Little research explores factors that shape retention among police officers. This article reports on our work of testing how well the idea of intrinsic variables being related to job satisfaction and extrinsic variables being associated with dissatisfaction at work (Herzberg et al., 1959) holds in understanding workplace issues today. We explore how police officers express the positive and challenging aspects of their job. Responses from interviews with sworn officers have generally support Herzberg's proposition. We find four theme units related to intrinsic variables have emerged around the positive aspects of police work with impact on retention: helping others, seeing the work as interesting and challenging, having a degree of control in the work environment, as well as the team organisation of police work.
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