, the majority of resignations can be attributed to disappointment
with the immediate supervisor (Bevan/Barber/Robinson, 1997, p.21,24). Very few
employees leave an organization just because of dissatisfaction with compensation and
promotion opportunities (MANforum, 2009, p.13).

There are many reasons why so few managers appear able to really motivate their
people. One explanation can be the lack of proper education (ibid.). Another may be the
complexity of motivational theories on the one hand, and the absence of practical
recommendations on the other (Latham, 2007, p.259). A more interesting answer may be
grounded in the “Paradox of Choice”. This concept stipulates that ironically too many
choices lead people to either choose none of the options or choose badly (Iyengar/Lepper,
2000, p.997; Schwartz, 2004, p.70). And in the context of motivation, a plethora of
theories results in poor implementation.
Regardless of excuses, managers have to internalize that employee
performance, productivity, and retention are all depending notably on their ability
to motivate (Balk, 1974, p.320; Bowey, 2005, p.20). This holds true both for the private
and the public sector. Yet, it takes more importance in the public sphere, as the
performance of governments and their administrations affect our society much more than
any other private sector organization (Wright, 2001, p. 580).
Furthermore, the need to get “more for less” and operate at the highest levels of
productivity and effectiveness has long been a major issue within public sector
organizations (Perry/Porter, 1982, p.89). However, the latest financial crisis presents
governments an unprecedented challenge. As aptly put by Public Affairs Ireland (2010):
“Not only has the recession increased the demands on public services, but it has done so
at a time when the collapse in taxation revenues has led to a major retraction in funding
of public services” (p.2). And so, with fewer resources and higher levels of demand,
public employees are called to arms. Thus, public organization leaders must keep
employees totally motivated and committed, if they are to achieve their ambitious task
(Bright, 2009, p.15).
However, motivating public employees is easier said than done. There are at least five major
factors that can hamper motivational efforts. First, public sector employees have a reputation
for being lazy and lethargic (Wilson, 1989, p.xviii; Wright, 2001, p.560). Although I believe
it to be greatly exaggerated, as was shown by Frank and Lewis (2004, p.36,43), it may still be
true in part. In 2007, Buelens and Van den Broeck proved that public employees work fewer
hours and show less commitment to their organization than their counterparts in the private
sector (p.68). Does this imply that public sector employees are lazy? Not necessarily, they
may simply choose to invest more in their private lives and do not want to join the “rat race”
(ibid., p.69). But what it does mean is that public managers have a tough starting point – their
window of opportunity to motivate the employee is quite narrow and is limited to relatively

short working hours. Second, public managers often complain they do not have the necessary
tools to motivate their staff (Behn, 1995, p.318). On the one hand, they say, they do not have
a stick, since it is impossible to fire anyone from the public service. And on the other, they do
not have a carrot to offer, as substantial financial rewards are not allowed (ibid.). Third,
public sector organizations are very hierarchical in nature, both in structure and in culture.
The result is frustrated front-line employees who rarely get to see the outcomes of their work,
which serves top level management and high political echelons.
Moreover, hierarchical organizations foster a patronizing management approach in which
the worker is coerced, rather than persuaded, to work (MANforum, 2009, p.12). In
Germany, for example, 60% of employees claimed to suffer from such an attitude (ibid.).
The three former and somewhat age-old factors are joined by two more recent
developments. In the baby boom years, between 1946 and 1964, there was a dramatic rise
in the birth rate not only in the United States but world wide. In the US alone 75 million
babies were born in that time, 27 million more than in the prior 20 years (Wolf, 1983,
p.161). The labor force today, and for the next 5 to 10 years, is dramatically affected by
the aging of the baby-boom cohort, who is today between 46 and 64 years old (Toossi,
2005, p.25). For example, in the US the proportion of those 55 years and older in the
labor force is expected to rise to 21.2 percent by 2014 (ibid., p.42).
Baby boomers, who work in the public sector, are today in the pinnacle of their
career. Yet, precisely at the moment when their career expectations are most intense, the
absolute size of the public sector is shrinking due to financial cuts. Rather than expansion
of opportunities, the baby boom generation is experiencing bans on promotions, extreme
competition for top positions, and a freeze of wages (Wolf, 1983, p.162). Public
employees, who were supposed to be in their highest fertility years, are now doomed for
a career gridlock and plateauing. Although the plateauing phenomenon is not new, in the
case of the baby boom generation it is greatly exacerbated by the combination of the
people boost and the job bust (ibid.). Plateaued employees require special attention from
managers and ample portions of motivation.
In Germany the phenomenon of career plateauing is even worse than in the US.
Apart from the baby boom effect, Germany suffers from the long-term implications of the
re-unification. In the first 4-5 years following Germany’s re-unification in 1989, the size
of the public sector was increased (Statistische Bundesamt, 2010). Twenty years later,
those who were recruited in the beginning of the 1990s expect a substantial career

development, at least to the level of a section manager (Referatsleiter). But, in today’s
reality, meeting these expectations is just impossible.
The rise of pension age to 67 even worsens the situation, as the bulge of “reunification
recruits” is expected to accompany us for the next twenty years. Adding that
to an already “old” public service (in 2008 the share of German public employees aged
55 or older was 21%, ibid.) and you get a recipe for a motivation catastrophe. Even early
retirements are no longer a viable solution due to cutbacks. And in general, the majority
of German public employees (64% in 2007) choose to reach the statutory retirement age
(ibid.).
The last factor which makes motivation nowadays harder is related to the New
Public Management fad. The rise of New Public Management (NPM) has had a
tremendous impact on how motivation is perceived by public employees and managers
(Vandenabeele, 2007, p.546). NPM advocates proliferated the pay-for-performance (PFP)
system in the public sector over the last several years. Poorly implemented, PFP had little
significant effect on motivation or performance. But it did manage to crowd out public
employees intrinsic motivation and to blur the distinction between public and private
sector, insofar as public employees expect today more monetary incentives (Christensen,
2002). Now that eroding revenues have restricted the use of financial rewards, public
managers must unwind the system and refocus on non-financial motivators.
After delving into the issue of the importance of motivation, one should not be
surprised that Behn (1995) considers the question “how can public managers motivate
public employees to pursue important public purposes with intelligence and energy?” to
be one of the three “Big Questions of Public Management” (p.319). And if recent
developments are a clue for the coming future, then motivation will remain a hot topic
throughout the next decade.
IV. Public vs. Private Sector Motivation
The Industrial Revolution and the introduction of mass production factories
provided the impetus for the development of motivation, and especially work motivation,
theories. The need for businesses to improve work methods, quality, and productivity
became salient and propelled studies like those of Frederick Winslow Taylor’s “The

Principles of Scientific Management” in 1911, and Morris Viteles’s “Industrial
psychology” in 1932 (Latham, 2007, pp.11-14). Later theories were no different; the vast
majority of them were conceptualized while focusing on the industrial order, i.e. the
private sector.
Hence, before we can draw conclusions from the corpus of motivation theory and
apply them in the public domain, we must first establish whether or not there are any
differences between the motivational bases of behavior in the private and the public
sector. If such differences do exist, then we need to clarify whether we can still use
“traditional” theories to explain motivation in the public sector or should we turn to
public sector specific theories – or perhaps we can even use both.
To answer these questions we need to have a look at the variables that influence
motivational behavior. Kurt Lewin summarized the antecedents of behavior in his famous
formula: B = f (P,E). That is, behavior is a function of the interaction between person and
environment (Miner, 2005, pp.38-39). These two determinants can be further subdivided
into many categories. I find it useful to use the following three major categories of
variables: (1) individual characteristics, (2) job characteristics, and (3) work context
(Perry/Porter, 1982, p.89; Wright, 2001, p.562). The first variable focuses on the
employee as such and examines whether public employees are different humans beings,
insofar as they have other motives, needs, or morale than their private sector counterparts.
The second variable describes aspects of the job or task an employee performs, while the
third pertains to the characteristics of the organizational setting in which the employee
must perform the work, e.g. the organizational reward system, culture, and atmosphere. If
motivation is to be different in the private and public sector, than one or more of these
variables must be affected (Perry/Porter, 1982, p.89).

