The Impact of Public Service Motivation, Leadership Role, and Work Environment on Employee Resilience in the Public Sector: Evidence from Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

Employee resilience has become an increasingly important issue in public sector management due to rising work pressure, organizational restructuring, and administrative reform. In the context of Vietnam, public employees are facing significant challenges associated with digital transformation, increasing service demands, and institutional changes. However, empirical studies on employee resilience in the Vietnamese public sector remain limited. This study examines the effects of public service motivation, leadership role, and work environment on employee resilience among civil servants in Ho Chi Minh City. Drawing upon Public Service Motivation theory, Conservation of Resources theory, and Employee Resilience theory, the study proposes a research model explaining the determinants of resilience in the public sector context. A quantitative research approach was employed using survey data collected from civil servants working in public organizations in Ho Chi Minh City. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26 through reliability testing, exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The findings indicate that leadership role, work environment, and public service motivation all have significant positive effects on employee resilience. Among these factors, leadership role demonstrates the strongest influence on resilience, followed by work environment and public service motivation. The study contributes to the literature on public sector resilience by providing empirical evidence from a developing country context. In addition, the findings offer practical implications for policymakers and public administrators in improving employee resilience and enhancing organizational effectiveness during administrative reform.