STILL A PUBLIC SERVICE ETHOS? ~ NORRIS 2/16/2004 8:01 PM 1 Draft chapter @ 2/16/2004 8:01 PM 6884 words Still a Public Service Ethos? Work values, experience, and job satisfaction among government workers Pippa Norris John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University Cambridge, MA 02138 Pippa_Norris@Harvard.edu www.pippanorris.com Synopsis: Getting the right people in the job, energizing them to work effectively for the organization’s overall goals, and rewarding them for good performance, has long been regarded as a vital part of any lasting reform of the civil service. This study explores how far governments are succeeding in these regards and, in particular, whether public and private sector employees in many countries differ in their motivational values, employment experiences, and job satisfaction. Part I outlines the theoretical and conceptual framework for analyzing these issues. Part II briefly describes the sources of evidence and measures used in this study, drawing upon the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) surveys on work orientations conducted in 1997, facilitating comparison among over two-dozen nations with differing state structures and political cultures. Part III outlines the results and analysis. The conclusion summarizes the major findings and considers their implications for how to motivate the workforce most effectively to optimize public sector performance. For the book For the People: Public Service in the 21 st Century