Public service motivation and employee performance: A qualitative study of Australian Academics

Links between Public Sector Motivation (PSM) and employee performance (EP) have yet to be made in the higher education sector. This paper presents results from a qualitative study consisting of 20 semi-structured interviews of business academics from Australian universities. The results indicate that there appears to be a relationship between PSM and EP, however, the relationships were not found to be as strongly supported as was expected based on the literature. The performance measures examined may also affect the attraction and retention of students and government funding, both of which are essential for the survival of a university, particularly in an environment which is becoming increasingly competitive. The findings in this paper offer insights into how universities may improve the motivation, and performance of their employees through an understanding also raise the need for further research to clarify the definitions of performance measures and PSM.