Career Choice Motivation and Job Satisfaction Among Chinese Geriatric Social Workers: The Serial Mediation Model of Job Autonomy and Collective Psychological Ownership.

Using data from the China Social Work Longitudinal Study (N = 2,254), this study examined associations between career choice motivation and job satisfaction among Chinese geriatric social workers. Internal motivation was positively associated with job satisfaction, whereas external motivation was negatively associated with it. Job autonomy and collective psychological ownership independently mediated these associations and also formed a serial mediation pathway. These findings extend understanding of geriatric social workers' job satisfaction in a non-Western context and suggest that care organizations can support workforce stability through value-oriented recruitment, professional autonomy, and the cultivation of collective psychological ownership. .