Individual characteristics
Research suggests that employees in one organization may differ from employees
in another as a result of attraction, selection, and even post-recruitment adaption and
attrition processes (Wright, 2001, p.563). Thus, it is plausible to believe that individuals,
who opt for the public sector, are stirred by values that cannot be found in the private

sector. These values can be a desire to serve the public interest, a wish to have an impact
on public affairs, or an interest in achieving social justice (Buelens/Van den Broeck,
2007, p.65). By the same token, private sector employees are likely to pursue their own
self-interest and favor market-like incentive mechanisms, such as pay-for-performance.
This assumption stands at the center of Public Service Motivation (PSM) theory.
PSM, as will be elaborated in the next chapter, argues that public employees are indeed
“unique” human beings, insofar as “they behave differently from their private sector
counterparts and are not driven by extrinsic motives alone” (Anderfuhren-
Biget/Varone/Giauque/Ritz, 2010, p.3). Therefore, the question of differences between
public and private employees narrows down to whether workers in each of the two
sectors are driven more by intrinsic or by extrinsic motivators.
Although the question at hand is now more concrete and lucid, the answer
remains vague. Hitherto, research failed to provide a conclusive or consistent support for
the assertion that “employee reward preferences coincide with the function served by the
sector in which they are employed” (Wright, 2003, p.4). To begin with, several studies
indicate that compared to private sector employees, public sector employees are less
motivated by extrinsic monetary rewards (Frank/Lewis, 2004, p.43; Buelens/Van den
Broeck, 2007, p.67). Yet, other studies assert that such differences do not exist, and even
if they do, public employees still consider financial incentives to be highly motivating
(Wright, 2003, p.4). In fact, recently Weibel, Rost, and Osterloh (2010) showed how the
notorious pay-for-performance scheme can successfully boost public personnel efforts,
given the right circumstances and proper implementation (p.405).
Inconsistency can also be found with regard to higher-order needs, e.g.
achievement, autonomy, self-actualization, and self-development. While some research
suggest that public employees value higher-order needs more than their private sector
peers (Frank/Lewis, 2004, p.46), other works prove the adverse or find no distinction
(Wright, 2001, p.565; Buelens/Van den Broeck, 2007, p.67). Moreover, studies even
disagree whether public sector classic values, such as helping the other and benefiting
society, are more predominant in public or private employees (Wright, 2003, p.4).
However, there is agreement that in both sectors interesting jobs, which allow
helping others, motivate employees to put in extra effort on the job (Frank/Lewis, 2004,
p.46). It is also largely accepted that public sector employees, who clearly show affection
for public sector values (i.e. have PSM), place more value on intrinsic nonmonetary
opportunities than on extrinsic rewards (Perry/Wise, 1990, p.371; Bright, 2009, p.29).

In sum, attempts to establish a clear relationship between employee characteristics
and sector employment have produced mixed results. Furthermore, although PSM has
been proven to be a strong predictor of work motivation and of a desire for non-utilitarian
incentives (Anderfuhren-Biget et al., 2010, p.20), public managers should not presuppose
that all their employees desire only nonmonetary incentives (Bright, 2009, p.30).
Therefore, the first variable – individual characteristics – does not rule out using
“traditional” motivation theories in the public sphere.
Job characteristics
Research has conjectured that what a person does at work, i.e. the nature of the
job or fulfilled tasks, can influence work motivation (Wright, 2001, p.574). In other
words, it is not the sector itself that determines motivational patterns, but rather the
content and type of the performed tasks (Buelens/Van den Broeck, 2007, p.68). For
example, job characteristics like routineness and job specificity have been found to affect
the level of work motivation (ibid.; Wright/Davis, 2003, p.73). Routineness concerns the
degree to which employee’s daily tasks are varied and provide opportunities for new
experiences; and Job specificity deals with the clarity of the assigned tasks, their success
indicators, and relative importance. In general, studies report that jobs, which are routine
or have unclear tasks and goals, have a negative effect on work motivation (Buelens/Van
den Broeck, 2007, p.68).
The public sector, as a service provider, is mainly associated with administrative
work, while the private sector is characterized by manufacturing, marketing and sales
functions (ibid.). And since administrative work is often bureaucratic, tedious,
inappreciable, and not appealing, it may be the basis for sector differences.
Organizational goals can also contribute to the distinction, as public organizations usually
pursue particularly diffuse and intangible goals compared to those of private business
firms and they more often have multiple and conflicting goals (Perry/Porter, 1982, p.91;
Rainey, 2009, p.149), such as promoting a clean environment on the one hand, and
encouraging financial growth on the other.
Studies that tried to track job characteristics differences have produced mixed
findings (Wright, 2001, p.568). For instance, Buelens and Van den Broeck (2007) found
that although administrative jobs hold low motivating potential in both sector, public
administrators were significantly less motivated (pp.68-69). Contrarily, a survey that
compared executive students from the public and private sector reported that public

employees, more than their private counterparts, thought that their jobs were motivating
and provided them with great opportunities and worthwhile accomplishments (Wright,
2001, p.568).
Scholars debate also the role of personal and organizational goals in creating
sector differences. Rainey (2009), for example, found no differences in the attitudes of
public and private sector employees toward organizational goals (p.307). Wright, on the
other hand, suggested in 2004 that the nature of organizational goals has a detrimental
effect on work motivation, which, in turn, reinforces sector differences (p.73).
With all these inconsistencies in mind, I find that more than the studies provide
any evidence that job characteristics differ as a function of sector, they underline the
importance of job characteristics as an antecedent of motivation. Hence, “traditional”
theories that incorporate job characteristics (like Job design) should and must be used to
explain motivation in the public sector.
Work context
The work context of public sector organizations is perceived to be fundamentally
different from that of private sector organizations (Wright, 2001, p.566). Yet, only a
scanty number of studies compare the impact of work context on sector differences (ibid.
p.574; Buelens/Van den Broeck, 2007, p.66). Work context involves matters that are both
in the immediate and extended environment of the employee (Perry/Porter, 1982, p.91).
Immediate surrounding pertains to employee’s peer group, supervisor, and the desire to work
in a friendly and respectful atmosphere. The extended environment includes elements of job
security and stability, and type of organizational reward system. Public sector employees are
generally assumed to favor people-oriented leadership style more than do private employees
(Buelens/Van den Broeck, 2007, p.66). They are also believed to consider their peers and
supervisors significantly more important (ibid.) In addition, Jurkiewicz et al. (1998) found
that public employees are first and foremost motivated by job security and stability, while
private employees’number one motivational factor was high salary (p.243). In a 2007 study,
Buelens and Van den Broeck reaffirmed these statements and concluded that “public sector
workers are more strongly motivated by the desire to work in a supportive working
environment” (p.68).
Wright (2001) pointed out that public sector employees perceive a weaker

relationship between organizational rewards, such as pay and job security, and
performance than do private sector employees (p.567). He also stressed that oftentimes
the atmosphere in public organizations impedes workers’ motivation for action, since
they are afraid to do wrong (ibid.).
While these few studies appear to validate the influence of the work context on
motivation levels in each of the two sectors, I believe they also emphasize the necessity
to use “traditional” theories that highlight the role of supportive environment (e.g. Job
design) and performance-reward relationship (e.g. VIE theory) as motivational factors.
Conclusion
The debate over whether there are similarities or differences between employee
motivation in the private and the public sector seems to remain controversial. Rainey
(2009) suggests that “both sides are right”, i.e. the public sector does often present
“unique challenges in motivating employees”, but this should not prevent public

managers from applying “a great deal from the general motivation literature” (p.246).
Thus, “The challenge”, according to Rainey, “is to draw from the ideas and insights in
the literature while taking into consideration the public sector context” (ibid.).
Moreover, Wright (2001) asserts that the public sector does not need to have its
own theories of human motivation. In his view, “a general theory of organizational
behavior should be able to incorporate, if not account for, meaningful differences across
sectors”. However, he agrees that sector differences, if they exist, have “important
implications for the application or interpretation of any theory used to describe and
improve work motivation in the public sector” (p.563).
Durant, Kramer, Perry, Mesch, and Paarlberg (2006) reached the same conclusion
as Rainey (2009) and Wright (2001). In an essay that reviews and summarizes over 2,600
research articles about ways to motivate human performance, they infer that “social
science theories underlying traditional motivational programs are sufficiently robust to
be used as heuristics for designing new programs for a transformed public sector”.
What is more, research shows that the amount of attention that is paid to sector
differences as a determinant of work motivation is unwarranted. Buelens and Van den
Broeck (2007) proved that factors like gender, age, and education are at least as important
as sector of employment in explaining motivational differences (p.68). They also found
that hierarchical level is the most important factor in explaining differences in motivation
(ibid.). Jurkiewicz et al. (1998) also found hierarchy to be more significant than sector of
employment .
Altogether, studies confirm what we already know about motivation – it is an
individual phenomenon. Therefore, as a first step, managers should refrain from
classifying employees and must start treating them as individuals. That is, managers
should tailor each and every employee his/her own motivational strategy according to the
needs and desires of the employee (Bright, 2009, p.30). And while doing so, managers
can draw ideas from both “traditional” as well as new (e.g. PSM) motivation theories.
V. Motivation Theories and Factors
As was mentioned in the previous chapters, research is rich in theories pertaining
to motivation. Since it is impossible to cover all of them, this chapter reviews only the
most prominent theories of motivation – those which appear repeatedly in organizational
behavior books. The theories are classified into two groups: need theories and cognitive

