Explaining municipal civil servants’ voluntary turnover intentions: Where and why do civil servant go in times of austerity?

Abstract

This study reports Dutch local government civil servants’ intention to voluntarily leave their current position for various post-exit destinations in times of austerity. It is concluded that local government civil servants’ intention to leave to public sector destinations is determined by their superiors’ quality of leadership (with job satisfaction fully mediating this relation), perceived job security and work-life balance issues (with job satisfaction mediating these relations). For private sector destinations, leadership quality (mediated by job satisfaction) explains intention to leave.