Perry J.L., Hondeghem A. (Eds.) Motivation in Public Management: The Call of Public Service

New York; Oxford University Press, 2008. — 352 p.The book joins a long-standing debate about what drives the behavior of government employees and others who are engaged in the public's business. For many centuries, public service was considered a noble calling and, more recently, a profession. During the latter part of the 20th century, however, many scholars called into question both the reality and desirability of a public service ethic. This book draws upon a substantial and growing body of evidence from across disciplines in the social, behavioral, and natural sciences. It asks and answers key questions about the extent to which behavior is fundamentally self- or other-regarding. To paraphrase James Madison, "public servants are not angels," but neither are they self-aggrandizing opportunists. The evidence presented in this volume offers a compelling case that motivation theory should be grounded not only in rational choice models, but altruistic and prosocial perspectives as well. In addition to reviewing evidence from many disciplines, the volume extensively reviews research in public management conducted under the rubric of "public service motivation". The volume is a comprehensive guide to history, methodology, empirical research, and institutional and managerial implications of research on public service motivation. As the contributors illustrate, the implications transcend particular sectors or countries.Preface

Editors’ Introduction
Foundations of public service motivation
History and Persistence of an Idea and an Ideal
Interdisciplinary Foundations of Public Service Motivation
Behavioral Dynamics: Institutions, Identities, and Self-Regulation
Methodological Challenges Associated with Public Service Motivation Research
Exploring the antecedents, correlates, and outcomes of public service motivation
Antecedents and Correlates of Public Service Motivation
Recruitment, Attraction, and Selection
Employee and Organizational Performance
Public Service Motivation and Ethical Conduct
Behavior in the Public Square
Comparative analyses in public service motivation
Not a Government Monopoly: The Private, Nonprofit, and Voluntary Sectors
International Differences in Public Service Motivation: Comparing Regions across the World
The future of public service motivation
The Normative Model in Decline? Public Service Motivation in the Age of Governance
From Theory to Practice: Strategies for Applying Public Service Motivation
Directions for Future Theory and Research
List of Contributors
Index