Factors influencing public sector employee's intention to work on projects

Public sector employees often have discretion as to whether to work on projects or to perform routine jobs. The motivational factors which encourage employees to work on projects have not been adequately investigated in the literature. For effective project human resource management it is important to examine the motivating factors to work in projects. To explore these factors, this study develops a model based on the theory of planned behaviour to identify public employees' intention to work on projects. To empirically verify the model, we collect 108 data from New Zealand public employees. The significant findings show that public employees are more motivated to work on projects when they believe that: project management tools and techniques will improve their job performance and quality of work; a project position does not require radical changes in the way they usually work; their colleagues have a positive opinion about project-based work and want them to work on projects; and when a project position is associated with high social status and prestige. Overall, the findings have managerial implications, and suggest ways for public sector organisations to develop human resource strategies that will help improve the recruiting process for public sector projects.