The national identity as a motivational factor for better performance in the public sector

Purpose - The paper seeks to concern itself with the research field of public sector performance measurement and to introduce the national identity as a performance factor, through a case study. Design/methodology/approach - The paper attempts an innovative presentation and identification of the attitudes, motivations and beliefs of both Greek people and the volunteers regarding the organisation, the success and the benefits of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The paper reviews the literature on the relation of national identity and sports and analyses the opinion polls on the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Findings - The paper demonstrates that national identity has been the major motivational factor for the volunteers, whose contribution represented a significant added value to the success of the Olympics. The measurement of performance in such a qualitative analysis is supported by self‐reported customers' satisfaction. Research limitations/implications - It is not a quantitative, structured and executed initial survey, but a secondary, qualitative one. Practical implications - The paper suggests the re‐definition of the usually negatively conceived notion of national identity, in a new managerial framework, as a performance factor. Originality/value - This paper is original in its conception, when linking national identity/patriotism with sports and volunteerism in the context of performance measurement, and has a practical dimension, since it proposes tools for measuring performance in cases where a qualitative analysis is appropriate.