Are Autonomy and Intrinsic Motivation of Public Servants Lower in Post-Communist States?

Post-communist states have economic, geopolitical and cultural importance; however, they remain largely under-explored in public management literature. This study applies self-determination theory (SDT) to understand how work context affects perceived autonomy and intrinsic motivation in the public sector of post-communist states, whose administrative context is distinct from that of their counterparts from other administrative traditions. Using the data of 5,662 individuals from the International Social Survey Program we find that public sector employees in post-communist states demonstrate a lower level of autonomy, which in turn, decreases their intrinsic motivation. Our findings provide support to important SDT insights and have implications for public managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]