Job satisfaction and motivation of public employees in Spain

Lasierra, Jose Manuel and Molina, Jose Alberto and Ortega, Raquel (2015): Job satisfaction and motivation of public employees in Spain.

Abstract

Our purpose is to analyze job satisfaction and motivation of public employees in Spain to respond two questions. First, whether there is divergence between different public occupations and, second, what are the distinguishing features of that diversity? Using data from the Spanish Survey of Labor Conditions (ECVT, Encuesta de Condiciones y Vida en el Trabajo) 2006-2010, we estimate regressions for each of the 17 public occupations, with job satisfaction and motivation as the dependent variables, and a number of economic and socio-demographic determinants as exogenous variables. Our results, which can be considered contributions to the study of public management, reveal that the importance that public employees assign to the performance of their work, that is to say, to the idea of public service, is clearly a source of job satisfaction. These results do not fully support certain criticisms that require management philosophies to be closer to the private model, assuming that this can be more efficient for public employees.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Job satisfaction, Motivation, Public employees, Occupations, Spain
• Subjects: J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J28 - Safety ; Job Satisfaction ; Related Public Policy; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J3 - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs > J30 - General

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