theories. Need theories, also known as content theories, are concerned with analyzing the
needs and motives that affect human’s motivation. Cognitive theories, which are also
called process theories, concentrate on the psychological and behavioral processes behind
motivation (Rainey, 2009, p.274). Two additional and exceptional theories are presented:
one is a technique theory and the other deals solely with public employees’ motivation.
While reviewing the different theories, a special focus is given to motivational
factors that are directly mentioned or alluded to by the theories. The second part of this
chapter is dedicated to summarize and analyze the gleaned factors, which in the next
chapter will serve as the basis for the development of motivational tactics.
Need Theories
Early theories of motivation, mainly conceptualized during the 1950s, explain
motivation in terms of the satisfaction of basic human needs (Greenberg/Baron, 2003,
p.192). That is to say, a core set of needs provides the motive force for people’s actions
(Dunford, 1992, p.75). Although heavily attacked and questioned during the years, need
theories are probably “the best-known explanation for employee motivation”.
I will describe five such theories, which also often receive the title “person as machine”
theories, since their premise is that motivation is largely an automatic, mechanical, and
unconscious response to internal human needs.
Abraham Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs theorizes the existence of five sets
of innate drives/needs, which are arranged in a hierarchy of prepotency, i.e. a high order
need will become dominant only after lower level needs are satisfied (p.375). Maslow’s
five level needs, in ascending order, are physiological (e.g. hunger, thirst, sex), safety (the
desire not to feel endangered and wish for a physically and emotionally secure
environment), love (the “hunger for affectionate relations with people” and
belongingness), esteem (the longing for self-respect, strength, achievement, reputation,
recognition by others and appreciation), and the need for self-actualization, which is the
aspiration “to become everything that one is capable of becoming” (ibid. pp.372-382).
Maslow’s model is highly seductive, thanks to its sheer simplicity and ability to
provide an easy understanding of a complex matter (Dunford, 1992, p.76). Yet, the theory
was never validated, despite a continuous effort in a plethora of experiments and
researches held during the past 60 years. Therefore, Watson (1986) argues the theory is
“next to useless”, albeit he admits it served as a good “propaganda” that altered the “way
managers think about their employees” (pp.107-110).

Addressing the deficiencies of Maslow’s work, Clayton Alderfer (1969)
formalized a spinoff of the hierarchy of needs. His approach, known as ERG theory,
clusters Maslow’s five needs into three groups: Existence (which corresponds to
Maslow’s physiological and safety needs), Relatedness (similar to the love need), and
Growth (parallel to the esteem and self-actualization needs) (pp.146-147). Unlike
Maslow, Alderfer thought that an individual could focus on all three groups
simultaneously without any specific order (Greenberg/Baron, 2003, pp.194-195;
Robbins/Judge, 2008, pp.210-211). Despite Alderfer’s changes, ERG theory has not
received much more empirical support than Maslow’s work (Dunford, 1992, p.78).
Maslow and Alderfer have been harshly criticized, but their theories remain
valuable insofar as they suggest specific ways to motivate employees (Greenberg/Baron,
2003, p.195). For example, Van Wart (2008) infers from Maslow that managers should
use recognition and rewarding to enhance lower-end needs, and inspiring techniques,
such as the encouragement of relatedness/commitment feelings, to meet higher-end
needs (pp.217-218). Following Van Wart’s definitions, hereinafter, by recognition I mean
intangible incentives such as showing appreciation (e.g. a good word) and providing
praise (e.g. a trophy). And by rewarding I refer to tangible incentives such as promotions,
perks, provision of additional responsibility, and so forth (ibid.).
Mitchell (1982) also recommends that organizations pay more attention to upper
level needs and fulfill them through systems emphasizing autonomy and recognition.
Meaningful work is also a motivator according to Behn (1995, p.319). And as
Chalofsky and Krishna (2009, p.197) explain – “Meaningful work is not just about the
meaning of the paid work we perform; it is about the way we live our lives. It is the
alignment of purpose, values, and the relationships and activities we pursue in life”, thus,
it includes the need to maintain a proper work-life balance.
Kumar and Sharma (2001) add some more motivation factors and say that “doing
something worthwhile”, that is an important work can satisfy the need for self-esteem
(p.618). Furthermore, they interpret the love need as humans’ predilection for a
“conversation, sociability, exchange of feelings and grievances” (ibid.), hence, the necessity
for good interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
In 1960, the Maslovian needs hierarchy was expanded by Douglas McGregor into
the interface of management and motivation (Dunford, 1992, p.77). In his work, labeled
Theory X and Theory Y, McGregor argues that two approaches dominate managers’
attitude toward their employees. They either believe that employees inherently dislike

work and thus should be coerced into performing it (Theory X), or they assume that
employees grasp work as a natural part of life and thus can enjoy it and even seek for
responsibility (Theory Y) (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.211). Critics such as Watson (1986)
do not believe that McGregor’s work holds water and consider it to be “grandiose claims
and vast generalisations” (p.111). Though Watson does think that managers can find in
this theory a useful service if they begin to think how to motivate employees (ibid.).
Loyal to his Theory Y concept, McGregor recommended that managers promote
employee participation in decision-making, provision responsibility, create
challenging jobs, and maintain good interpersonal relationships in the group
(Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.211). According to Bruce and Pepitone (1998), Theory Y also
implies that “recognition and self-fulfillment are as important as money” (p.13).
Meaningful work and Work-Life-Balance are another outcome of Theory Y (Behn,
1995, p.319).
Like McGregor, Frederick Herzberg followed the “humanistic path laid down by
Maslow” (Watson, 1986, p.111). He developed the two-factor theory, which suggests that
there are only two basic sets of needs, not five (Landy/Coote, 2010, p.371). Moreover,
Herzberg (1968) differentiated between the two needs/factors and asserted that one set
promotes “job satisfaction (and motivation)”, thus named motivator factors, whereas the
other only prevents job dissatisfaction, thus named hygiene factors (p.91). Herzberg
thought that hygiene needs (parallel to Maslow’s physiological and safety needs) stem
from “mankind’s animal nature…to avoid pain from the environment”, hence in the
workplace we look for job security, good working environment, fairness of
company policy and administration, and interpersonal relationships (pp.91-92).
Yet, according to Herzberg meeting hygiene factors would only eliminate
dissatisfaction, but would not result in actual motivation. This can be achieved only by
fulfilling motivator factors, such as recognition, achievement, the work itself (i.e.
meaningful, interesting, and important work), responsibility, and growth or
advancement (ibid.).
Detractors of the two-factor theory question the reliability of Herzberg’s
methodology. But regardless of this admissible criticism, Herzberg’s work had major
effect over generations of managers (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.214) and majorly influenced
the development of the more valid theory of job redesign/enrichment (Miner, 2005, p.65).
Although the latter, which was conceptualized by Hackman and Oldham, do not have its
origins in motivation-hygiene theory.

Among the group of need theories the most supported one is David McClelland’s
theory of needs. Too bad it is also the least applicable one (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.214).
McClelland specified three needs: the need for achievement (nAch), which is the drive
for accomplishments; the need for power (nPow), which is the desire to influence; and
the need for affiliation (nAff), which is the wish for friendships (ibid.). Of the three
needs, McClelland focused on nAch. He said that high achievers are strongly motivated
by interpersonal relationships, responsibility, feedback, and goal setting.
(Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.215; Dunford, 1992, p.79). Unfortunately, McClelland also said
that the three needs are subconscious and can only be revealed by the use of expensive,
time consuming psychological evaluations, thus making the theory impractical for daily
use (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.215).
The approaches to motivation hitherto discussed share the notion that innate needs
drive human behavior. Figure 2 summarizes the similarities between the five theories
(Dunford, 1992, p.81). However, today there is little enthusiasm for approaches that
attribute human beings solely a mechanical behavior excluding the process aspect of
motivation. That is, acknowledging the capacity of individuals to gather and analyze
information and make rational decisions. Motivation theories that take this process into
account are called cognitive theories, or “person as scientist” theories, because they
emphasize not only humans’ needs, but also the way people choose to satisfy them. And
the way is no less important than the need itself.
Figure 2: Similarities between need-theories (Dunford, 1992, p.81)
Cognitive theories
VIE Theory
Instead of focusing merely on individual needs, VIE (Valence, Instrumentality,
Expectancy) theory looks at the role of motivation in the overall work environment. The
theory, which was conceived by Victor Vroom, argues that people are motivated to work

