Through the eyes of Turkish public employees: How organisational citizenship behaviour, job satisfaction, and public service motivation shape perceived job performance

Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB), job satisfaction (JS), and public service motivation (PSM) on public employees’ evaluations of their peers’ job performance. Studies in the literature have addressed these factors separately; therefore, it has not been discussed which of these factors most significantly influences performance perception or how they collectively affect performance perception. This study fills this gap by discussing these factors together and comparatively within the framework of experimental vignette design. The study found that high OCB and high job satisfaction produce the largest increases in perceived performance, while high PSM has a weaker (but still positive) cue effect; additionally, the results indicated that elevated levels of each cue, both independently and collectively, were correlated with considerably higher performance ratings. Survey respondents’ own PSM levels also shaped evaluations, with higher‐PSM respondents assigning slightly stricter performance ratings overall. These results advance public administration research on performance appraisal by clarifying which motivational/attitudinal signals raters weigh most and by highlighting rater PSM as a potential source of systematic appraisal bias. Points for practitioners Behavioural cues strongly shape performance evaluations in public organisations. Practitioners should recognise that employees who display helping behaviour or express pride in their work are likely to be viewed as higher performers, even when formal performance metrics are ambiguous. Evaluators with high PSM may unintentionally apply stricter standards. For practitioners, this highlights a potential source of appraisal bias. OCB, JS, and PSM operate independently, so improvements in one area do not substitute for improvements in the others. The absence of interaction effects indicates that each behavioural cue contributes uniquely to perceived performance. Performance evaluation systems should account for both employee behaviours and evaluator dispositions. Since perceptions of performance depend on both employee behaviours and who evaluates them, organisations should design appraisal systems that minimise subjective bias.