Personality Traits versus Public Service Motivation: Motive Distribution of Vietnamese Generation Z

Personality Traits versus Public Service Motivation: Motive Distribution of Vietnamese Generation Z

Purpose: Public sector is usually not an attractive career choice for the youths, due to the uncompetitive income and the working environment. Therefore, understanding the motivations of the Generation Z, the currently early-career employees, to work in the public sector is important. This research aims to address a gap in the literature on the linkage between Personality Traits of Generation Z and Public Service Motivation (PSM). Research Design, Data, and Methodology: Using the sample of Vietnamese generation Z, it shows how individual personality, as defined by the Big Five, affects PSM. A quantitative survey of 355 university students, who are members of this generation and are preparing to join the labor market, was undertaken. We used SEM to examine the results. Results: Our findings show that Agreeableness, Neuroticism, and Conscientiousness are significant antecedents of PSM. Agreeableness, which leads to three PSM dimensions, namely Compassion, Self-Sacrifice, and Commitment to Public Values, is the best predictor of this motivation. Meanwhile, Neuroticism and Conscientiousness only affect the dimension of Compassion. Conclusion: This study adds to the limited current knowledge on the personality-PSM relationship among generation Z. The distribution of affective (Compassion, Self-Sacrifice) and norm-based (Commitment to Public Values) motives provide insight for both career counselors and recruiters in public service delivery.