Public service motivation and policy implementation attitudes: survey experimental evidence from Street-level Bureaucrats in China

Abstract

Understanding how public service motivation (PSM) impacts frontline implementation is crucial for effectively delivering services. Drawing on PSM and street-level bureaucracy theories, we examine whether PSM influences street-level bureaucrats’ policy implementation attitudes towards discretion versus rule focus. Using a question-order survey experiment with 1,548 social assistance workers in China and OLS regression, we find that activating PSM shifts the emphasis from rules to discretion, with stronger effects under low perceived policy performance. These results highlight PSM’s pivotal role in influencing how bureaucrats balance discretion with rule adherence, ultimately shaping the public services citizens receive.

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