This study empirically examines the effects of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on public officials' innovative behavior through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. There has been limited research on extrinsic motivation and its relationship with...
This study empirically examines the effects of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on public officials' innovative behavior through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. There has been limited research on extrinsic motivation and its relationship with intrinsic motivation in the public sector. Addressing this gap, the study highlights the importance of examining extrinsic motivation to mitigate growing turnover rates among public officials and introduces a new approach, recognizing that Public Service Motivation is not exclusive to the public sector. Using regression and moderated mediation analyses, the study found that promotion satisfaction and Public Service Motivation both positively influenced innovative behavior, with Public Service Motivation exerting a stronger effect.
The components of Self-Determination Theory—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—moderated the relationships between promotion satisfaction and Public Service Motivation. While promotion and salary satisfaction negatively affected Public Service Motivation, these negative effects were positively moderated by the components of Self-Determination Theory, suggesting that extrinsic rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation unless properly managed. The moderated mediation analysis revealed that Public Service Motivation partially mediated the relationship between promotion satisfaction and innovative behavior, with autonomy, competence, and relatedness positively moderating this relationship. In the relationship between salary satisfaction and innovative behavior, Public Service Motivation fully mediated the relationship, with competence positively moderating the effect. These findings indicate that strengthening competence can enhance Public Service Motivation and subsequently stimulate innovative behavior.
This study underscores the critical role of motivation in fostering innovative behavior among public officials. It suggests policy implications for fostering innovative behavior by proposing organizational designs that enhance experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, alongside proactive administration support systems and organizational culture improvements to internalize Public Service Motivation.