Zhe Zhu, Leyi Shao, Heran Zou, Wanqiang Xu, Yilong Sheng
Since 2013, the Chinese government has promoted rural revitalization by deploying resident work team members to villages. As policy implementers within the governance framework of China, resident work team members' levels of public service motivation (PSM) influence the strategic outcomes of rural revitalization. Employing hierarchical regression analyses and moderation tests, this study provides an empirical examination of resident work team members in the Wuling Mountains region of China. The findings indicate that the overall level of PSM among resident work team members is high, yet job burnout is present to a considerable extent. Job burnout is negatively associated with resident work team members' PSM, and perceived organizational support (POS) moderates this association. At higher levels of POS, the negative relationship between job burnout and PSM is significantly attenuated. Policy implications underscore the need to address resident work team members' job burnout, strengthen their professional capacity development, standardize the assessment and operational standards for village work, and improve accountability mechanisms, welfare provisions, as well as the alignment of promotion and placement arrangements, thereby fostering an organizational climate that encourages innovation. This study enriches and extends the antecedents and moderating factors of PSM theory, offering theoretical support and policy guidance for realizing China's rural revitalization strategy and for establishing a comprehensive, multi-level talent-support system for rural development.