Ethos Reinforced,Government Endorsed? Comparing Pre-entry and Post-entry Values,Motivations,Sector Perceptions,and Career Preferences of MPA Students in Asia

Abstract

This article compares pre-entry and post-entry personal values, job motivations, sector perceptions, and career preferences of two cohorts of professional Master of Public Administration (MPA) students in Asia. The study triangulates data from surveys, focus groups, and exit interviews in a quasi-experimental setting. On the one hand, findings confirm that MPA programs attract students whose job motivations and sector perceptions are already skewed toward the public sector, particularly those enrolling directly from the public sector. On the other hand, overall appreciation of values associated with and preference for public sector employment goes down during the program, while preference for private sector employment goes up. Students with pre-enrollment public sector careers, however, have significantly higher levels of public service motivation at the moment of graduation than those with pre-enrollment careers outside government. The article concludes with implications of these findings for the study and practice of public administration education.