Public Service Motivation Among Frontline Public Employees: An Empirical Study of Election Officials, Public Librarians, and Wildland Firefighters in Alabama

Abstract

Public Service Motivation (PSM) is critical to understanding frontline public employees’ motivation and job satisfaction. This dissertation examines PSM among three distinct public service professionals in Alabama: election officials, public library librarians, and wildland firefighters. These individuals play essential roles in facilitating democratic processes, promoting civic engagement, and ensuring public safety. Although prior research has explored PSM in various public administration settings, relatively few studies have investigated how motivation differs across distinct frontline occupations and institutional environments in the American South.

Guided by PSM theory, this dissertation assesses how service context and demographic characteristics (years of service, supervision, education, age, and gender) relate to PSM. It also examines how employees’ perceptions of institutional fairness and support, as well as their views on pay, security, and advancement opportunities, are associated with motivation. A quantitative survey and multiple ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models are used to examine PSM and its four dimensions, measured with Perry’s (1997) scale, and to evaluate how frontline employees perceive their institutions and job incentives.

The results show that employees’ institutional perceptions are the strongest and most consistent predictors of PSM, while traditional demographic variables have no stable association with PSM in these data. Service context also matters, with wildland firefighters reporting lower levels of PSM than election officials once other factors are taken into account. Job incentives display weaker and less consistent relationships with PSM than institutional perceptions. Therefore, the findings highlight the importance of perceived fairness, organizational support, and institutional climate in sustaining motivation to serve, particularly in settings with limited resources and demanding workloads. The dissertation contributes to the PSM literature by demonstrating how key antecedents of motivation vary across distinct service domains in the American South and by outlining practical steps that managers and institutions can take to strengthen motivation, job satisfaction, and retention among frontline public employees.