Do public service motivation, red tape and resigned work satisfaction triangulate together?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of public service motivation (PSM) on red tape and resigned satisfaction in Pakistani public administration. Design/methodology/approach – Employees working in federal organizations were the target population of this study. As part of field survey, 350 questionnaires were distributed to collect data from respondents. Findings – The research findings indicate that red tape is a strong predictor of resigned satisfaction and is positively related to it. Among the dimensions of public-service motivation “attraction to policy making” and “commitment to civic duty” dimensions were found to have no relation with red tape and resigned satisfaction. Whereas, “compassion” and “self-sacrifice” dimensions of PSM had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between red tape and resigned satisfaction. It was concluded that under perception of red tape, PSM can have possible negative effect on work satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – By highlighting the effect of red tape on satisfaction it can help public sector organizations in trying to crowd out the negative factors of employees’ work through minimizing the rules and regulations which are worth nothing except for extra work and stress for employees. The results can also be used to assess the differences in level of red tape perceived in developed and developing countries. Originality/value – This study provides a contribution to the literature, as it is study is among the first few studies in Pakistan. The main theoretical contribution of this study is that it raises an important question about the extent to which the theory and research developed in one country can contribute to the application of PSM in other counties especially developed vs developing countries.