ASSESSING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORK MOTIVATION AND JOB SATISFACTION ON TURNOVER INTENTION OF LAWYERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN THE MALDIVES

Abstract

It has become a challenge for employers to retain their employees for a longer period. This perspective emphasizes the significance of the study of motivation, job satisfaction and its relationship to employee turnover intention. While employee turnover and turnover intention are extensively studied in organizational research, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on lawyers. The scarcity of academic literature and research within the legal profession (Attorney General’s Office, 2019) highlights the need for further research on this issue among lawyers. Therefore, this study analyzes how work motivation influences lawyers' job satisfaction and turnover intention.

The study employed a quantitative design with a cross-sectional data collection approach, gathering information from 218 public-sector lawyers in the Maldives. The findings from this study indicate a positive association between work motivation and job satisfaction. The findings also revealed that work motivation positively impacts the job satisfaction of lawyers in the public sector in the Maldives, subsequently influencing their turnover intention. The findings provide significant implications for organizations in improving the human resource management functions of the organizations where lawyers work.

Keywords: Lawyers, Turnover Intention, Work Motivation, Job Satisfaction