Public Service Motivation and Turnover Intention: The Moderating Role of Perceived Social Support among Philippine Government Employees

• Main Authors: Lasanas, Mary Therese C., Balverde, Nicole Rey S., Ellezo, Carlo Joeliandro B., Mantilla, Azielu P., Manaois, Jason O.
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2023
• Subjects: ERG theory; government employees; perceived social support; public service motivation; turnover intention
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/socialtransformations/vol11/iss1/3; https://archium.ateneo.edu/context/socialtransformations/article/1168/viewcontent/3_20STJGS_2011.1_20Article_Lasanas_20et_20al.pdf
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

The Philippine workplace culture presents unique challenges leading to differences in the experiences among government employees. Owing to this, the researchers sought to address the recent phenomenon of Filipino public servants in their working conditions. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of relationships between public service motivation and turnover intention and test perceived social support as a moderator of their relationship. Alderfer’s existence, relatedness, and growth theory (E.R.G. theory) served as the research framework to contextualize the said variables. Online questionnaires were used to collect data from 211 government employees from various organizations in the Philippines. Results found that perceived social support moderated the relationship between public service motivation and turnover intention (β = -.0851, p < .05). Findings of this study have practical and social implications for the management and retention of government personnel in the Philippines. Its contribution to behavioral science lies in recognizing the role of perceived social support as a moderating factor emphasizing the significance of establishing a supportive work environment to mitigate turnover intentions, allowing these employees to thrive in their respective institutions. The present study may be used for future related studies and as a reference in creating programs to mitigate intentional turnover.