A spirit of service to the community: public service motivation in the New Zealand public service

Abstract

A “spirit of service to the community” has been the foundation of recent reforms in New Zealand public administration. New Zealand’s renewed interest in public service motivation is notable as it occurs in the jurisdiction most closely associated with New Public Management in the 1980s and ‘90s. This essay documents the passage of a spirit of service to the community through legislation, and the initial steps that the New Zealand public service has taken to support a spirit of service into fullest expression.