The influence of public service motivation and organizational commitment on job performance in Malaysian civil service

Civil service reform in Malaysia highlights the need for motivated and committed civil servants to achieve improved job performance and enhance public service delivery. However, challenges persist in aligning individual motivation, organizational commitment, and job performance, particularly in the Malaysian context, where research on these dynamics remains limited. To address this gap, the study investigates how public service motivation influences organizational commitment and job performance, as well as the mediating role of organizational commitment in the relationship between public service motivation and job performance. A quantitative survey was conducted and the data were collected through an online survey distributed via social media platforms over six weeks, involving 290 Administrative and Diplomatic Officers. The findings indicate that public service motivation positively influences organizational commitment and job performance, while organizational commitment significantly predicts job performance, highlighting its critical role in driving performance. Furthermore, organizational commitment partially mediates the relationship between public service motivation and job performance, suggesting that motivation alone is not sufficient to enhance job performance without a corresponding sense of organizational commitment. These results contribute to the theoretical understanding of motivation and commitment by demonstrating their interconnected roles in influencing performance. Practically, the study underscores the importance of fostering both public service motivation and organizational commitment through targeted human resource strategies to improve performance outcomes. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and human resource practitioners aiming to enhance public sector efficiency and effectiveness.