Professional Identity and Turnover Intention amongst Chinese Social Workers: Roles of Job Burnout and a Social Work Degree

Abstract The turnover rate of social workers is extremely high and the predictive roles of professional identity and job burnout on turnover intention have not been explored in China. The study examined the relationship between professional identity and turnover intention, mediated by job burnout and moderated by a social work degree, amongst social workers in China. Based on a sample of 829 participants and the structural equation model method, the findings confirmed that professional identity per se was not related to turnover intention, and a mediating role of job burnout and a moderating role of a social work degree were identified.