Although the theory is not well developed, several scholars
contend that the public service ethic, which is defined more
formally in the present study as public service motivation (PSM),
has significant behavioral implications. The level and type of an
individual's public service motivation and the motivational composition of a public organization's workforce have been posited
to influence individual job choice, job performance, and organizational
effectiveness (Perry and Wise 1990; Rainey 1982;
Rornzek 1990).