Offering security or incentives
The relationship among sector type, organizational support, and turnover intentions of social workers in China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10895179 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Fangdu Zhao (East China University of Science and Technology), Yaqin Cao (0000-0002-4467-1290, East China University of Science and Technology), Huimin Zhang (0000-0001-5692-346X, Central University of Finance and Economics, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 1275-1295 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0045-3102 • E-ISSN: 1468-263X |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjsw/bcae192 |
| OpenAlex | W4405765914 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 53 |
High turnover rates are a global issue, prompting discussions on stabilizing social work employment, especially in China, where the Ministry of Social Work is being established. This study examined the relationship between the support received by social workers and their intention to leave under these two modes of employment, public-sector employment and third-sector employment. The research sample consisted of 6,776 social workers from the 2019 China Longitudinal Study of Social Work. Multiple regression techniques and mediation analysis were used to analyse the data. Our findings indicate that agency social workers employed in the public sector had lower turnover intentions, whereas those employed in the third sector were less stable. Social workers employed in the public sector might receive more support from social networks and social security benefits, which reduces turnover intentions under the influence of social reputation and career stability. In contrast, social workers employed in the public sector possess lower work incentives and autonomy, and their lack of collective psychological ownership could increase turnover intentions. Future development of the social work workforce should focus on combining stable employment with incentive reforms, such as strengthening autonomy, to optimize the career development environment for social workers while promoting stability
Agency (philosophy) · Autonomy · Business · Demographic economics · Economic growth · Economics · Incentive · Political science · Public relations · Public sector · Social security · Sociology · Workforce · Employment and Welfare Studies · Social Work Education and Practice · Work-Family Balance Challenges · Social Work
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Not Rocket Science
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Development and validation of the collective psychological ownership scale in organizational contexts
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Professional identity and turnover intentions of social workers in Beijing, China
Notes on the Concept of Commitment
The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research
City Managers, Career Incentives, and Municipal Service Decisions
The Ties that Bind
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Face and Favor
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |