Perceived Public Participation Efficacy
| Author | Tobin Im,Jesse W. Campbell |
| Published date | 01 September 2016 |
| Date | 01 September 2016 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0091026016664899 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
research-article2016
Article
Public Personnel Management
2016, Vol. 45(3) 308 –330
Perceived Public Participation
© The Author(s) 2016
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DOI: 10.1177/0091026016664899
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Influence of Public
Service Motivation Across
Organizational Strata
Jesse W. Campbell1 and Tobin Im2
Abstract
Given the crucial role of bureaucrats in determining the success of participatory
policy-making efforts, understanding the factors that influence their beliefs about
public participation is an important research goal. Building on public service motivation
(PSM) and organizational echelons theory, this study develops a model of perceived
participation efficacy for civil servants and tests it using data from a survey of South
Korean central government employees. Ordered logistic regression analysis suggests
that PSM plays a differential role in determining beliefs about participation across
organizational strata. Monte Carlo simulations are used to better understand this
effect. The results suggest that PSM is a significant factor in determining perceived
participation efficacy for high-level civil servants but plays little role for lower level,
frontline employees. A number of implications of this study, as well as directions for
future research, are discussed.
Keywords
public participation, public service motivation, organizational echelons, South Korea
Introduction
Although involving the public directly in the policy-making process can improve pol-
icy as well as benefit both citizens and civil servants (Irvin & Stansbury, 2004; MacNair,
Caldwell, & Pollane, 1983; Neshkova & Guo 2012; Stivers, 1994), designing and
1Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea
2Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
Corresponding Author:
Tobin Im, Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University, Building 57-1, Gwanak
599 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
Email: tobin@snu.ac.kr
Campbell and Im
309
implementing effective public participation strategies is challenging. One factor that
has emerged as important to the success of such efforts is the perspective of the bureau-
crats responsible for implementing them (Coursey, Yang, & Pandey, 2012; Kweit &
Kweit, 1981; Yang, 2005). Although citizen participation has been prescribed as an
antidote to bureaucratic power, its use can open up yet another space in which bureau-
crats have disproportionate discretion and control (Moynihan, 2003). Administrators
will not necessarily act as the neutral agents of their political principles (Feldman &
Khademian, 2002), and may have sufficient autonomy in implementing participation to
determine not only when and to what extent the public participates but also the struc-
ture, scope, and meaning of the event itself (Thomas, 1995). If improved decision mak-
ing is not prioritized, processes may be structured so that bureaucratic control over final
decisions is not threatened, rendering involvement efforts symbolic rather than substan-
tive (King, Feltey, & Susel, 1998; Yang & Callahan, 2007). As such, to better secure the
potential benefits of greater public involvement, it is important to understand the fac-
tors that lead administrators to view participation as an effective instrument of policy
development.
This study focuses on individual, job, and organizational factors that can shape the
extent to which civil servants view public involvement as an effective vehicle of pol-
icy development. Given the potential costs as well as benefits associated with public
participation (Irvin & Stansbury, 2004; Moynihan, 2003), we argue that public service
motivation (PSM; Perry, 1996; Perry & Wise, 1990), which underlies a concern for the
public good as well as a willingness to make personal sacrifices to enhance it, will be
associated with higher levels of perceived participation efficacy among public ser-
vants. At the same time, the different priorities, responsibilities, and work contexts that
distinguish jobs across the public service contribute to beliefs about service-relevant
values and reforms (Walker & Brewer, 2008; Walker & Enticott, 2004). Building on
this insight, we argue that high-ranking civil servants will be more likely than their
frontline colleagues to perceive personal and policy-related risks associated with pub-
lic participation, and in turn have a less favorable view of it. Finally, drawing on PSM
theory (Kim & Vandenabeele, 2010; Perry & Vandenabeele, 2008), we further argue
that precisely because of the greater potential costs for higher level civil servants, the
role of PSM will be a more decisive determinant of perceived participation efficacy for
high-ranking staff relative to those on the frontlines.
