DOI: 10.11648/j.jppa.20261003.14 ISSN: 2640-2696

Feeling Capable, Remaining Demotivated: Revisiting Vroom's Expectancy Theory in a Public Service Organization

Chiraz Gharbi, Imen Chaouch, Rym Khanfir
Show PDF Cite
Employee demotivation remains insufficiently understood in public service organizations operating under persistent structural and financial constraints. In the Tunisian public transport sector, little is known about how employees experience motivation despite the sector's well-documented operational difficulties. This study aims to explore the determinants of employee demotivation and assess the explanatory power of Vroom's expectancy theory in this organizational context. A qualitative case study was conducted within a Tunisian public transport company using twelve semi-structured interviews involving three categories of employees. The interview data were analyzed through thematic analysis informed by expectancy theory and interpreted in conjunction with self-determination theory, perceived organizational support, and the Job Demands-Resources model. The findings reveal that employees generally reported feeling competent while simultaneously expressing widespread demotivation, highlighting a tension between perceived self-efficacy and motivational outcomes. Instrumentality emerged as the weakest component of the expectancy process, as participants consistently referred to promotion opportunities whose allocation criteria were perceived as unclear or inconsistently applied. Promotion and professional recognition were valued more strongly than financial rewards, although this preference appeared to be influenced by the institutional constraints governing remuneration. Overall, the results indicate that expectancy theory provides a useful but incomplete explanation of employee motivation in this setting, as organizational support, autonomy, and working conditions also shaped employees' motivational experiences. The study therefore suggests that employee motivation in public organizations facing structural constraints should be understood from a multidimensional perspective rather than through expectancy theory alone. Although the findings are based on a small non-probability sample from a single organization and should not be generalized, they offer practical implications for human resource management by emphasizing the importance of transparent promotion systems, stronger organizational support, and improved communication to enhance employee motivation in public service organizations.

More from our Archive