Organizational Psychology

Purpose. The article describes an empirical study to test the hypothesis about the specificity of the motivation of loyalty of public servants to groups operating in social environment in their workplace and to identify specific features of the motivation of loyalty to such groups. Methodology. The study was based on the understanding of loyalty as a psycho-behavioral participation the personin group at the interconnected levels of self-determination, group emotions, as well as motivations, orientations and processes of group activity. The research sample consisted of employees of Russian penitentiary system (N = 2786). To collect the empirical material was used Method of color metaphors (by I. L. Solomin) adapted for the purposes of the research and computerized in the Psychometric Expert 9.0.4 program. Data processing was carried out using the ‘nearest neighbour’ method of cluster analysis and Fisher’s significance testing. Findings. The main peculiarity of public servants motivation of loyalty to job-related groups is the leading role of self-assertive motives. The most stable and universal in the motivation of loyalty to such groups is the association with the ideal of legality. Self-dependence acts as an instrumental value, ensuring other values and ideals which are providing motivation of loyalty to job-related groups. Value of the results. The present study has provided directempirical evidence of specificity of the motivation of loyalty of public servants to job-related groups. Thus, the need to study this specificity was proved. Implications for practice. The knowledge gained about peculiarities of motivation of loyalty of public servants to job-related groups can find practical application in matters of public servants motivating and selection of candidates for public service.