LEADERSHIP MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES IN PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS: A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF NON-MATERIAL INCENTIVES AND EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION

This study examines how leadership motivational strategies influence employee job satisfaction and responsible behaviour in public service organisations through qualitative case study analysis of a Ukrainian regional public administration agency. Despite extensive research on leadership and motivation separately, limited understanding exists regarding the psychological mechanisms, individual moderators, and organisational boundary conditions through which non-material motivational practices operate in public administration contexts. Through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants (5 managers, 10 employees) and organisational document analysis, findings reveal that motivational effectiveness depends critically on implementation quality – authenticity, specificity, and genuine impact – rather than mere practice occurrence. Analysis identified three distinct psychological profiles (Autonomous Achievers, Relational Engagers, Pragmatic Developers) requiring differentiated leadership approaches, challenging universal “best practices” assumptions. Five psychological mechanisms (need satisfaction, perceived organisational support, work meaningfulness, psychological ownership, moral emotions) mediate leadership effects through three configurational pathways demonstrating equifinality. Negative case analysis revealed five critical boundary conditions specifying when motivational practices prove effective versus counterproductive: competence baseline for autonomy, ethical identity for responsibility, resource adequacy for psychological engagement, value-practice alignment for meaningfulness, and multi-level support for leadership effectiveness. Findings advance motivational psychology by specifying implementation requirements, individual difference moderators, and organizational constraints often underspecified in existing theories, while generating practical implications for leadership development, organisational design, and human resource management in public administration contexts facing resource constraints and political pressures.