From public service motivation to public sector avoidance: career decisions in fragmented governance systems

Abstract

Purpose This article examines the factors that shape both the attraction to and avoidance of public sector employment among highly skilled professionals in weak institutional contexts. Using Colombia as an exploratory case, it seeks to understand how motivations, career trajectories and institutional conditions interact to influence sectoral job decisions. The study addresses a gap in the public administration literature, which has largely focused on stable, merit-based systems, by analyzing career choices in a fragmented governance environment marked by politicization and clientelism. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative research design based on in depth semi structured interviews with highly skilled professionals who pursued graduate education abroad and subsequently made career decisions across public, private and nonprofit sectors. An abductive analytical approach was employed, combining categories derived from existing literature with themes emerging from the interview data through iterative coding. This approach allows for a contextualized analysis of motivations, experiences and institutional constraints that shape sectoral choices in complex public employment systems. Findings The findings identify three key drivers that shape public sector attraction and avoidance: the availability and quality of public sector jobs, the long-term influence of early career decisions on sectoral trajectories and socialization processes that reinforce or weaken public service motivation. While intrinsic motivations such as commitment to the common good remain relevant, they are often undermined by structural conditions including clientelism, political patronage and precarious employment arrangements. Talented professionals navigate these tensions in different ways, sometimes reinforcing their public service commitment and in other cases exiting the public sector. Originality/value The article contributes to public administration research by offering an exploratory qualitative analysis of public employment attractiveness in a weak institutional context. It extends existing debates on public service motivation by showing how ethical commitment, career trajectories and institutional conditions interact in politicized environments. By focusing on highly skilled professionals and identifying overlooked drivers of sectoral choice, the study provides new insights for theory and policy on public employment strategies in fragmented governance systems.