Mission Match and Organizational Satisfaction: Testing the Mediating Role of Perceived Reputation

Abstract

Motivational research has become one of the major topics in public administration. However, public administration researchers have focused disproportionately on public service motivation in accounting for behaviors/attitudes in the public sphere. Somewhat neglected are the different, but no less important, motivations that impact the everyday operations of government employees. To narrow the gap, this study examines the effect of motivations based on organizational mission (mission match) and perceived organizational reputation. Using a large-N sample of U.S. federal employees, results show that mission-matched employees are more likely to be satisfied with their organization. This relationship is mediated through perceived organizational reputation. This study discuss the contributions of introducing organizational reputation as a contextual factor that intervenes in bureaucratic motivation and raise questions for further inquiry.