The planned behavior theory as a determinant of turnover intention among physicians of public hospitals in Morocco: A structural equation modelling approach

Abstract

The phenomenon of physician turnover constitutes a persistent and multifactorial issue that continues to attract the attention of policymakers and researchers worldwide. Although numerous studies have highlighted its organizational, personal, and contextual factors, the psychosocial determinants of departure behavior remain relatively underexplored, particularly in the Moroccan public hospital sector, which faces the challenge of losing medical expertise. In this regard, this research draws on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine the psychosocial antecedents of turnover intention among physicians working in Moroccan public hospitals, relying on a quantitative study conducted on a convenience sample of 398 physicians through a self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4 software. The results confirm the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior in predicting turnover intention within the Moroccan public hospital context and reveal that attitude toward departure behavior is the main determinant of this intention, followed by perceived behavioral control and subjective norms. Despite its theoretical and methodological limitations, the findings of this study provide a psychosocial perspective that contributes to a better understanding of the determinants of voluntary turnover and suggest avenues for reflection that may contribute to strengthening physician retention practices in Moroccan public hospitals.

Classification JEL: O15

Paper type: Empirical Research