Leadership and public service motivation: a systematic synthesis

The concept of public service motivation has drawn considerable research and practitioner interest as a useful behavioral construct that public sector leaders can use to motivate, attract, and retain employees. Indeed, Ritz and colleagues (2016) find that among practitioner recommendations mentioned in public service motivation studies, using managerial and leadership practices to inculcate public service motivation is among the most frequently suggested interventions. Although single studies on leadership and public service motivation are important, we know little about how leadership and public service motivation cumulatively influence each other, especially across different national contexts. This study uses the PRISMA protocol (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) to systematically identify patterns in past research to inform researchers and practitioners. In particular, it seeks to 1) provide a descriptive account of the state of leadership and public service motivation, 2) identify patterns of causality between leadership and public service motivation, 3) understand leadership style and its relationship to public service motivational outcomes, and 4) identify any contextual factors moderating leadership and public service motivation research.