when they believe that their efforts in the workplace will result in a desired outcome.
Vroom assumed this belief is threefold (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.231):
1. Expectancy: one’s expectation that exerting a given amount of effort will lead
to good performance;
2. Instrumentality: individual’s confidence that good performance will be
rewarded; and
3. Valence: the belief that the offered reward/outcome will satisfy a desirable
need or wish of the individual.
The motivational effect will then depend on the combination of these three
beliefs, i.e. the level of confidence one has in the fulfillment of all three stages (see
Figure 3). With that in mind, Greenberg and Baron (2003) suggest that managers
strengthen the linkage between employees’ expectations and actual result. In congruence
with the three stages of VIE theory, they first call employers to enhance the possibility
that employees’ efforts will lead to good performance. This can be achieved by taking
care of staff growth and advancement, or more specifically by training. Second,
they recommend managers to administer a rewarding and recognition system which
is directly linked to performance. And third, this system should be flexible to ensure that
it is “positively valent to employees” (pp.209-210).
Figure 3: The three drivers of motivation according to VIE theory (Robbins/Judge, 2008,
p.231)
Furthermore, Wright (2001) believes that especially in the public sector
employees tend to perceive low level of instrumentality, i.e. weak relationship between
rewards and performance. For that reason, he urges public managers to emphasize the
mission valence and the task importance that are associated with the work in public
sector (p.581).
The main deficit of Vroom’s theory is that it gives the impression that people act
on a rational basis after assessing the situation and the potential outcomes. Only in real
life seldom do people hold complicated calculations as VIE theory suggests (Dunford,
1992, p.86). More often humans make decisions with limited rationality and let emotions
play a significant role in their decisions (Landy/Coote, 2010, p.364)
Equity Theory
J. Stacy Adam’s equity theory is based on the assumption that employees’

motivation to work is influenced by their perception of the degree of equity/justice in the
organization (Dunford, 1992, p.83). According to Adam, employees constantly think
about their inputs to the job (e.g. effort, experience, education) and their outcomes (e.g.
salary, promotions, prizes). Then, they make an output-to-input ratio and compare it to
the perceived ratio of their friends and coworkers (Robbins/Judge, 2008, pp.226-227). If
the “comparison” of the ratios shows identical results, employees are motivated and keep
on with their jobs. But, if it shows that others gain more or sometimes even less, a tension
is created and subsequent actions to relive that tension will be taken (Landy/Coote, 2010,
p.375). For example, an employee who sees his “equal-to-him/her” coworker being
promoted over him/her will be demotivated to put effort on the job, since he/she needs to
readjust the output-to-input ratio.
Further developments of Adam’s theory recognize that employees seek equity and
fairness not only when it comes to their outcomes but also on-the-way to get there. That
is, people are motivated when decision-making procedures are done in a fair manner
(Greenberg/Baron, 2003, p.204). More so, when making judgments about fairness,
employees take into account also “the dignity and respect demonstrated in the course of
presenting an undesirable outcome” (ibid. p.205).
Unfairness feelings should not be underestimated. They were most frequently
reported as a source of job dissatisfaction in Herzberg’s research (Miner, 2005, p.135).
Therefore, Greenberg and Baron (2003) conclude that managers should demonstrate
fairness with all their employees as well as nurture good interpersonal
relationships (pp.205-206). Though validation of the theory has been generally
affirmative, experts stress that the relevance of the theory may change from culture to
culture. For instance, there are more chances that the theory would fit an individualistic
society rather than a collectivist one (Landy/Coote, 2010, p.376).
Goal Setting
Goal-setting theory, formalized by Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, is most likely
the most researched, dominant, and validated theory of employee motivation (Durant et
al., 2006, p.509). The theory claims that specific and difficult yet attainable goals, along
with feedback, motivate and lead to high performance more than vague goals such as
the exhortation to “do your best” (Locke/Latham, 2002, p.706).

However, high performance will be achieved only if the employee accepted the
goal as his/her target. Therefore, it is recommended that employees participate in the
process of goal-setting. Though, goals assigned by superiors may also achieve high
result when given to employees who are “already intrinsically motivated and who thus
find the assigned goals less onerous” (Miner, 2005, p.172). Important goals can also
regulate individuals’ motivation and behavior (Wright, 2001, p.560).
Most often difficult goals indeed motivate employees, but sometimes they may
also be seen overwhelming and intimidating, causing employees to feel unconfident of
their possibility to accomplish a goal. Hence, it is vital to increase employees’ belief in
their capacity to perform a task or to reach a specific goal. Albert Bandura coined this
belief as self-efficacy (Landy/Coote, 2010, p.383). Self-efficacy has been shown to play a
critical role in the enhancement of performance in the public sector and in the reduction
of absenteeism among public employees (Wright, 2001, p.578).
As figure 4 exhibits, goal-setting theory and self-efficacy do not compete with
one another but rather complement each other (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.223). And they
both suggest that adequate training can ensure goal achievement (Locke/Latham, 2002,
p.708).
Figure 4: The joint effects of goal-setting and self-efficacy (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.223)
Despite being the most promising theory of work motivation, surveys show that
goal-setting is rarely used as a mean for motivation (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.221). The
vast majority of interviewees for this Master thesis argued that goal-setting is not
applicable in the public sector, due to the dynamics and lack of financial incentives that
characterize the work in the public arena. This, in contrast to theorists (Perry/Porter,
1982; Wright, 2001; Durant et al., 2006) who strongly call for the use of goal-setting in
the public sector.
Technique Theory – Job Design
Based in part on need-theories, researchers have proposed that jobs that satisfy
higher-order needs, such as self-actualization and personal growth-need, are capable of
motivating employees (Landy/Coote, 2010, p.399). This approach, which is known as job
enrichment, include elements that afford employees a sense of challenge or
accomplishment (Durant et al., 2006, p.507), thus countering feelings of routine and
tedious work.

Hackman and Oldham (1980) developed a job characteristic model that
identifies how jobs can be enriched to help people feel more motivated. The model, as
seen in figure 5, suggests that five core job characteristics foster three critical
psychological states that, in turn, lead to high internal work motivation (pp.75-83).
Figure 5: The job characteristic model (Hackman and Oldham, 1980, p.77)
The first three job characteristics are skill variety - the degree to which a job
requires the use of a multitude of skills; task identity - the extent to which a task requires
that one individual will perform it from beginning to end; and task significance - the level
of impact a job has over the lives of people inside and outside the organization. Tasks
that fulfill these three criteria contribute substantially to employees’ perception of their
work as meaningful, important, and valuable (ibid. pp 78-79).
The fourth job characteristic, autonomy, refers to the degree to which employees
have freedom, independence, and discretion to plan, schedule, and do their work.
According to Hackman and Oldham (ibid. p.79), high level of autonomy nurtures a
selfresponsibility, since employees then view their work outcomes as directly linked to
their own efforts. The last job characteristic is feedback, which helps employees
understand the results of their work. Therefore, high degree of direct and clear feedback
about the effectiveness of ones work can help direct efforts in the right way (ibid. p.80).
In the past, research has been quite skeptic whether the job characteristic model
applies in the public sector (Wright, 2001, pp.574-575). Yet, more recent works strongly
advocate its practicability as a mean to reduce turnover and absenteeism as well as a way
to increase job satisfaction, organizational relatedness, and productivity (Durant et al.,
2006, p.508). Job design is, therefore, a very lucrative theory for the public manager. But,
it has its own limitations – it can only motivate employees who have high growth needs,
i.e. they want to be given more tasks and responsibility, and at the same time they have
the knowledge and skills to tackle new assignments . Though, the lack of competencies can
be overcome by proper education and training (Hackman, 1987, p. 326).
Public Service Motivation (PSM) Theory
The Public Service Motivation theory postulates that public employees are
unique and differ from their private sector counterparts insofar as they are driven
primarily by intrinsic motives rather than extrinsic ones, such as financial rewards
(Anderfuhren-Biget et al., 2010, p.3). The idea of PSM was developed in response to the
rise of the New Public Management movement since the beginning of the 1980s, which

