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At their wits’ end? Economic stress, motivation and unethical judgement of public servants

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  • Guillem Ripoll
  • Jessica Breaugh

Abstract

Through an interdisciplinary approach, this paper addresses the scarcity of research that assesses economic stressors, public service motivation (PSM), work motivations, and unethical judgement in the public square. We argue that motivations have a direct relationship with the acceptance of unethical behaviour, but that economic stress (defined as financial stress and job insecurity) may influence this relationship both direct and indirectly. Using data from the European Social Survey, we develop a path model to test these hypotheses. We find that PSM and work motivation influence unethical judgements, and perceived economic stressors play an indirect role through their relationship with work motivations. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Guillem Ripoll & Jessica Breaugh, 2019. "At their wits’ end? Economic stress, motivation and unethical judgement of public servants," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(10), pages 1516-1537, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rpxmxx:v:21:y:2019:i:10:p:1516-1537
    DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2018.1561929
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuanjie Bao & Wei Zhong, 2019. "How Stress Hinders Health among Chinese Public Sector Employees: The Mediating Role of Emotional Exhaustion and the Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Support," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Khawlah AL-TKHAYNEH & Sebastian KOT & Viktor SHESTAK, 2019. "Motivation And Demotivation Factors Affecting Productivity In Public Sector," REVISTA ADMINISTRATIE SI MANAGEMENT PUBLIC, Faculty of Administration and Public Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 2019(33), pages 77-102, December.

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