Public Service Motivation (Perry)
HR & WorkReliability: alphas 0.69–0.84 across 4 dimensions4 sample items
About this scale
A 24-item measure of public service motivation across four dimensions: attraction to policy making, commitment to the public interest, compassion, and self-sacrifice.
Sample item(s)
“I unselfishly contribute to my community (commitment)”
“I am prepared to make enormous sacrifices for the good of society (self-sacrifice)”
“Politics is a dirty word (attraction, reverse)”
“Most social programs are too vital to do without (compassion)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alphas 0.69–0.84 across 4 dimensions. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Foundational PSM measure.
Source & citation
Perry, J. L. (1996): Measuring public service motivation: An assessment of construct reliability and validity. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 5–22.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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