calls for the introduction of market-style mechanisms like performance-related pay into
the public sphere (Perry/Wise, 1990, p.367; Perry/Hondeghem, 2008, p.1). NPM
proponents believe that public employees are motivated by their own self-interests, and
thus their behavior should be controlled by extrinsic incentives (Perry/Wise, 1990,
p.367). PSM, on the other hand, posits that public servants are driven by higher-order
needs and have a zeal for serving the general public good. Therefore, Le Grand (2006)
names the former “knaves”, whereas the latter he calls “knights” (p.2). Several attempts
have been made in the past to define PSM (e.g. Perry/Wise, 1990, p.368; Vandenabeele,
2007, p.547), yet most of them were quite obscure. Lately, Perry and Hondeghem (2008)
offered a simple definition, which claims that PSM focuses on “motives and action in the
public domain that are intended to do good for others and shape the well-being of
society” (p.3).
Perry and Wise (1990, pp.368-370) recognize three categories of PSM:
1. Rational – individual’s involvement in the public sector is grounded in a
wish for utility maximization. For instance, attraction to public policy
making.
2. Norm-Based – involvement is generated by efforts to conform norms, e.g.
the desire to serve the public or self-commitment to reach social equity.
3. Affective – involvement is triggered by emotional responses to social
contexts. That can be compassion or self-sacrifice/altruism.
All three categories have been proven to have motivational influence on public
employees (Anderfuhren-Biget et al., 2010, p.14). In part, this can be explained by a
selfselection process that helps endow public organizations with a high PSM workforce
(Gailmard, 2010, p.36). The growing evidence of the existence of PSM has led Paarlberg,
Perry, and Hondeghem (2008) to develop strategies that reinforce individuals’ PSM
behavior (pp.268-269). These strategies “incorporate public service values across all
levels of the organization’s management system” (ibid. p.268). That is, the work of
Paarlberg, Perry, and Hondeghem actually ascribe PSM-oriented tools to traditional
motivational factors. For that reason, I prefer not to assign PSM theory a new
motivational factor, but rather use existing factors, which help to harness in practice the
positive effects of PSM.
Drawing, then, on Paarlberg, Perry, and Hondeghem’s strategies, PSM supports
the use of training, feedback, important work, goal-setting, participation,
interpersonal relationships, relatedness, and rewarding as motivational factors

(ibid. pp.271-279) Furthermore, alongside PSM, recognition has been shown to be a
strong motivator in the public sector (Anderfuhren-Biget et al., 2010, p.20).
The Factors
The review of theories has revealed different approaches to work motivation and a
variety of recommended motivational factors. Figure 6 presents the list of 14
motivational factors that were aggregated as well as their distribution among the theories.
Figure 6: Motivational factors and their distribution among motivation theories
The distribution table should not lead one into the conclusion that factors that

quantitatively dominate the chart are more salient than others. For example, important
work and goal-setting, which appear six times each, are not necessarily more prominent
than interesting work and fairness. As the theories differ in quality and validity, any
attempt to draw conclusions from the table may mislead the reader. Therefore, figure 6
should serve only as a plain, easy-to-read map of the various theories and motivational
factors and no more than that.
The 14 selected factors are not carved in stone. The literature is affluent with
suggestions for potential motivational factors (e.g. Perry/Porter, 1982; Jurkiewicz et al.,
1998; Durant et al., 2006). Yet, my choice was to focus on those that are directly
mentioned or alluded to by the theories. By the same token, factors could have been
labeled and clustered differently, though I find the current division useful and at times
also unavoidable. Thus, some of the factors are self-explanatory, while others require
clarification:
1. Recognition vs. Feedback – It was mentioned above that recognition deals
with intangible incentives such as the show of appreciation in the form of
a pat on the back or a good word, or the provision of praises like trophies,
thank you letters, and plaques. Recognition always has a positive
connotation and it acknowledges good behavior or actions. Feedback, on
the other hand, can also address poor performance and has a more formal
and structured nature than recognition.
2. Growth, Career Development, and Training – some motivation theories
suggest that training can serve as a motivator. Others encourage offering
career perspectives. The rationale behind these recommendations may be
different, but foremost it is rooted in human’s growth-need. For that
reason, I decided to group all three as one motivational factor, though in
the tactics chapter career development and training will be treated separately.
3. Relatedness/Commitment – these two underpin belongingness feelings that
bring employees to undertake actions for the sake of the group or
organization regardless of personal benefit. Van Wart (2008) calls this
factor “inspiring” (p.218).
4. Participation vs. Responsibility/Autonomy – participation involves

consulting with people on work-related matters and allowing lower level
employees to actively take part in managers’ decision-making process. By
contrast, responsibility/autonomy refers to freedom that managers delegate
to their subordinates in the process of carrying out their tasks. That is,
managers define what needs to be done (the “what”) and entrust their
workers with the ability to come-up with their own implementation plan
(the “how”).
5. Achievement/Challenge/Goal-setting – a number of theories assert the
importance of the sense of success or achievement as a behavioral driver.
Others emphasize the necessity of challenge in the workplace and the
benefits of clear goals. I hold up the opinion that these three elements are
interrelated in a causal relationship – goal-setting serves as a mean for
creating a challenging job that, in turn, promotes feelings of achievement
upon task accomplishment. Hence, they are grouped together.
6. Working Environment vs. Interpersonal Relationships vs. Fairness –
Working environment in some textbooks and articles is regarded as an
employee’s entire surrounding in the workplace (e.g. Perry/Porter, 1982,
p.91). However, I believe it is conducive to divide this criterion into three:
working environment, which refers to physical conditions in the
organization, such as the availability of clean lavatories; interpersonal
relationships, which refers to the atmosphere in the organization, e.g.
personal friendships; and fairness, which deals with processes in the
organization, i.e. how people are being treated and organizational rules of
conduct are administered.
My selection of factors is buttressed by the result of a survey among EMPM
students at the Hertie School of Governance (HSoG). In an exercise during a Human
Resource Management course, students were asked to note their 5 most relevant
motivational factors. As can be seen in figure 7, the result indicates 15 factors which are
ranked according to their popularity among the students.

More affirmation comes from a survey that was held in the public service of
Vienna. This research specified four motivational factors as the most important ones for
public employees: job security, interesting work, autonomy, and work-life-balance
(Egger-Peitler/Hammerschmid/Meyer, 2007, pp.33-34). Three of these factors are
included in my list. Job security is not mentioned, since managers cannot directly
influence this factor, thus there is little point to talk about developing tactics that help
foster job security.
Egger-Peitler, Hammerschmid and Meyer work (ibid.) highlights the fact that
some of the motivational factors are intrinsic in nature, whereas others stimulate extrinsic
motivation . Applying this grouping method to the 14 factors gives the following division:
1. Intrinsic – relatedness/commitment, achievement/challenge/goal-setting,
Responsibility /autonomy, growth (training), interesting work, important
Work , participation, fairness, work-life balance.
2. Extrinsic – rewarding, recognition, feedback, interpersonal relationships,
growth (career advancement), working environment.
It is no surprise that intrinsic factors outnumber extrinsic ones. As was discussed
in previous chapters, at the end of the day motivation is an internal process that directs
behavior. Thus, the more individuals are intrinsically interested in the goals they pursuit,
the more they are likely to attain these goals. Moreover, these “intrinsically motivated”
people will be happy even if they do not attain the goals, because they also take pleasure
from the process of striving toward them (Robbins/Judge, 2008, p.218).
Albeit extrinsic motivation may now seem pale and impoverished, often a time
this is the type of motivation that managers meet in the workplace. Moreover, extrinsic
motivation should not be equated with poor results (Ryan/Deci, 2000, p.55). For
whatever reason employees are motivated, they can deliver good performance
(Frey/Osterloh, 2002, pp.21-23). Therefore, in the next chapter tactics will be suggested
to all 14 motivational factors, intrinsic and extrinsic.

