While it is recognized that institutional and societal differences may cause different patterns of public service motivation (PSM) in different nations, little research is available on international differences in PSM. Much of the literature centers on the corroboration of Perry’s (1996) PSM-scale, conceptualized in an American setting. There is only limited knowledge on how -if needed- to adapt this instrument to fit non-American settings (cf Vandenabeele 2008; Kim & Vandenabeele 2010). The paper will provide a theoretical discussion on the question if national backgrounds influence the nature and expression of PSM. Issues relate to the impact of cultural values and identity on the way motivation is enacted and discretionary power is used, or the potential conflict between an employee’s cultural identity and the organization’s activities. The assumption that PSM differs across regional settings builds on Perry and Vandenabeele’s (2008) description of PSM as based on public institutions and their inherent public service values. Many authors implicitly or explicitly treat values and motivations as synonymous or at least functionally equivalent. If people subscribe to a value, we expect them to be motivated to realize that particular value. However, it is equally plausible that a person subscribes to a value without this resulting in immediate or observable behavior (it may even be outside the person’s competence to do so), and motivation to act may be the result of very different (social and psychological) reasons (Rutgers & Steen 2009). Studying the effect of cultural background on the nature and expression of PSM, by combining PSM-research and literature on (cultural heterogeneity in) public values, will enable to critically discuss the assumed link between (cultural) values and motivation. The paper will result in specific propositions on the impact of cultural background on the nature and expression of PSM.
