PSM_Merit_Principles_2016

This study investigates how federal employees’ perceptions of merit principles influence their Public Service Motivation (PSM). Using 2016 Merit Principles Survey data from 5,808 employees across 24 agencies, PSM was measured on three dimensions: commitment to the public interest, compassion, and self-sacrifice. Regression analyses show that informational justice, protection practices, and job autonomy significantly predict overall PSM and its dimensions; however, informational justice and protection practices are negatively related to self-sacrifice. These findings underscore the need to reinforce fairness, protections, and autonomy to sustain motivation and provide a baseline for understanding PSM amid political and organizational turbulence.