Authors:

E.V. Frolova

Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia

Abstract:

The need to enhance the effectiveness of local government in today’s conditions brings the issue of motivating municipal employees to the fore. The purpose of the article is to analyse motivational deficiencies and develop compensatory mechanisms to increase job satisfaction among municipal employees. The methodological basis of the study comprises the conceptual provisions of the theory of the Russian sociologist Nikolai Lapin, who analysed organizational structures and specificity of their functioning, as well as key provisions of labour process theory. The research methods include theoretical-methodological analysis and questionnaire survey. The empirical base contains the results of a sociological survey of municipal employees (3,066 respondents). The study identifies core issues in motivating municipal employees, such as limited opportunities for financial remuneration and career advancement. Socio-communicative aspects of work, which received the highest satisfaction rates, act as compensators for organizational and financial deficiencies. At the same time, respondents noted certain dysfunctions in vertical communication concerning translating their ideas, receiving recognition from management, and implementing their initiatives. The survey also revealed a problem of work routinization, a lack of clear rules and structured tasks, which, taken together, may indirectly indicate municipalities’ insufficient adaptability to new challenges and imbalances in the HR management system. Internal work values have a significant impact on motivation of municipal employees, thereby refuting the established stereotype that local officials are dominated by utilitarian and egoistic attitudes. The research findings contribute to the understanding of municipal service processes and enable the formulation of practical recommendations for strengthening motivation of local government employees.

Keywords: HR management; labour motivation; local government; municipal service; municipal employee; work values.

For citation: Frolova E.V. (2026). Motivating municipal employees: Deficiencies and compensation mechanisms. Upravlenets / The Manager, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 85–98. DOI: 10.29141/2218-5003-2026-17-3-6. EDN: JRDDVM.

Article info: received December 15, 2025; received in revised form February 27, 2026; accepted March 17, 2026