SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTIONS OF PUBLIC-SERVICE AMONG PUBLIC-ADMINISTRATORS ON THE US MEXICO BORDER

To what extent are U.S. and Mexican mid-level public managers alike or different in their perceptions of public service? the passage of NAFT A has focused increased attention on the U.S.-Mexico border region, bu t little research has been carried out there. This study compares how differences in the background and recruitment patterns of U.S. (Angle and Mexican-American) and Mexican public managers combine with differe nt motivations for working in the public sector to influence the manag ers' orientations to public service, the years they will serve, what t hey like and dislike about their jobs, and whom they will recruit to s ucceed them. Mexican public managers are recruited based on extrinsic qualifications and have a more outer-oriented motivation. U.S. public managers are recruited based on intrinsic qualifications and have a mo re inner-oriented motivation. Problems caused by these differences are discussed along with other implications for the future of binational public projects along the U.S.-Mexico border.