Separation of Powers Theory and Public Service Motivation in Nonprofit, Public, and Private Sector Managers

Abstract

A normative public administration theory, separation of powers, argues that successful managers examine issues through managerial, political, and legal lenses, balancing the often competing values inherent in each lens. We build an exploratory measurement model to see if these public service values-based lenses operate in reality and whether they inform managers' decisions. Our survey data, approximately 500 working adults who are residents of the US, was collected using Prolific. Respondents have been at their current employer for 5+ years and have management experience. For our independent variables, we develop an empirical measurement model capturing managerial, legal, and political values and use Kim’s 20-item public service motivation (PSM) measure to capture a respondent’s public service-oriented motives. Respondents completed a survey experiment choosing competing management values. While our data did not produce the measurement model suggested by separation of powers theory, using single item measures we do find some impacts of both PSM and sector of employment on decision making. There are differential impacts of PSM dimensions on decision making and the need for public administrators to consider how specific motivational orientations shape managerial behavior. Furthermore, our research challenges the assertion that public sector management is inherently more complex and pluralistic.