VI. From Theory to Practice
In the previous chapter, 14 motivational factors were gleaned from 9 motivation
theories. Though these factors move us one step forward toward real-life practice, they
are too broad and abstract. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to translate each of the
factors into concrete and practical tactics that can be employed by public managers.
The recommended tactics are based on public sector motivation literature, a set of

10 interviews conducted with managers, who have current or past experience in the
German public service, and my own experience as a public manager. I believe this
method assures that all selected tactics are implementable in the public domain. Tactics
are also generic in fashion to allow their adaptability to a range of public organization
settings and civil-service laws.
The chapter is structured in a way that each factor is attributed with its own
tactics. Tactics are preceded with explanations and then they are expressed in one simple
sentence. Some tactics can foster more than one factor, yet for the sake of simplicity they
are mentioned only once, and their multipurpose feature is mentioned in the explanation
part (by italic and bold letters). At times, tactics may seem to the reader to be obvious or
too simplistic. Yet, it is amazing to find out that even the clearest tactics, are not always
practiced. And yes, tactics are intentionally simplistic, because motivation in practice is
not so complicated; it is the collection of little steps that are in reach of every public
manager.
Ending the chapter is a short example how several of the tactics can address a
specific public sector motivation problem. The case of plateaued employees is presented
and a motivational strategy to tackle the problem is offered.
Finally, it should be noted that all interviews for this chapter were held as
background talks, and thus quotes are brought without any direct reference to the
interviewee (using italic letters between quotation marks). A list of the interviewees and a
full summary of the interviews are in the possession of the author of this thesis.
Rewarding
Rewarding concerns tangible incentives such as promotions, increases in pay,
increased discretion, superior work assignments, provision of additional responsibility,
and so forth (Van Wart, 2008, p.218). A Reward does not necessarily have to be a
pecuniary one. Money is always nice, but money is not always available, and may also
not be an employee’s prime motivator (ibid., p.220). Therefore, the first task of a

manager is to find out what motivates his/her employees and make a match between
employee’s desires and the offered reward (Greenberg/Baron, 2003, p.209).
Tactic 1: Administer rewards that are positively valent to employees
While offering rewards, as well as recognition, managers should make sure they
do not demotivate unrewarded employees. Therefore, it is important to keep a sense of
fairness in the process by basing rewards and recognitions on clear guidelines and by
linking them to employee performance. Only then will the rewards and recognitions
achieve their full motivational capacity on the one hand, and prevent grievance on the
other. Moreover, a direct behavior-reward relationship will actively motivate employees
to exert effort on the job.
Tactic 2: Rewards should be closely tied to behavior and performance
It is especially important to have a sound behavior-reward linkage when the
rewards include promotion or financial bonuses. This can be realized by using a
performance appraisal system. However, such a system is often extremely bureaucratic
and includes a great amount of paper work as well as in-depth and time consuming
appraisal talks. Let alone the fact that the time period of performance appraisals is
characterized by employee anxiety and tension in the office. Hence, the recommendation
is to offer rewards only once a year and in proximity to employee appraisals.
Tactic 3: Rewards should be offered in conjunction with annual appraisals
Rewards and recognitions serve as a mean to direct behavior, thus managers should make
sure it is the right one. This can be achieved by designing the awarding criteria inline with
goals and values that the organization wishes to foster, such as camaraderie or altruism.
Tactic 4: Rewards’ criteria should reflect organizational goals
The success of a Pay-For-Performance (PFP) system in the public sector has long been
questioned and debated. In general, PFP has a reputation to have little positive impact on
public employee motivation and performance (Durant et al, 2006, p.507).
Furthermore, and worse, PFP is likely to crowd out intrinsic motivation

(Paarlberg/Perry/Hondeghem, 2008, p.279) and blur the motivational distinction between
public and private sector employees by emphasizing monetary incentives (Christensen,
2002). Therefore, most public mangers oppose a PFP system and make statements like
“financial benefits cause more frustration than motivation” and “monetary bonuses do
not motivate – once the cake has been eaten, it’s not motivating anymore – and the
majority of public employees have a fair income, so there’s no real need for a bonus”.
Yet, PFP is often unsuccessful because of inadequate implementation, e.g. lack of
sufficient funding and a weak pay-performance relationship. Therefore, managers are
called to implement a PFP system only under certain circumstances. Weibel et al. (2010)
find that PFP can successfully motivate public employees who are less likely to find their
work interesting. Low level employees of public administration often find their job not
intrinsically rewarding, and in that case PFP can augment extrinsic motivation without
endangering a great amount of intrinsic motivation. These types of jobs are usually also
easier to measure, and thus a pay-for-outcome mechanism can be established (p.405).
Tactic 5: Establish pay-for-performance only under specific circumstances
Recognition
Recognition pertains to both informal and formal intangible incentives that show
appreciation and provide praise. Recognition always has a positive connotation and it
acknowledges good behavior or actions. Recognition generally costs nothing and is
immensely motivating, yet is underutilized (Van Wart, 2008, p.217). For example,
managers can intersperse informal recognition while managing by walking around. They
can also offer a good word, a short written comment on a submitted paper, a celebration
toast, a pat on the back, or just a warm handshake.
Tactic 6: Provide informal recognition, it costs nothing
Formal recognition also does not cost a lot, but it requires thought and
preparation. Taking the time and putting the thought into preparing the element of
recognition, is sometimes even more appreciated than the element itself. Formal
recognition may be letters of appreciation, trophies, or plaques that state the achievement.

Tactic 7: Take the time to prepare formal recognition
There are two settings to provide recognition: person-to-person and person-togroup.
That is, managers can choose whether they want to acknowledge good behavior
one-on-one with the employee, or they want to make the achievement public. The latter
form can be done by using the internal electronic system, addressing the staff plenum, or
by hanging accomplishment posters on the department walls. A public recognition can
motivate not only the employee in question, but also his/her colleagues and subordinates.
Tactic 8: Use both person-to-person and person-to-group recognition
Feeling valued is a fundamental emotional need. Employees in all ranks want to
feel valued, yet junior staff members or low-level service providers especially look for a
guidance and good word. Furthermore, recognizing one employee is not mutually
exclusive to recognizing another. Each one in his/her own time and fashion.
Tactic 9: Recognize as many employees as possible at all levels
Unlike rewarding, recognition is timeless and should be offered throughout the
year, in particularly informal recognition. However, managers should not automatically
recognize every behavior (especially not in a formal way), in order not to wear out the
effectiveness of the tool and make it be taken for granted.
Tactic 10: Recognize all year long in appropriate intervals
Feedback
Feedback is the way managers continuously shape employee performance. When
done correctly, it motivates employees and improves their actions. However, poorly
carried out it can achieve adverse results and demotivate employees. Thus, managers

should structure feedback in a way that helps the employee to accept the comments.
Rather than using criticism and focusing on negative performance, a better strategy is to
have the attention on devising methods for future improvements (Lazeby, 2008, p.24). As
one interviewee put it “managers must refrain from shaming employees; it does not make
their results better”.
Tactic 11: Focus more on future performance than on past mistakes
Due to its sensitivity, feedback should not be given offhandedly, but rather after
granting a heedful thought to the purpose/content of the feedback as well as the way of
delivery. While structuring a feedback, managers should think about at least two concrete
cases that support each of the arguments. This will prevent resentment and promote
acceptance of the criticism. During the feedback employees should be given the
opportunity to reciprocate and self-diagnose their performance (Van Wart, 2008, p.217).
Moreover, managers can tremendously benefit if they allow 360-degrees feedback, i.e.
they let the employee express his/her own feedback over the manager’s performance.
Tactic 12: Be prepared for the feedback and allow employees to respond
Timely and precise error correction is the key for improvement, and it prevents
unsatisfactory practices from becoming routine and fossilizing (ibid.). Managers need to
remember that the compromises of today will become the norms of tomorrow.
Tactic 13: Monitor and correct errors on a timely basis
An employee’s appraisal plays a significant role in his/her future in the
organization. Hence, it is important that managers document in details all the feedbacks
they give to their staff. This can serve later as a reference point in the next review. In
organizations that managers rotate often, it becomes even more crucial to have a
documented report on staff performance, so to ensure continuity and a swift transition.
Tactic 14: Document all employee feedbacks and evaluations
Relatedness/Commitment

Relatedness/belongingness feelings increase organizational commitment, which,
in turn, cause employees to undertake actions for the sake of the group and organization
(Vandenabeele, 2007, p.553). Thus, public sector managers should strive to create a
distinctive “corporate” identity to their teams with which employees can identify. As a
first step, to achieve this goal, managers should create a mission statement that can serve
as their team motto. A mission statement is a powerful tool to unite employees and
enhance their performance by giving them a common focus. One interviewee named this
strategy as the “we have a mission” tool.
Tactic 15: Create a mission statement that unites the team
Next, managers should use energetic or emotional language with inclusive terms
such as “we”, “us”, and “our”, while attempting to inspire the team (Van Wart, 2008,
p.220). For example, when talking about the outcomes of the department, it is better to
say “our paper received good remarks”, than the same but with “my”.
Tactic 16: Build a team spirit by talking in inclusive terms
Furthermore, both managers and employees should communicate their uniqueness
to the rest of the organization. Occasional successes must serve as a window of
opportunity to build the team’s reputation as an “elite” group, since “everybody wants to
belong to and work for the elite group”.
Tactic 17: Establish a reputation of an “elite” team
Inside the group managers should increase employees’ opportunities to meet and
work together. For example, common projects can be assigned or a seminar can be jointly
attended. By the same token, recurring staff meetings allow peers to update each other
and exchange experience as a team. Having lunch together, celebrating birthdays in the
office, or having a one-day trip together, are all means to the same end.
Tactic 18: Create opportunities for the team to meet and bond
Responsibility/Autonomy
Responsibility and autonomy are a matter of taste – some employees like it and
wish for more, others make efforts to avoid it. Thus, managers must learn their

