Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The turnover of senior-level local government employees has been linked to negative organizational outcomes, including increased costs, decreased productivity, and diminished customer experiences. Researchers sought to determine the extent to which Public Service Motivation (PSM) and Psychological Capital (PsyCap) can mitigate this turnover. Results show that PSM accounts for only 2.24% of variance in turnover intentions, while PsyCap accounts for 22.11%. Stepwise regression evaluating individual PSM and PsyCap components yielded a model (resilience, optimism, hope, and attraction to policy making) that explained 32.8% of variance. This research demonstrates that PSM may be what leads people to want to enter the career field, but PsyCap is the resource needed to keep them from leaving the field. These findings suggest that while PSM may attract individuals to public service, PsyCap provides the psychological resources needed for retention. This research underscores the need for further investigation of PsyCap’s role in public sector workforce stability.

Keywords

local government turnover training and development public management motivation theory public service motivation psychological capital

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Akhtari

Moreira

Trucco

(2022). Political turnover, bureaucratic turnover, and the quality of public services. American Economic Review, 112(2), 442–493. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20171867

S. H.

(2019). Employee voluntary and involuntary turnover and organizational performance: Revisiting the hypothesis from classical public administration. International Public Management Journal, 22(3), 444–469. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2018.1549629

Andersen

L. B.

Jensen

U. T.

Kjeldsen

A. M.

(2020). Public service motivation and its implications for public service. In Sullivan

Dickinson

Henderson

(Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of the public servant (pp. 1–18). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29980-4_81

Andrews

Beynon

M. J.

(2024). The revolving door in UK government departments: A configurational analysis. Regulation & Governance, 18(2), 590–611. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/rego.12544

Awan

Bel

Esteve

(2020). The benefits of PSM: An oasis or a mirage? Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 30(4), 619–635. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muaa016

Backhaus

Vogel

(2022). Leadership in the public sector: A meta-analysis of styles, outcomes, contexts, and methods. Public Administration Review, 82(6), 986–1003. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13516

Bao

Zhong

(2024). Public service motivation helps: Understanding the influence of public employees’ perceived overqualification on turnover intentions. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 83(3), 328–350. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12588

Barkhuizen

E. N.

Masale

R. L.

(2022). Leadership talent mindset as a catalyst for talent management and talent retention: The case of a Botswana local government institution. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 20(3), Article a1914. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v20i0.1914

Bothma

C. F. C.

Roodt

(2013). The validation of the turnover intention scale. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(1), Article a507. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v11i1.507

10.

Boyd

N. M.

Nowell

(2020). Sense of community, sense of community responsibility, organizational commitment and identification, and public service motivation: A simultaneous test of affective states on employee well-being and engagement in a public service work context. Public Management Review, 22(7), 1024–1050. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2020.1740301

11.

Brewer

G. A.

Selden

S. C.

Facer

R. L.

II (2000). Individual conceptions of public service motivation. Public Administration Review, 60(3), 254–264. https://doi.org/10.1111/0033-3352.00085

12.

Bright

(2008). Does public service motivation really make a difference on the job satisfaction and turnover intentions of public employees? The American Review of Public Administration, 38(2), 149–166. https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074008317248

13.

Bright

(2021). Does perceptions of organizational prestige mediate the relationship between public service motivation, job satisfaction, and the turnover intentions of federal employees? Public Personnel Management, 50(3), 408–429. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026020952818

14.

Buchanan

(1975). Red tape and the service ethic: Some unexpected differences between public and private managers. Administration & Society, 6(4), 423–444. https://doi.org/10.1177/009539977500600403

15.

Creswell

J. W.

Creswell

J. D.

(2022). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.

16.

DeHart-Davis

Marlowe

Pandey

S. K.

(2006). Gender dimensions of public service motivation. Public Administration Review, 66(6), 873–887. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00655.x

17.

Deng

(2024). An empirical study of job burnout and turnover intentions of emergency physicians: Using positive psychological capital as a mediating variable. Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental, 18(5), Article e07189. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n5-125

18.

Dirzyte

Patapas

(2022). Positive organizational practices, life satisfaction, and psychological capital in the public and private sectors. Sustainability, 14(1), Article 488. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010488

19.

Duffield

Roche

Blay

Thoms

Stasa

(2011). The consequences of executive turnover. Journal of Research in Nursing, 16(6), 503–514. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987111422419

20.

Förster

Duchek

(2017). What makes leaders resilient? An exploratory interview study. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(4), 281–306. https://doi.org/10.1177/2397002217709400

21.

Gan

K. P.

Lin

Wang

(2020). Public service motivation and turnover intention: Testing the mediating effects of job attitudes. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 1289. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01289

22.

Gist

M. E.

Mitchell

T. R.

(1992). Self-efficacy: A theoretical analysis of its determinants and malleability. Academy of Management Review, 17(2), 183–211. https://doi.org/10.2307/258770

23.

