Motivation, Burnout, and Resignation: A Longitudinal Study of Law Enforcement Officers

This study examines whether frontline public sector workers with higher public service motivation (PSM) are less likely to resign during challenging periods than their lower-PSM counterparts. We link data from two separate surveys fielded in 2019 to resignation records of sworn officers from a state-level law enforcement agency over the subsequent three years. Multilevel Probit regression analyses indicate a significant negative association between PSM and resignation and a positive association between burnout and resignation. Specifically, a one–standard-deviation increase in PSM score is associated with a 2.8-percentage-point lower probability of resignation, whereas a one–standard-deviation increase in burnout score corresponds to a 3.5-percentage-point higher probability of resignation. We also find evidence suggesting PSM diminishes the adverse effects of elevated burnout on resignation. These findings suggest that PSM can help sustain law enforcement officers in their roles during challenging periods by dampening burnout-related resignation pressures. We conclude with implications for PSM theory and for managing officer well-being and retention.