employees’ characters before giving them more freedom. Young employees, who are at
the bottom of the hierarchy chain, are usually very motivated by receiving responsibility.
Tactic 19: Make sure an employee really desires responsibility and autonomy
When granting responsibility, managers should clearly distinguish between their
role and the role of the employee. In general, it is recommended that managers define the
task (the “what” to do), whereas employees are free to come up with an implementation
plan (the “how” to do). Furthermore, managers, who offered their employees
responsibility, should get off their tails and give them a real opportunity to deliver.
Tactic 20: Define only the “what” to do and let the employee decide on the “how”
In the life of an organization opportunities to convey responsibility are affluent.
Yet, if managers find none, they can create their own opportunities. For example, an
interviewee suggested that “managers build small teams in their department and make
one of the employees report on the work progress”. Another offered “to assign employees
with project management tasks”. And the most creative recommendation was “to
nominate an employee as a deputy- or co-manager”.
Tactic 21: Create opportunities to delegate responsibility
Achievement/Challenge/Goal setting
Research firmly suggests that goal-setting is an extremely effective tool for public
managers to motivate and improve the performance of public employees (Durant et al.,
2006, pp.509-510). However, goal-setting is hardly implemented in the public domain,
due to several reasons. First, public sector often has a weak link between performance
and rewards, thus employees motivation to peruse the goals is diminished (tactic 2
responds to this problem). Second, the politicized environment in which administrators
operate is vulnerable to constant goal changes. And third, employees suffer from political
procedural constraints that impede their ability to attain the target; no matter what effort
they put (Perry/Porter, 1982, p.95). Interviewees also stressed the vagueness of goals and
tasks in the public service, which makes it harder to point out to what extent a goal has
been accomplished. For example, one interviewee complained that “there are no

measurements for law making”, thus it is imposable to motivate low-makers with goalsetting
techniques.
Although all these points are true, goal-setting remains the leading motivational
theory. Hence, public managers should aspire to utilize goal-setting techniques despite
the difficulties. One way to overcome the hurdles is to state goals in terms of
organizational input or output, rather than outcomes, because of the complexity of
measuring achievement and procedural constraints that hinder effectiveness (ibid.). For
example, if the majority of the work is unplanned and reactive, than a goal may be
reducing reaction time.
Tactic 22: Set goals in terms of input or output when outcome is unmeasurable
When tasks are too wide or complex to achieve, then a set of intermediate goals
(e.g. milestones in the project) should be defined. Moreover, it is better to set implicit
goals, such as do-your-best, than not having goals at all. Substitute goals can also be
exploring strategies to reach the ultimate goal (Durant et al., 2006, p.510).
Tactic 23: Setting “soft” goals is better than not having goals at all
Growth
Career advancement
Along with career services, managers should hold timely, structured, and
thorough interviews with employees to understand their needs and aspirations. Next,
managers should provide career advice and fit a career plan to the employee (Van Wart,
2008, p.217).
Tactic 24: Hold timely interviews with employees to discuss career opportunities
It is also the task of managers to provide special opportunities for subordinates to
prepare for a future position. That is, managers can allow people to take additional
training, allow subordinates to represent the division in meetings, attend conferences,
and gain vital experience as well as self-confidence. Managers can also prepare

employees by exposing them to the overall picture, i.e. subordinates can be introduced to
other significant people inside and outside the organization, and can be given
assignments with visibility (Van Wart, 2008, pp.216-217)
Tactic 25: Provide employees with opportunities to prepare for future positions
Career opportunities in the public sector are sometimes scarce or rigid; therefore,
interviewees call managers to seek ways to break the normal advancement framework.
For example, “managers can send their employees for secondment inside or outside the
state”. By that, employees gain new views and invaluable experience, which can open up
career doors upon return.
Tactic 26: Expand the basket of career opportunities in a creative way
Training
Training plays a vital role in motivating employees and preventing them from
failing, due to a lack of abilities. Hence, managers should provide employees with as
much training as possible in order to increase their competencies and chances of doing a
successful job. Training can be formal, i.e. at a class, or informal, i.e. on-the-job.
Informal training is probably the most important training employee can get and it
includes the sum of experiences he/she undergoes at work. Informal training pertains
mainly to observing: watching how peers perform a task, following the actions of an
assigned mentor, and even closely looking at the deeds of the boss. Informal training is
also the result of every project an employee performs, thus it is important to have a lesson
learning process after accomplishing a project.
Tactic 27: Be aware of the power of informal training and foster it
Whereas informal training usually costs nothing, formal training comes with a
cost. First, it is the fees employers need to pay; and second, it is the time that managers
lose while their employees (and more often than not, it is the excelling employees) are
learning. Despite these costs, managers must send employees to formal training, as this is

their only chance to learn and bring new ideas back to the department.
Tactic 28: Send employees to formal training despite the costs
Finally, training does not always have to be directly related to work. It can also be
related to personal empowerment or just provide some escape time from the day-to-day
routine. For example, several interviewees recommended that managers send their
employees to the academy of public administration to take language classes, regardless if
it is relevant or not for the job.
Tactic 29: Provide training as an empowerment and refreshing tool
Interesting work
What a person finds interesting is very subjective, thus before assigning
employees to tasks, managers should find out what interests each of their subordinates
and try and make a match.
Tactic 30: Aspire to make a match between employees’ interests and the work
Sometimes it is clear what an interesting task is, e.g. dealing with a hot topic that
occupies the media or politicians minds. In this case, an interviewee suggested that
“managers should give the hot topics to those employees they want to motivate”. Though,
managers must take caution to over all distribute “good” projects as equal as possible in
order not to create demotivation.
Tactic 31: Use “hot” projects to motivate employees
Another way to make the job interesting is by diversity and framework breaking.
For example, junior employees work on bits and pieces of a big puzzle they never get to
see. Therefore, managers can motivate them by letting them see the top of the pyramid
and by having them present their work to senior management. This fosters also the

participation factor. Job rotation every few years can also make work more interesting
and keep employees agile. Rotation promotes training and career development as well.
Tactic 32: Diversify employees’ work, e.g. by participation and rotation
Important work
Public employees do not have a difficulty to see the importance of their
organization and its impact on society. Yet, they do have occasionally a problem to find
the congruence between the organizational goal and their own immediate work. The
solution is to provide a convincing rationale for the task with a linkage to the greater goal
(Wright, 2003, p.8). Therefore, managers should communicate to their employees how
the work they are doing influences and contributes to the end result. This can be
achieved, according to one interviewee, “by updating employees over the outcomes of
meetings managers had outside of the department”. Another way is to show how what
started in the department reached to the top level. For instance, a seasoned interviewee
stated that “most often drafts that were phrased by low-level staff are adapted without
major amendments”.
Tactic 33: Communicate employees the impact of their work
Furthermore, employees interpret interest as important. That is, if the media,
politicians, or you as a manager are interested in a certain topic, it means that topic is
important. Hence, managers should always show interest in the work of all of their
employees. When possible, they should involve the media to cover the actions of the
department. This can be good both for outside public relations and inside motivation.
People like to read good articles about their workplace, and, as one interviewee aptly
said, “often employees believe the media more than the manager”.
Tactic 34: Show employees the amount of interest their work receives
Participation
Participation in decision making strengthens employees’ commitment to
decisions, as well as their sense of fairness in the process (Durant et al., 2006, p.508).
Participation serves not only as a motivator but also as a training tool, which prepares

employees for future leadership tasks. Therefore, managers are urged to involve
employees in their decision making process.
Tactic 35: involve employees in your decision making processes
Furthermore, employee participation does not undermine the decision maker’s
perceived wisdom or authority. We all need an advice from time to time and a
participative approach may bring in new insights and ideas. Managers should take on
good advices and acknowledge their appreciation for the valued contribution (Van Wart,
2008, p.213).
Tactic 36: Take on good suggestions and show appreciation for the contribution
Interpersonal relationships
Showing courtesy to and interest in all employees (regardless of hierarchy) means
their basic humanity is appreciated and valued (Van Wart, 2008, p.216). Hence, it is
recommended that managers adopt a person-orientated leadership style and demonstrate a
positive regard for others to the greatest degree possible. Showing courtesy includes, but
not limited to, a good morning smile, use of proper language, and respect. Showing
interest concerns talking to employees on subjects that are beyond the job, e.g. news,
sport, or an employee’s latest vacation.
Tactic 37: Show courtesy to and interest in all employees
Managers should also be attuned to the workplace climate and be able to
proactively intervene when necessary (Paarlberg/Perry/Hondeghem, 2008, p.277).
According to one interviewee, Having an “open-door” approach (better literally than by
appointment) “significantly assists in understanding employees and grasping the
atmosphere in the department”. Inviting employees for one-on-one lunch also supports
this effort, as well as boosts employee’s self-appreciation and affective feelings toward
the organization.
Tactic 38: Be attuned to the workplace climate and intervene when necessary