Gutinyu

Chang

(2023). Public service motivation, job satisfaction, and turnover intention: Evidence from the Ministry of Health, Zambia. International Review of Public Administration, 28(3), 357–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/12294659.2023.2256101

24.

Hur

Abner

(2024). What makes public employees want to leave their job? A meta-analysis of turnover intention predictors among public sector employees. Public Administration Review, 84(1), 115–142. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13601

25.

Jacobson

W. S.

(2011). Creating a motivated workforce: How organizations can enhance and develop public service motivation (PSM). Public Personnel Management, 40(3), 215–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/009102601104000303

26.

Jia

Gao

Shang

Cao

(2022). The relationship between public service motivation and turnover intention: The mediating role of work stress and task performance. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 27, Article 31. https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.22-00045

27.

Johnson

I. R.

Rohde

D. M.

(2022). Job stress, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions: The role of servant leadership. North American Journal of Psychology, 24(3), Article 543. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A721449722/SCIC?u=oran95108&sid=ebsco&xid=bd9a50d2

28.

Jun

Sun

(2023). Impact of authentic leadership on employee turnover intention: Perceived supervisor support as mediator and organizational identification as moderator. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1009639. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1009639

29.

Jung

Moon

K. K.

(2024). Examining public service motivation’s impact on organizational commitment: Focusing on moderating roles of hygiene and motivation factors. Behavioral Sciences, 14(6), Article 476. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14060476

30.

Kim

Cho

Kim

(2025). Serving the greater good with less: Survey experiment on how public service motivation shapes perception of staff shortages. Public Personnel Management, 54(3), 361–394. https://doi.org/10.1177/00910260251314156

31.

Kroll

Tantardini

(2019). Motivating and retaining government employees: The role of organizational social capital. International Public Management Journal, 22(2), 232–253. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2017.1367341

32.

Liao

Sun

(2020). How does council-manager conflict affect managerial turnover intention? The role of job embeddedness and cooperative context. Public Administration, 98(4), 974–994. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12663

33.

Liss-Levinson

(2022). Continued impact of COVID-19 on public sector employee job and financial outlook, satisfaction, and retention. MissionSquare Research Institute. https://research.missionsq.org/content/media/document/2022/03/public-workforce-and-covid-march2022.pdf

34.

Liss-Levinson

Young

(2023). State and local government employees: Morale, public service motivation, financial concerns and retention. MissionSquare Research Institute. https://research.missionsq.org/content/media/document/2023/02/59976-slg-worker-report_final.pdf

35.

Liu

Zhao

Guo

(2023). CEO turnover, political connections, and firm performance: Evidence from China. Emerging Markets Review, 55, Article 100965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ememar.2022.100965

36.

Chen

C. H.

(2022). The impact of public service motivation on job satisfaction in public sector employees: The mediating roles of work engagement and organizational commitment. Mobile Information Systems, 2022, Article 7919963. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7919963

37.

Luthans

F. L.

Avolio

B. J.

Avey

G. B.

Norman

S. M.

(2007). Positive psychological capital: Measurement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Personnel Psychology, 60(3), 541–572. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2007.00083.x

38.

Luthans

F. L.

Avolio

B. J.

Avey

J. A.

(2012). Psychological capital questionnaire [Database record]. PsycTESTS. https://doi.org/10.1037/t06483-000

39.

Luthans

F. L.

Luthans

K. W.

Luthans

B. C.

(2004). Positive psychological capital: Beyond human and social capital. Business Horizons, 47(1), 45–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2003.11.007

40.

Luthans

F. L.

Vogelgesang

G. R.

Lester

P. B.

(2006). Developing the psychological capital of resiliency. Human Resource Development Review, 5(1), 25–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484305285335

41.

Luthans

F. L.

Youssef

C. M.

Avolio

B. J.

(2006). Psychological capital: Developing the human competitive edge. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187526.001.0001

42.

Mathew

N. V.

Liu

Khalil

(2024). Causes & consequences of health care CEO turnover in Australia and retention strategies: A qualitative study. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 61, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580241233250

43.

Miller

(2022, April 11). SHRM HR benchmarking reports launch as a free member-exclusive benefit. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/benefits-compensation/shrm-hr-benchmarking-reports-launch-free-member-exclusive-benefit

44.

Mosher

F. C.

(1982). Democracy and the public service. Oxford University Press.

45.

Navarra

(2022, April 11). The real costs of recruitment. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/real-costs-recruitment

46.

Nguyen

N. T. H.

Nguyen

Teo

Xerri

M. J.

(2024). Abusive supervision and turnover intention among public servants: The roles of psychological distress and person-organization fit. Public Management Review, 26(11), 3201–3226. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2023.2287489

47.

Novitasari

Siswanto

Purwanto

Fahmi

(2020). Authentic leadership and innovation: What is the role of psychological capital?. International Journal of Social and Management Studies, 1(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.51386/25815946/ijsms-v3i5p103

48.

