This paper reviews research and theory on the important topic of labour turnover resulting from issues related to job performance and/or job satisfaction which have, in turn, been initiated by changes in work motivation. We focus on labour turnover in the public sector—a neglected area of public administration research—and propose an explanatory model of the development of the intention to leave an organization. The model first describes the relationships between work motivation and job performance and/or job satisfaction. It then explains how changes in performance and/or satisfaction result in the formation of an intention to leave public service employment. The paper concludes by identifying key areas for future research.