Winnowing out high-PSM candidates : the adverse selection effect of competitive public service exams

• Main Authors: Chen, Chung-An, Chen, Don-Yun, Liao, Zhou-Peng, Kuo, Ming-Feng
• Other Authors: School of Social Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Social sciences::Political science; High Public Service Motivation; Public Service Exams
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150836
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Existing literature based in Western society generally supports that people who have high public service motivation (PSM) prefer a public service career, and public organizations are likely to recruit high-PSM individuals. This proposition may not hold in cultures where the public service exam is notoriously competitive. The present study, based in Taiwan, provides evidence showing that a competitive, standardized public service exam, along with its unique social symbolism, can deter high-PSM people from entering the public sector. We then discuss the theoretical and practical implications in the conclusion.