The Relationship between Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation and Turnover Intentions in Pharmaceutical Companies in Bangkok, Thailand: Insights from a High Turnover Rate Context

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the average turnover rate in pharmaceutical companies in Thailand has been consistently higher than that in other industries. Therefore, this research aimed to study the relationship between motivational factors and turnover intentions in pharmaceutical companies in Bangkok. Data collected from 231 samples were analyzed by using multiple regression analysis. The results showed that all seven motivational factors, namely financial compensation, perception of organizational support, organizational commitment, remuneration growth, career goal progress, promotion speed, and professional ability development, had a significantly negative effect on the turnover intention of medical representatives in Bangkok. Particularly, remuneration growth was the most influential predictor of medical representatives' turnover intention, followed by financial compensation, organizational commitment, perception of organizational support, professional ability development, promotion speed, and career goal progress. This research, hence, contributes to self-determination theory (SDT) by confirming that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations lead to employee turnover intention. The research findings can be useful for pharmaceutical companies in Bangkok in reducing medical representatives' turnover rate, and in turn human resource management costs. Further study on additional factors, such as organizational culture and social relationships among employees, should be considered.