Applying a Public Service Perspective

To articulate and apply a public service perspective

There is no profit in public sector work; there is no revenue to subtract expenses from to show whether money was lost or gained, even if there is income. Instead, work in the public sector is measured in outcomes. Without the motivation of profit, workers in the public sector must instead be self-motivated and show a concern for the people they serve. Applying a public service perspective means making sure decisions serve the public as well as the institution. One of my earliest classes was government theory, where the professor would always ask a simple question in Latin: “Cui bono? Who benefits.” I make sure I’m always asking this question when I think about decisions made in the public sector. Making sure the public sector truly benefits the public is the purest definition of public service.