Research: Motivation to Serve Entrepreneurs Alone Is Not Enough – Effective Entrepreneurial Support Services Are Built Through Collaboration

The study focused particularly on how employees’ motivation is transformed into concrete public value, that is, benefits for entrepreneurs, enterprises, and the wider region. Specifically, we examined public service motivation, which refers to an individual’s motivation to contribute to the common good beyond personal interests. Employees working in entrepreneurial support services demonstrated a strong motivation to serve their client entrepreneurs. While a strong commitment to serving the public good was identified as an important foundation, impact is achieved only when motivation is supported by effective structures, leadership, and collaboration. These factors help strengthen and channel public service motivation in ways that lead to meaningful outcomes.

Entrepreneurial Support Services as Bridge Builders

“The findings show that entrepreneurial support organisations often operate at the interface between the public sector and the market. They are expected to meet the objectives associated with public funding while simultaneously supporting entrepreneurial growth and development, regional employment, and regional competitiveness. This requires continuous collaboration across organisational boundaries,” says Dr Henna Väätäinen from the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute.

According to Väätäinen, particularly outside major growth centres, sparse populations, long distances, and limited resources highlight the importance of trust, information sharing, and network-based collaboration. Professionals working in entrepreneurial support services often act as bridge builders between different actors, connecting entrepreneurs, municipalities, development organisations, and other service providers.

Public service motivation can strengthen collaboration, commitment, and the effectiveness of services. However, its development and practical effects depend heavily on the organisational environment. Human-centred leadership that supports genuine participation, clear goals, a well-functioning organisational culture, and opportunities to see the impact of one’s work all help transform motivation into tangible results and genuine public value.

“Future research and practice require a deeper understanding of how organisations can support employee motivation and build collaborative ways of working. Strengthening regional vitality is not achieved through the efforts of individual actors alone, but through long-term collaboration, shared objectives, and trust across the entire ecosystem,” says Väätäinen.

The key message of the study is that public service motivation translates into public value creation and, ultimately, into tangible societal benefits when supported by effective leadership, an encouraging organisational culture, and collaboration and co-creation among different actors.

Research Conducted Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The study was conducted by Dr Henna Väätäinen and researcher Iikka Meriläinen from the University of Oulu’s Kerttu Saalasti Institute, Adjunct Professor Petri Virtanen from the University of Canberra, and Adjunct Professor Hanna Vakkala from the University of Lapland. The interdisciplinary research team brought together expertise in micro-entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship development, entrepreneurial support services, public service delivery, and public sector leadership.

Read the publication:
Henna Väätäinen, Iikka Meriläinen, Petri Virtanen and Hanna Vakkala: Lack of public service motivation as a value-constraining mechanism in entrepreneurialecosystem. Public Management Review 2026.

Photo: Mikko Törmänen