Intrinsic Motivations of Public Sector Employees: Evidence for Germany

Robert Dur and Robin Zoutenbier
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Robin Zoutenbier: Erasmus University Rotterdam

No 12-135/VII, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers from Tinbergen Institute

Abstract: This discussion paper resulted in a publication in the German Economic Review , 16(3), 343-366.

We examine differences in altruism and laziness between public sector employees and private sector employees. Our theoretical model predicts that the likelihood of public sector employment increases with a worker's altruism, and increases or decreases with a worker's laziness depending on his altruism. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study, we find that public sector employees are significantly more altruistic and lazy than observationally equivalent private sector employees. A series of robustness checks show that these patterns are stronger among higher educated workers; that the sorting of altruistic people to the public sector takes place only within the caring industries; and that the difference in altruism is already present at the start of people's career, while the difference in laziness is only present for employees with sufficiently long work experience.

Keywords: public service motivation; altruism; laziness; sorting; public sector employment; personality characteristics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H1 J45 M5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-12-07, Revised 2014-06-02
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Intrinsic Motivations of Public Sector Employees: Evidence for Germany (2015)
Journal Article: Intrinsic Motivations of Public Sector Employees: Evidence for Germany (2015)
Working Paper: Intrinsic Motivations of Public Sector Employees: Evidence for Germany (2014)
Working Paper: Intrinsic Motivations of Public Sector Employees: Evidence for Germany (2013)
Working Paper: Intrinsic Motivations of Public Sector Employees: Evidence for Germany (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tin:wpaper:20120135

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