From Theory to Policy: Examining Factors Shaping Taiwanese Students’ Intentions to Enter Civil Service Through PSM Modeling

This study investigates factors influencing Taiwanese college students' intentions to enter the civil service, a critical issue for public policy in Asia where governments often struggle to attract young talent into public service. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach bridging public administration, sociology, and governance studies, the research applies confirmatory factor analysis and a LISREL-based structural equation model to analyze data from a 2023 national survey of Taiwanese civil service exam candidates on Public Service Motivation (PSM). The analysis reveals that both intrinsic drivers (such as commitment to public interest) and extrinsic factors (such as job security and perceived fairness) significantly shape students’ aspirations for government careers. These findings affirm PSM theory in Taiwan’s context and underscore its applicability in Asian settings, indicating that personal values and contextual expectations jointly drive youth interest in public service. Policy implications are substantial: to attract and retain talented youth in government, civil service recruitment and exam reforms in Taiwan—and similar Asian contexts—should nurture idealistic motivations while addressing pragmatic career concerns. By integrating cross-disciplinary perspectives with advanced modeling, this study contributes original evidence to the discourse on public sector talent management and offers actionable insights for civil service human resource reforms aimed at enhancing youth engagement in governance across Asia.