In the sections that follow, we discuss the relationships between perceived partici-
pation efficacy and both PSM and civil service grade. Second, we introduce a number
of additional predictors at the organization and individual levels identified in previous
literature. Centralization of authority, perceived red tape, and goal clarity may each in
their own way influence beliefs about participation by shaping the perception of the
costs and benefits involved (King et al., 1998; Kweit & Kweit, 1984; Yang & Pandey,
2011). In addition, we discuss the role of trust in citizens, which has been called “a
missing link” in successful citizen involvement efforts (Yang, 2005). Controlling for
this individual-level factor can help us isolate the effect of PSM, which is the central
concern of this study. We test our hypotheses using data from a survey of central gov-
ernment employees in South Korea and a series of ordered logistic regressions, further
310
Public Personnel Management 45(3)
estimating effect sizes using Monte Carlo simulations (Tomz, Wittenbert, & King,
2001). The significant role of government bureaucrats in Korea’s economic transfor-
mation over the past half century, as well as recent efforts to make government more
open and participatory (Kim & Campbell, 2015; Lah, 2010), makes the Korean con-
text both a relevant and interesting context in which to look at the central issues of this
study. Our results demonstrate the differential relationship between PSM and per-
ceived participation efficacy across strata of Korean public organizations, and we dis-
cuss the implications of this finding for public participation and public management
more generally.
Theoretical Background
Perceived Public Participation Efficacy: Public Service Motivation and
Civil Service Status
As the attitudes of public servants are an important factor in the success and form of
public participation initiatives (King et al., 1998; Yang, 2005), understanding factors
that underlie bureaucrats’ support for participation is an important practical goal. We
define perceived participation efficacy as the strength of the belief that direct involve-
ment of citizens in the decision-making processes of government will benefit policy
making. Generally, the benefits of participation are grouped into instrumental and nor-
mative categories (Moynihan, 2003). As a practical tool, participation can lead to
improved policy and service outcomes by providing context-relevant knowledge to
decision makers (Beierle, 1999; Moynihan, 2003; Neshkova & Guo, 2012; Stivers,
1994; Thomas, 1995), helping to secure cooperation and support for difficult decisions
or service delivery (Kweit & Kweit, 1980; MacNair et al., 1983; Thomas, 1995), or
breaking up legislative deadlock and helping administrators avoid lawsuits (Irvin &
Stansbury, 2004; Lee, 2014). From a normative perspective, a direct and ongoing par-
ticipation in public affairs, rather than an indirect influence through periodic voting, is
a democratic ideal linked to strengthened citizenship, enhanced transparency and trust,
and less alienation from the political process (Fung & Wright, 2003; Irvin & Stansbury,
2004; King et al., 1998; Michels, 2011; Thomas, 1995; Wang & Van Wart, 2007). We
think that the value public servants place on these instrumental and normative benefits
of participation will be related to the efficacy that they ascribe to participatory
approaches to policy.
What factors drive evaluations of public participation efficacy? At the individual
level, PSM, which is associated with the normative values inherent in the public sec-
tor, a commitment to the public good, and a willingness to make sacrifices to advance
it (Perry & Wise, 1990), may influence how the costs and benefits of participation
are evaluated. PSM is defined variously, but common to all definitions is a desire to
improve the well-being of others or society at large (Perry & Hondeghem, 2008).
More precisely, PSM is associated with an internalization of public values, a desire
to participate in public life, and a willingness to utilize a variety of innovative tools
in the interests of public service (Campbell & Im, 2015; Perry & Vandenabeele,
Campbell and Im
311
2008; Wright, Christensen, & Isett, 2013). Kim and Vandenabeele (2010), in their
reformulation of the foundations of PSM, suggest that individuals with strong ser-
vice motives identify with public values as well as the public itself, and moreover
evaluate policy and methods based on their instrumental potential to contribute
meaningfully to society. These characteristics of PSM suggest strong...
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