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

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.