The Impact of Organizational Commitment and Work Motivation on Retention Intention: Evidence from Long-Term Care Institution Caregivers Based on Expectancy Theory

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: With the increase in the aging population and disabilities, long-term care facilities in Taiwan are experiencing workforce shortages that threaten sustainability. This study uses expectancy theory to examine the influence of organizational commitment and work motivation on retention intention, with work values as mediators of the relationships and work engagement as a moderator. <b>Methods</b>: Data were collected from 532 care attendants using purposive sampling. After excluding invalid responses, structural equation modeling analysis was conducted on 501 responses. <b>Results</b>: The results revealed that organizational commitment and work motivation do not directly predict retention intention but have positive indirect effects on retention intention through intrinsic and extrinsic work values, with extrinsic work values exerting more substantial indirect effects. The results also showed that work engagement positively and significantly strengthened the relationships between the antecedents to work values. <b>Conclusions</b>: This suggests that retention is more impacted by positively recognizing work values or caring for residents than by commitment and motivation. Theoretically, this study extends expectancy theory to long-term human resource management in care facilities. Practically, this reveals a need for high-performance work systems shaped by reward systems to improve engagement, stabilize the workforce, and decrease turnover.