The contrary effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations on burnout and turnover intention in the public sector

Purpose Based on motivation theories, such as self-determination theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether intrinsic and extrinsic motivations significantly influence burnout and turnover intention in the public sector. Furthermore, the authors assessed the mediating effect of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and public service motivation (PSM) on the relationship between intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and burnout/turnover intention. Design/methodology/approach Based on a survey of 203 public employees from local governments in South Korea, this study conducted ordinary least squares regression analysis to investigate the relationships among intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, OCB, PSM, and burnout/turnover intention. Findings The authors found that intrinsic motivation had a significantly negative effect on both burnout and turnover intention. Extrinsic motivation had a significantly positive effect only on burnout. Lastly, OCB and PSM had a mediating effect on the relationships between intrinsic motivation and burnout. Originality/value These results provide some insights into the effects of job motivation on burnout and turnover intention in the public sector. Particularly, this research highlights the importance of intrinsic motivation, OCB, and PSM in decreasing burnout and the importance of intrinsic motivation in decreasing turnover intention of public employees.