What Motivates Different Groups of Public Employees Working for Dutch Municipalities? Combining Autonomous and Controlled Types of Motivation

Abstract

To this day, the question what motivates public sector employees is central in public administration research. This exploratory study aims to delve into this question, arguing that different types of motives coexist and that different groups of individuals might be motivated by different motivational profiles. We use cluster analysis among public servants (N = 475) working at two municipalities in the Netherlands to explore these notions. Our findings show that different clusters of employees with different motivation profiles are indeed present in the data. In addition, they provide some indications about who the individuals in the clusters are in terms of demographic characteristics. These findings help, among other things, to explain the mixed findings of previous studies investigating sectional differences between public and private employees’ work motivation, and to identify specific human research activities tailored at individuals’ reward preferences.