Working environment
Whether working environment is plainly a satisfier or an active motivator is still
to be decided. What is sure, though, is that there is no use trying to motivate high
performance, while employees are frustrated by not having the right quality and amounts
of equipment they need for their work (Bowey, 2005, p.19). Thus, managers should make
sure their staff has the adequate space, tools, IT systems, and materials they need for the
job. It is especially true when it comes to new recruits, who receive their first impression
of the workplace from the status of the working environment. Managers are then urged to
prepare in advance all the equipment a new employees needs (e.g. a desktop and a chair).
Managers should also hold a healthy (physically and mentally) working environment.
Tactic 39: Maintain an equipped and healthy working environment
Fairness
Manager cannot satisfy everybody all the time, but they can be fair all the time by
applying rules and policies consistently. Naturally, from time to time there is a need to
make an exception. Assuming managers cannot keep exceptions quiet, they need to
communicate, without going into details, that fairness was kept despite the exception.
Tactic 40: Apply rules and policies consistently
Transparency also nurtures fairness, as employees are aware of the rules/criteria
and can better understand what is behind managerial decisions.
Tactic 41: Have a transparent policy and decision making system
Last, as one interviewee stressed “employees cannot be fooled by cheap tricks”;
managers must be frank even if they have bad news for the employee. Employees
appreciate honest managers more than ones that fool them around. Managers also need to
show empathy to all employees and let them know that they understand their needs even

if they cannot meet them.
Tactic 42: Be authentic with your employees
Work-Life-Balance
Managers are recommended to listen to subordinates’ personal problems that
affect their work, and take the time to counsel them. Managers should not become
therapists, but for most routine issues a friendly ear and a warm encouragement, are
enough (Van Wart, 2008, p.217)
Tactic 43: Take the time to listen to employees’ personal problems
Managers should also strive to find ways to assist their employees to combine
work and a healthy family life. In that sense, it is recommended to introduce programs
such as job sharing (i.e. splitting positions), teleworking, and flexi-time.
Tactic 44: Offer a working arrangement that supports Work-Life-Balance
Moreover, managers are urged to shift their focus from employees’ input to their
output. As one interviewee said “the time an employee leaves the office is irrelevant;
what is important is his/her achievement during the day”.
Tactic 45: Measure employee performance by focusing on their output
Finally, managers should prevent their staff from burning out. Therefore,
managers need to understand that they cannot expect full capacity performance all the
time. Moreover, managers should take the initiative and send employees home to rest
when they are no longer productive (e.g. after a long day or when feeling ill).
Tactic 46: Force your staff to take proper breaks and rest
Plateaued employees
Motivating plateaued employees is one of the major challenges a public manager
faces. The problem with plateaued employees is that not only they stop to be productive
and actively disengage; they may also spread demotivation in the department and “infect”

other employees. Thus, managers should not overlook plateaued employees (tactic 38)
and attempt to encourage them by using a combination of the above tactics.
First of all, managers should show authentic interest in the employee, discuss the
situation with him/her, and try to find a real solution for the matter, while ignoring past
history. An interview with even a higher management level can also signal the
importance the direct manager gives to the matter (tactics 11,12,24,34,37,42).
Second, managers can compensate for the lack of a career perspective by offering
other satisfying alternatives, such as interesting jobs according to the employee’s
preference, more responsibilities over sub-teams or projects, participation increase in
decision making, an opportunity for rotation, or even reduction of working hours (tactics
21,26,30,31,32,44).
Each combination of the tactics can be applied according to the needs of the
individual employee and the motivational strategy the manager chooses to pursue.

VII. Conclusion
The public sector faces these days an unprecedented challenge, which can be
overcome only by the work of highly motivated and productive employees who get
“more for less”. Yet, there is a common belief that public managers do not have means to
stimulate their employees, due to rigid civil-service laws. This thesis completely refutes
such a belief.
By holding an application-oriented meta-analysis of public and private motivation
literature, a set of 10 interviews with past and current public managers, and using
projections from the author’s own experience, the thesis found no less than 14
motivational factors, which were translated to 46 concrete and practical tactics that can
help motivate public employees. Furthermore, it was demonstrated how the different
tactics can be combined to tackle a specific problem that the public sector confronts.
Motivation is an individual phenomenon, thus a one-size-fits-all approach to
employee motivation does not work, and there is no recipe for motivation. However, one
can illustrate the motivational factors as ingredients and the tactics as preparation
instructions. In that case, this thesis can serve as a “cookbook” from which public
managers can choose their favorite flavors. That is, mangers can decide according to the
circumstances of the individual employee which tactics to use and in what order.
Moreover, this thesis suggested 14 motivational factors and 46 implementation
tactics, yet there are probably more. In that sense, public managers are urged to view the
results of the thesis as a starting point to develop their own motivational factors and
tactics. Next, they are encouraged to ask their employees what things are important to
them. And then, they should sit down with each employee and tailor a motivational
strategy that is specific to the employee’s individual needs and aspirations.
The implementation of the tactics that are advocated here is not easy. It requires
courageous and vigorous managers, who are willing to tackle the challenge of motivation
and be honest and open with their employees. Yet, if public managers do choose to take
action and absorb the proposed motivational tactics, instead of whining about being
helpless, than there is a good chance that public administration performance will improve
dramatically.

FACTORS TACTICS
Rewarding Tactic 1: Administer rewards that are positively valent to employees
Tactic 2: Rewards should be closely tied to behavior and performance
Tactic 3: Rewards should be offered in conjunction with annual appraisals
Tactic 4: Rewards’ criteria should reflect organizational goals
Tactic 5: Establish pay-for-performance only under specific circumstances
Recognization Tactic 6: Provide informal recognition, it costs nothing
Tactic 7: Take the time to prepare formal recognition
Tactic 8: Use both person-to-person and person-to-group recognition
Tactic 9: Recognize as many employees as possible at all levels
Tactic 10: Recognize all year long in appropriate intervals
Feedback Tactic 11: Focus more on future performance than on past mistakes
Tactic 12: Be prepared for the feedback and allow employees to respond
Tactic 13: Monitor and correct errors on a timely basis
Tactic 14: Document all employee feedbacks and evaluations
Relatedness/
Completeness
Tactic 15: Create a mission statement that unites the team
Tactic 16: Build a team spirit by talking in inclusive terms
Tactic 17: Establish a reputation of an “elite” team
Tactic 18: Create opportunities for the team to meet and bond
Responsibility/
Autonomy
Tactic 19: Make sure an employee really desires responsibility and autonomy
Tactic 20: Define only the “what” to do and let the employee decide on the
“how”
Tactic 21: Create opportunities to delegate responsibility
Achievement/
Challenge/
Goal setting
Tactic 22: Set goals in terms of input or output when outcome is unmeasurable
Tactic 23: Setting “soft” goals is better than not having goals at all
Growth-career
advancement
Tactic 24: Hold timely interviews with employees to discuss career opportunities
Tactic 25: Provide employees with opportunities to prepare for future positions
Tactic 26: Expand the basket of career opportunities in a creative way
Growth-training Tactic 27: Be aware of the power of informal training and foster it
Tactic 28: Send employees to formal training despite the costs
Tactic 29: Provide training as an empowerment and refreshing tool
Interesting work Tactic 30: Aspire to make a match between employees’ interests and the work
Tactic 31: Use “hot” projects to motivate employees
Tactic 32: Diversify employees’ work, e.g. by participation and rotation
Important work Tactic 33: Communicate employees the impact of their work
Tactic 34: Show employees the amount of interest their work receives
Participation Tactic 35: involve employees in your decision making processes
Tactic 36: Take on good suggestions and show appreciation for the contribution
Interpersonal
relationship
Tactic 37: Show courtesy to and interest in all employees
Tactic 38: Be attuned to the workplace climate and intervene when necessary
Working
environment
Tactic 39: Maintain an equipped and healthy working environment

Fairness Tactic 40: Apply rules and policies consistently
Tactic 41: Have a transparent policy and decision making system
Tactic 42: Be authentic with your employees

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