Decent Work and Turnover Intention Among New Generation Employees: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction and the Moderating Role of Job Autonomy

Abstract

New generation employees have become a major force in the workplace, and their high turnover rate is a major issue in academia and business. Drawing from the psychology of working theory and the job characteristics model, this study aims to explore the influence of decent work on new generation employees’ turnover intention and the roles of job satisfaction and job autonomy in this relationship. After collecting a sample of 391 new generation employees in China through online questionnaires, we utilized SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0 to analyze the data. The results show that decent work has a negative impact on turnover intention and job satisfaction plays a mediating role in the relationship between decent work and turnover intention. Moreover, job autonomy is found to positively moderate the relationship between decent work and job satisfaction, and also moderate the indirect effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between decent work and turnover intention. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and limitations and future directions are highlighted.

Decent Work and Turnover Intentions Among Chinese Millennials: A Longitudinal Study

“…Second, general well-being was also found to negatively predict turnover intentions and acted as a significant mediator linking decent work and turnover intentions. Previous studies on the mediator linking work-related variables and turnover intentions have been limited to variables like job embeddedness (Hassan et al, 2021) and job satisfaction (Wan & Duffy, 2022). However, well-being, integrating life, work and psychological elements, is in a better position to explain how decent work is related to millennial employees’ turnover intentions than just job-related variables.…”

“…To explore this question, scholars have attempted to analyze the predictors of millennials' turnover intentions and they have found that one of the most consistent factors is related to the work itself (Hassan et al, 2021). A recent empirical research by Wan and Duffy (2022) showed that if millennial employees cannot access to decent work, they are quite likely to feel unsatisfied with their job and report a high likelihood of leaving their current organization. Psychology of working theory (PWT), an emerging theory within the field of vocational psychology, is a useful framework to draw from in considering why these two variables may be linked.…”

Decent Work and Workplace Deviance Among Chinese Physicians: A Relative Deprivation Perspective

“…Most previous research emphasizes that decent work achieves physical and mental health and well-being through need satisfaction from the perspective of vocational psychology. 6,11,58 Only a small number of studies have investigated the relationship between decent work and workplace outcomes, specifically in terms of employee performance, 7 innovative work behavior, 12 turnover intention, 17 and proactive behaviors. 13 Previous studies have not theoretically or empirically tested the potential negative impact of decent work on workplace deviance, nor have they considered the potential role of relative deprivation in the relationship between them.…”

“…11,16 Therefore, it is crucial to examine the negative aspects of decent work to gain a more comprehensive understanding of its impact on employees in various work settings. 17 Burnout and work fatigue represent the loss of a healthy working state, while workplace deviance is a violation that further harms the organization 3 rather than an internal mental friction. Currently, there is a lack of literature examining the potential impact of decent work on workplace deviance.…”

Outcomes of Decent Work Among Blue-Collar Workers in South Africa: The Role of Job Satisfaction

“…In light of the background mentioned above, our research was primarily motivated by the lack of empirical studies testing the hypothesized relationships of the PWT among its intended target sample (i.e., working class) and the shortage of decent work studies stemming from non-western countries such as South Africa. Furthermore, the study builds on the recent work of Wan and Duffy (2022a), as their findings have opened the door for future studies to explore outcomes of decent work and the role of job satisfaction within the PWT more closely. The aim of our study was two-folded: 1) to provide empirical evidence for the hypothesized PWT relationships among blue-collar workers within a non-Western context such as South Africa, and 2) to expand our knowledge on the outcome portion of the PWT by incorporating subjective career success and exploring the mediating role of job satisfaction in this regard.…”