All around the world, public organizations have faced strong pressures to improve performance and generally "do more with less," particularly following the global slowdown of 2008. This article examines the effects of organizational emphasis on efficiency in local government using data from a large survey of civil servants in South Korea. Findings from a fixed effects analysis indicate that higher levels of efficiency emphasis are related to stronger employee turnover intention. However, a number of moderating factors are also uncovered, suggesting that individual levels of public service motivation as well as perceived procedural justice and innovation climate can influence this relationship, lessening the impact of efficiency emphasis on turnover intention. These individual and organizational level factors may thus act as a buffer for increased performance demands. A number of implications for public management are discussed.