Nuhn

H. F.

Wald

(2022). The development of turnover intentions in top management teams: An empirical study and research model. Management Revue, 33(2), 109–134. https://doi.org/10.5771/0935-9915-2022-2

49.

O’Brien

(2022, June 1). Clocking out for good: The great resignation’s impact on local government. PM Magazine. https://icma.org/articles/pm-magazine/clocking-out-good-great-resignations-impact-local-government

50.

O’Leary

(2019). Public service motivation: A rationalist critique. Public Personnel Management, 48(1), 82–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026018791962

51.

Pandey

S. K.

Stazyk

E. C.

(2008). Antecedents and correlates of public service motivation. In Perry

J. L.

Hondeghem

(Eds.), Motivation in public management: The call of public service (pp. 101–117). Oxford University Press.

52.

Park

T. Y.

Shaw

J. D.

(2013). Turnover rates and organizational performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2), 268–309. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030723

53.

Perry

J. L.

(1996). Measuring public service motivation: An assessment of construct reliability and validity. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 6(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024303

54.

Perry

J. L.

Wise

L. R.

(1990). The motivational bases of public service. Public Administration Review, 50(3), 367–373. https://doi.org/10.2307/976618

55.

Prysmakova

(2020). Public service motivation of public and non-profit employees: Comparative analysis of social service providers in a centralized system. International Journal of Public Administration, 44(6), 513–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2020.1729798

56.

Rainey

H. G.

(1982). Reward preferences among public and private managers: In search of the service ethic. The American Review of Public Administration, 16(4), 288–302. https://doi.org/10.1177/027507408201600402

57.

Scheuch

Peters

Lohner

M. S.

Muss

Aprea

Fürstenau

(2021). Resilience training programs in organizational contexts: A scoping review. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 733036. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.733036

58.

Seligman

M. E.

(2006). Learned optimism: How to change your mind and your life. Vintage.

59.

Snyder

C. R.

Lopez

S. J.

Edwards

L. M.

Marques

S. C.

(Eds.). (2020). The Oxford handbook of positive psychology. Oxford University Press.

60.

Sun

S. R.

(2021). Public service motivation and proactive behavioral responses to change: A three-way interaction. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 49(9), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.10337

61.

Supi

Noermijati

Irawanto

D. W.

Puspaningrum

(2023). Talent management practices and turnover intention: The role of perceived distributive justice and perceived organizational support. Cogent Business & Management, 10(3), Article 2265089. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2265089

62.

Suzuki

Hur

(2024). Politicization, bureaucratic closedness in personnel policy, and turnover intention. Governance, 37(3), 993–1014. https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12821

63.

Tran

K. T.

Nguyen

P. V.

Nguyen

T. D.

Ton

U. N. H.

(2020). The impact of organisational commitment on the relationship between motivation and turnover intention in the public sector. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 11(12), 1–25. https://www.ijicc.net/images/vol11iss12/111201_Tran_2020_E_R.pdf

64.

Tummers

L. G.

(2017). The relationship between coping and job performance. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 27(1), 150–162. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muw058

65.

Tummers

L. G.

Bekkers

Vink

Musheno

(2015). Coping during public service delivery: A conceptualization and systematic review of the literature. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 25(4), 1099–1126. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muu056

66.

Vaid

Ahearne

Honig

Krause

(2023). Customer-related executive leadership turnover and firm performance: A dilemma of firm-level human resource contingencies. Journal of Business Research, 159, Article 113759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113759

67.

Wang

Gan

K. P.

Wei

H. Y.

Sun

A. Q.

Wang

Y. C.

Zhou

X. M.

(2024). Public service motivation and public employees’ turnover intention: The role of job satisfaction and career growth opportunity. Personnel Review, 53(1), 99–118. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-11-2020-0836

68.

Wirawan

Jufri

Saman

(2020). The effect of authentic leadership and psychological capital on work engagement: The mediating role of job satisfaction. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 41(8), 1139–1154. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-10-2019-0433

69.

Youssef-Morgan

C. M.

(2024). Psychological capital and mental health: Twenty-five years of progress. Organizational Dynamics, 53(4), Article 101081. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2024.101081

70.

Zhang

(2023). Disclosing the relationship between public service motivation and job satisfaction in the Chinese public sector: A moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1073370. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1073370

71.

Zhang

Liu

(2024). Examining the double-edged nature of PSM on burnout: The mediating role of challenge stress and hindrance stress. Public Personnel Management, 53(2), 203–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/00910260231196569

72.

Zubair

S. S.

Khan

M. A.

Mukaram

A. T.

(2021). Public service motivation and organizational performance: Catalyzing effects of altruism, perceived social impact and political support. PLoS One, 16(12), Article e0260559. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260559

Beyond Public Service Motivation: The Dominant Role of Psychological Capital in Mitigating Turnover Intentions Among Local Government Senior Executives

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References