The Impact of Police Officers' Perceptions of Organizational Politics on Public Service Motivation

This study aims to analyse how police officers' perceptions of political elements within their organisation affect their public service motivation and examines the moderating effect of rank. A survey of police officers was conducted, and regression and moderation analyses were applied. The results showed that two subfactors of public service motivation—commitment to the public interest and self-sacrifice—varied according to perceptions of organisational politics. Particularly, rank played a moderating role in these relationships: lower-ranking officers exhibited decreased public service motivation as their perception of organisational politics increased, whereas higher-ranking officers demonstrated a tendency to show higher public service motivation under similar circumstances. These findings suggest that differences in authority and resource accessibility, as well as one's position within a political environment, significantly influence police officers' perceptions of organisational politics and their public service motivation. The study underscores the importance of establishing fair decision-making structures in police organisations and implementing rank-specific leadership training. Additionally, it provides policy recommendations to enhance public service motivation.