Is Public Service Motivation a Better Explanation of Nonprofit Career Preferences Than Government Career Preferences?

Abstract

Public service motivation (PSM) is a multifaceted theory that explains, among other things, the career preferences of individuals. Some have suggested that PSM is not inherently government specific and thus is also a meaningful characteristic of individuals who are employed in the nonprofit sector. This study sought to add to this body of research by exploring the relationship that PSM has to nonprofit and government career preferences, while controlling for the influences of age, gender, minority status, and work experience. The findings of this study demonstrated that individuals with high levels of PSM preferred nonprofit careers over government careers. However, the gender of the respondents was found to be the most important predictor of career preferences when compared with PSM. The implications of these findings to the field of public administration and management are discussed.