Provide a peer response to your classmate, Christine's post.

Provide in-text citations and references in an APA format.

"Hello class,

For this assignment, I reviewed articles in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory and selected an open access piece titled "Public Service Motivation and Organizational Commitment: A Comparative Study of Public and Nonprofit Employees" by Jin and McDonald (2017). The study examines how different dimensions of organizational commitment such as affective, continuance, and normative relate to public service motivation across sectors. The authors found that affective commitment, or emotional attachment to one's organization, has the strongest relationship with public service motivation, particularly among public employees. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning employees' sense of purpose with job design and organizational support systems.

This connects directly with the focus of my research proposal, which explores how job design and organizational commitment influence motivation and retention in government settings. In my experience as a program manager supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces in Europe, I have seen how institutional rigidity and rotational staffing models can weaken affective commitment and limit engagement. Despite the high impact nature of our mission, the absence of tailored job enrichment or long term development pathways often leads to burnout and turnover.

Jin and McDonald's findings reinforce the value of strengthening affective commitment through intentional job structuring. For example, giving personnel more autonomy in mission planning, offering meaningful feedback, and recognizing individual contributions could significantly enhance motivation. These changes align with Hackman and Oldham's Job Characteristics Model, which also informs my paper. By designing roles that reinforce purpose and provide a clearer path for professional growth, public managers can improve retention and mission continuity.

Ultimately, this article supports the argument that when job design promotes psychological connection to the mission, public service motivation thrives. Applying these findings could greatly benefit agencies like the Office of Defense Cooperation, where long term engagement is essential but often overlooked.

Reference

Jin, M. H., & McDonald, B. D. (2017). Public Service Motivation and Organizational Commitment: A Comparative Study of Public and Nonprofit Employees. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 27(3), 433-444. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muw049"