Motivating public sector employees : [an application-oriented analysis of possibilities and practical tools]

Abstract

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.

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