Effect of Public Service Motivation and Psychological Empowerment on Individual Work Performance of Public Sector Employees

This study assessed the effect of public service motivation and psychological empowerment on individual work performance and whether psychological empowerment moderates the relationship between public service motivation and individual work performance. The research design was cross-sectional, and a convenience sample was obtained through self-report questionnaires. The questionnaires prepared from established scales on the three variables were completed by 161 workers, 68% men and 32% women, with an age mean of 39.4 years (SD, 6. 14) drawn from government establishments. Descriptive statistics revealed that the participants had moderate scores on the variables investigated. The hypotheses test showed that public service motivation related to all aspects of individual work performance as predicted, while psychological empowerment related to contextual performance and counterproductive work behaviour as predicted. None of the hypotheses on moderation was supported. In conclusion, without the intervention of psychological empowerment, public service motivation has the potential to enhance employee performance