Public service motivation and public sector employment preference: Comparing Italian and British students

Previous research has suggested that an individual’s public service motivation (PSM) is positively linked to a preference for public sector employment. The authors explore this link using a sample of British and Italian undergraduate students. They found a positive relationship between PSM and public sector job preferences among Italian students but not with the British students. The UK has implemented more NPM-style reforms than Italy and this could be impacting on public sector recruitment. Implications for recruitment and retention the public sector are discussed. Continuous reform pressure in many countries makes public sector employment highly unattractive to young job market candidates. Based on the results of a comparative analysis of public service motivation (PSM) and attraction to working in the public sector in Italy and the UK, the authors discuss institutional and managerial problem areas that lead to young graduates taking employment in the private or not-for-profit sector.