Transformational leadership is expected to affect public service motivation among public employees, because managers’ communication about a desirable vision can appeal to employees’ values and thereby support the promotion of their public service motivation (Andersen et al., 2018; Paarlberg & Lavigna, 2010; Wright et al., 2012). Studies have linked transformational leadership with public service motivation (Bellé, 2013; Vandenabeele, 2014; Wright et al., 2012), but studies have also demonstrated that transformational leadership is not necessarily straightforward (Jensen et al., 2018). In this study, we promote the argument that the effect of transformational leadership on PSM is contingent on employee perceived leader credibility. We expect that transformational leadership will only be successful in affecting public service motivation, if followers find it plausible that their leader will act in accordance with stated intentions, because this will reduce the uncertainty associated with the decision of following the leader (Cho & Ringquist, 2011; Kramer, 1999), which in this case means choosing to contribute to realize the vision. Leader credibility is composed by three elements: i) sincerity, ii) competence and iii) behavioral integrity of the leader (Jakobsen et al., 2022), and we substantiate our argument for each of the components. To test our arguments, we utilize data from a preregistered survey panel study in upper secondary schools in Denmark. Our panel consists of two waves with 735 teachers. We use fixed effects regression and show that changes in transformational leadership are significantly and positively related to changes in PSM, but only when a teacher evaluates their principals as relatively credible. Our study has important implications for both public management research and public sector managers and employees. In relation to the former our study points to leader credibility as a relevant factor to consider when examining the relationship between transformational leadership and public service motivation. In relation to the latter, public managers can consider whether they actually believe in the vision, are capable of acting on it and will be able to do so consistently before communicating a vision to the employees.

Since its inception (Perry & Wise, 1990), the concept of public service motivation (PSM) has gained considerable traction in Public Administration, leading to various nuanced definitions (Perry, Hondeghem, Wise, 2010; Vandenabeele, 2007), all rooted in the hegemonic assumption (Alvesson & Sandberg, 2011) that it represents a form of motivation. However, this assumption may have hindered the theoretical evolution of the field, as evidenced by the predominant emphasis on empirical and methodological concerns (Pandey et al., 2017). Moreover, the reliance on the "motivation" hembig (Alvesson & Blom, 2022) may have marginalized alternative conceptual perspectives. Departing from a purely motivational standpoint, these alternative views could potentially provide a more robust theoretical framework for explaining unexpected empirical findings within PSM theory, such as those concerning ethical behaviors (Ripoll & Schott, 2023).

To address these challenges, we undertake a problematizing literature review (George et al., 2023). By reading broadly and selectively and embracing an interdisciplinary perspective, a problematizing review might be particularly relevant for addressing at least two issues within PSM theory. Firstly, given the mature yet fragmented nature of the field, characterized by dispersed research groups with limited collaboration (Hatmaker et al., 2017), the sharing of implicit theoretical knowledge may have been constrained. Secondly, given the presence of conflicting empirical evidence, navigating PSM theory may resemble more a maze than a jigsaw puzzle (Alvesson & Sandberg, 2020). Building on these foundations, our study aims to address the following research questions: How does the field of Public Administration conceptualize PSM? What parallels and deviations can be observed in the treatment of related concepts across other disciplines, including various forms of motivation?

We identify Organizational Behavior and Psychology as neighboring fields, with Sociology and Economics serving as indirectly relevant ones. Utilizing the Web of Science database, we will focus on English-language peer-reviewed articles and book chapters to identify seminal works within the field, supplemented by additional contributions for in-depth reading selected randomly from within and outside the realm of Public Administration (Strader et al., 2023). Specifically, we will include contributions that centrally engage with PSM or related concepts, while providing clear definitions of them.

By offering a critical analysis of how PSM has been conceptualized in comparison to other constructs such as motivation and identity, our study aims to contribute to the advancement of the field by proposing a theoretical reconceptualization of PSM and outlining a research agenda for future inquiry.