Prospects of Mortality Salience for Promoting Sustainable Public Sector Management: A Survey Experiment on Public Service Motivation

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Recommendation: Revision Required
Title: Prospects of Mortality Salience for Promoting Sustainable Public Sector Management: A Survey Experiment on Public Service Motivation
Reviewer points:
1. The purpose and reason for the research need to be described in more detail
2. The urgency of the problem needs to be described in more detail.
3. The novelty of this study and its differentiator from previous studies.
4. Need to be conveyed by Grounded Theory.
5. The author has written down some theoretical conditions from relevant and current sources but still has not presented a picture of the empirical conditions that make gab research and become the idea of this research.
6. The research question must be clear.
7. The theory used has shown and referred to several relevant research results from reputable journals.
8. The description of the findings is not enough. All that is needed is to refer back to the results of other studies, highlighting their differences and contributions.
9. The reasons for the selection of subjects and the location of the study.
10. The display of figures and tables is clear
11. And it has been described in detail in the existing table.
12. The interpretation of research results is conveyed in more detail, and refers to strengthening grounded theory. And delivered implementation in the field (real conditions).
13. The conclusion has been well delivered. It is expected that this conclusion item is an answer to the findings of the existing research objectives. Researchers should emphasize the practical implications of the results of this study. For example, it would be wise if the main findings of this paper could explain the phenomenon that exists today. Also, the author has not presented the boundaries of the research paper. It is necessary to convey practical implications in detail. And recommendations for subsequent research.
14. It is necessary to convey the uniqueness and differentiation of this study from previous research.
15. There are no limitations to detailed research.
16. The author needs to submit the research results according to the structure and flow of the template.
17. I need to do prof reading to translate the language.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

  

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

This study conducted on Prospects of Mortality Salience for Promoting Sustainable Public Sector Management. This article required improvement and further clarification.

- First of all, I suggest author to clearly explain the research objective and research gap in introduction section as a subsection.

- Authors needs to explain sustainable practices in management and operations of different sectors, which should not be very narrow in introduction section. Following articles can consider by authors for citations:

 

https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084524

https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084415

 

- Literature review section should be very focused to the hypotheses and research problem. Also, authors needs to cite relevant articles from recent years.

- Methodology section require further clarification... why authors adopted this research approach, and what the advantagous of this statistical tools?

- Conclusion section needs to be expanded by including theoretical contribution, practical implications, research limitations and future research avenue. These all should be included in a subsections and discussed in detailed.

English is understandable but I suggest authors to proofread the entire draft at revision stage.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear authors, your work is very important and could offer very usefull information on the field. I beleive that the hypotheses need more research to be supported from more studies. This is the main suggestion I have to mention. Use more studies to support your hypotheses and also include them in your discussion. Prefer more recent studies for example from the last 6 years.

 

1. What is the main question addressed by the research? The main question addressed by the research is: Does mortality salience, or the awareness of one's own mortality, have an effect on public service motivation, particularly in the context of the public sector following the COVID-19 pandemic?  
2. Do you consider the topic original or relevant in the field? Does it address a specific gap in the field?

The topic appears to be relevant and addresses a specific gap in the field of public service motivation. While there is existing research on public service motivation, the specific exploration of how mortality salience affects public service motivation, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, seems to be a novel contribution. Understanding the impact of mortality salience on public service motivation can provide insights into potential factors that activate or enhance individuals' motivation to serve the public sector. Additionally, investigating the moderating effects of servant leadership, extrinsic rewards, and organization-based self-esteem further expands our understanding of the conditions that can influence public service motivation. Therefore, the research appears to offer a valuable and original contribution to the field.

 
3. What does it add to the subject area compared with other published material? Compared to other published material in the subject area, this research adds several contributions. Firstly, it specifically examines the impact of mortality salience on public service motivation. While there is existing research on public service motivation, this study focuses on a unique psychological factor, mortality salience, which has not been extensively explored in relation to public service motivation. Secondly, the study employs a survey experiment and machine learning techniques to analyze the heterogeneous treatment effects of mortality salience. This methodological approach adds a novel dimension to the research, allowing for a more rigorous examination of the relationship between mortality salience and public service motivation. Thirdly, the research investigates the moderating effects of servant leadership, extrinsic rewards, and organization-based self-esteem on the relationship between mortality salience and public service motivation. By considering these contextual factors, the study provides a more nuanced understanding of the conditions under which mortality salience may have a stronger effect on public service motivation.
4. What specific improvements should the authors consider regarding the methodology? What further controls should be considered? I have mentioned them already in the form

 

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf