The role perceptions of government professionals: the effects of gender, educational field, and prior job sector

The public service motivation (PSM) and the call to serve literatures suggest certain individuals are called to public service. At the senior executive level, government professionals may be called to provide a voice for societal interests or to develop new policy agendas. However, we know little about what influences the role perceptions of high-level government professionals. To understand how senior executives perceive their own role in government, we examine survey data across 19 European countries. We find that gender, educational background, and prior job sector socialization shape role perceptions concerning policymaking and providing a voice for society.