Analysis of the Effective Antecedents on Improving Service Motive of Managers of gov Organizations by Using ISM

Abstract
Efforts to improve employees and especially managers motivation in public sector is one of the major concerns in public administration researches. These efforts have led to several theories including public choice theory, agency theory, stewardship theory and public service motivation theory that consider some factors that effect on motivation of public sector managers. This paper based on an interpretive structural approach and using two data collection methods including interview and questionnaire, tries to study effective factors on managers' motivation for serving in public sector. In this regard, using judgmental sampling, 16 top managers from one of provinces with semi-structured approach were interviewed and interviews text was coded into 13 general categories as effective antecedents on manager's public service motivation. Then, a questionnaire based on a Likert scale containing these factors was given to sample members. The results were analyzed using interpretive structural modeling technique, and finally determined the correlation and sequence of antecedents. The results showed that religious and belief foundations and society-oriented attitude constitute the basis of creating, maintaining and improving motivation of managers to serve in public sector.
In public administration literature, various theories have been proposed to explain the motivational factors in the public sector (Ritz, Brewer & Neumann, 2016: 415). Some theories such as public choice theory and agency theory do not differentiate between the motivation of individuals in the public and private sectors and the maintenance and fulfillment of individual interests is the most important motive of individuals for hiring in public organizations, especially in administrative positions (Alvani, 1997: 7). Other theories consider motivation in public and private organizations different (Perry, Hondeghem & Wise, 2010: 682; Homberg, Tabvuma & Heine, 2014: 2; Kim & Kim, 2016: 183).
Perry and Wise (1990) developed the first conceptual definition, and typology of the motivations for public service such as rational, normative and emotional motives (Kim & Vandenabeele, 2010: 703). While, the values associated with the public service motivation are different even in local and regional realms and this causes the factors that cause or strengthen public service motivation are not identical (Vandenabeele et al., 2004: 2). In this research, it has been tried to obtain experts opinions with Interpretive Structural Modeling approach (ISM), to identify and communicate among the effective antecedents on motivation of managers to serve in the public sector.
Case Study
The present study is based on the interpretive structural modeling approach and expert opinions have been developed to identify and communicate among the effective antecedents on the motivation of service in public sector through Delphi technique. Two methods of interview and questionnaire were used to collect data in this research. In the interview section, 16 managers from general offices of one of the country's provinces, who had been in management position in the last five years and had been employed more than 10 years in the public sector, was interviewed.
A protocol was signed before the interview was conducted to ensure ethical considerations. Interviews have been done in semi-structured form and with this question that "what is your most important motive for working in the public sector and this position?". The time of each interview based on participant willingness was from 30 to 60 minutes. All interviews were recorded and scrutinized for several times to extract key points, and for coding.
After studying of 11 interviews, 122 concepts and 13 categories were been emerged. The results of coding the interviews showed repeated concepts and categories. In stage of using questionnaire, a questionnaire was been formulated based on a Likert scale containing antecedents of service motive in the public sector was been drawn from interviews with experts. After coding the interviews, the categories that extracted in the coding process, were exposed to experts' comment in the form of semi-closed questionnaire.
Discussion and As result, the 13 variables are divided into four categories. a) Autonomous variables: including the variables having weak driving and dependence power that are relatively dependent on the system due to poor communication with the system. The political stimulus variables (8), the reduction of bureaucracy (9), and system support from the manager (10) are included in this category. b) Dependent variables: including the variables with low driving power and high dependence power. Client satisfaction (2), low attention to individual economic interests (4), organizational empathy (4), service motivation (6), social position (7), and employee competencies (12) are included in this category. c) Linkage variables: non-static variables that have high driving power and high dependence power that affect any type of change in the system. In this study, none of the factors have been identified in this category. d) Independent variables: including the basic variables in the model that have high driving power and low dependence power. Community-based attitude (1), religious and belief bases (3), individual competencies (11) and meritocracy (13) are in this category. This category acts as the cornerstone of the model and has to be emphasized in the first place to start the model function.
The results of this study indicate that two factors including religious and belief bases and community-oriented attitude are the main motives of managers for serving in the public sector. This means that in order to create, sustain and improve the motivation of managers to serve in the public sector, it must be started from strengthening and reinforcing of managers' faith and belief bases that itself is reinforcing their community-oriented attitude. There are many religious bases in Islam which are encouraging people to serve more and more for public interest. As strengthening of these religious bases, the attitudes of individuals, especially managers, move from individualism and self towards collectivism and society-orientation. As a result of strengthening these two factors, managers emphasize on meritocracy. This climate provides context for actions such as reducing red-tape bureaucracy, different support from managers and employees, increasing organizational empathy, improving staff competencies, improving clients' satisfaction, and these interactions can promote the motivation of managers to serve more in the organization. Therefore, it seems to be a comprehensive planning to improve the motivation of managers in the public sector so that all factors move in harmony with the common purpose.