Managing organizations to sustain passion for public service, James L. Perry, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021, 325 pp., $34.99 (pb), ISBN: 9781108824132
| Published date | 01 March 2021 |
| Author | Ibrahim Maiga |
| Date | 01 March 2021 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12723 |
BOOK REVIEW
Managing organizations to sustain passion
for public service
James L. Perry,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021, 325 pp., $34.99 (pb), ISBN: 9781108824132
The value of and dedication to public service is a core component of public administration. As faculty, we are driven
to the discipline in part because of the passion that we have for public service that underlines our ethos (Jin et al.,
2019; Pautz & Vogel, 2020), but our interest extends beyond the realm of what we do and crosses over into what
we research and what we teach (Perry, 2020). This dedication has driven the research regarding public service moti-
vation (PSM) since it first appeared in the early 1990s (see Perry, 2021). While the research has contributed to our
broader understanding of PSM, it has been somewhat fragmented—frequently studied, but difficult to bring together
into a comprehensive understanding (Wright, 2008). In his latest book, Perry (2021) manages to succeed at doing
just that.
James Perry's new book, Managing Organizations to Sustain Passion for Public Service, is an exploration of
research into what it takes to keep the passion for public service alive among public servants. The public administra-
tion research into human resource management over the past several decades have sought to understand this issue,
investigating it through lenses such public service motivation, organizational climate, altruism, and even microeco-
nomic perspectives. Perry aims to bring these lenses together and translate them into applied book that can be used
by leaders and administrators to direct public organizations.
The book begins with a chapter establishing a new foundation for civil service systems. The traditional systems
that governments have relied upon have shown their cracks, making the task of recruiting and maintaining strong
employees difficult. These systems are nested within their environment and difficult to change. As Perry builds his
argument for why something must change and the traditional systems must be removed, he offers a solution: the
use of public service motivation as a foundation for reform. Throughout its nine chapters, Perry continually builds
upon and supports this notion without getting too far from an unspoken tenant. Public administration has engaged
in decades of research, but we must also consider how it applies and the practitioner.
In Chapter 2, Perry begins the process of rooting public service motivation as a foundation for civil service
reform. This is accomplished by discussing the theoretical roots of PSM and the empirical research upon which it has
been tested and expanded. While the intent of the chapter might be to provide a base understanding of PSM for
practitioners and students, it also has a large utility for academics. He provides context and relevance to how the lit-
erature has developed since Perry and Wise (1990) first published their work three decades ago.
One of the challenges of public administration research has been how to translate research into practical means
(Kapucu & Hu, 2020). Chapter 2 began this process by laying a foundation understanding of PSM, but it is Chapter 3
that we see the work begin to bloom. We may know that PSM is important, but it is here that Perry tells us why it is
important to seek out employees for public service organizations that have high levels of motivation. Not only are
highly motivated employees more likely to fit within the organization, but they are more likely to reflect the values
of the organization and have a greater commitment to its goals and public service ethos. While this may seem obvi-
ous, what has not been so clear is how do you attract high PSM individuals to your staff? Using research as a guide,
Received: 15 January 2021 Revised: 24 January 2021 Accepted: 24 January 2021
DOI: 10.1111/padm.12723
Public Admin. 2021;99:205–206. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/padm © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 205
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