Public service motivation of employees at the Mazabuka Municipal Council in Zambia

Abstract

The focus of this study was to investigate what makes the Mazabuka Municipal Council (hereafter regularly referred to as “the Council”) in Zambia attractive as an employer to the respondents by embedding it into a person-institution fit framework. Against this background, the main aim was to determine the PSM levels of employees at the Council. The quantitative research design was chosen as the most appropriate while, the post-positivist paradigm was adopted as the interpretive framework for this study. Triangulation was used thus, a mix of research methods particularly, a literature review, document analysis and a closed-ended self-administered questionnaire. Out of a population of 174 full-time employees targeted at the Council only 150 questionnaires were returned and used in the analysis. Results showed high PSM levels among majority of employees. Nonetheless, only the gender category showed differences in mean values, with males being more inclined to all the three PSM antecedents (public interest, self-sacrifice, compassion) than females. The findings could serve as an important instrument for the Council to consider in order to maintain the high PSM levels existing among its employees. Conversely, the Council may adopt certain recommendations (practical insights) derived from the study such as: to consider PSM as an important aspect in future recruitments and to develop an incentive system in order to maintain the high PSM levels that employees have when joining the Council as a preferred employer. By exploring the PSM levels of employees at a local authority in Zambia, such as the Mazabuka Municipal Council, the study endeavoured to make a contribution to the current literature on PSM theory in this context.