Personal values and value congruence of public administration graduate students: An exploratory study in China

Explorations on the value profiles of current and prospective public organisation employees in China are scarce. The current study investigates this critical issue. Data were collected via a questionnaire from graduate students enrolled in a school of public administration in China. The sample consisted of both full-time students who were prepared to pursue their careers in public organisations upon graduation, and part-time students who were mostly public organisation employees. Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) and analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were used for data analysis. The results show that there are consistent value preferences among all students, and some noteworthy patterns in the relationship between value profiles and demographic and work-related features. The results also shed light on whether a unique value set could differentiate various types of organisations, and demonstrate that employees in the core public service perceive higher level of value congruence than those in parapublic sectors. These findings provide implications and insights for the management practices in public organisations. Ongoing institutional reform and organizational change in China may reshape the personal values of current and prospective public organization employees. Drawing from extant public value research, this survey study examines Chinese MPA students' value preferences and congruence to provide a delineated picture to facilitate the personnel management of public organizations.