Learning or Leaving? Individual and Environmental Factors Related to Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention

Abstract

In addition to well-being, workplace learning has gained increasing interest in supporting employee and organizational development and success. Focusing on specific factors affecting workplace learning and well-being, this study examines the links between individual factors (basic psychological need satisfaction) and environmental factors (expansiveness of the workplace as a learning environment), job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Survey data were collected from the employees (N = 153) of two Finnish engineering companies from 2018 to 2019. The data were analyzed with correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (observed and latent variable path analysis). Results show that a more expansive workplace learning environment is associated with higher satisfaction of basic psychological needs. High levels of autonomy and competence need satisfaction, versatile work, promotion of learning, and acknowledgment of skills are positively associated with job satisfaction. Higher levels of autonomy and non-routine work tasks are associated with lower turnover intention. The results indicate that turnover intention is not necessarily associated with only negative conditions or perceptions, as high levels of competence and participation and understanding of the workplace are positively associated with turnover intention. The findings provide information about workplace factors that are relevant to improving employees’ workplace learning and well-being. The results also highlight the ambiguous nature of turnover intention.

role of job satisfaction in mediation the effect of self-efficacy and job insecurity on turnover intention

“…This means that the lower the job satisfaction felt by employees, the higher the employee's intention to leave the company (turnover intention). These results are in line with several previous studies (Machado et al, 2018;Park & Min, 2020;Wang et al, 2020;Puhakka et al, 2021). Job dissatisfaction experienced by individuals causes many negative effects that will occur on individuals, such as reduced willingness to work, poor work performance, delays, and increased desire to leave the company (Chen & Wang, 2019).…”

Trainers’ learning conditions, informal and formal learning and barriers to learning

“…The trainers and training managers highlighted the importance of both formal and informal learning as the most effective tools for staying at the cutting edge of lifelong learning. Puhakka et al (2021) and Cerasoli et al (2018) indicate the wide variety in formal and especially informal learning activities in the workplace; the workplace itself (Segers et al , 2021) is also a complex site for learning. Accordingly, within the workplace the interviewees described individual and socially shared informal learning activities: for instance, talking with colleagues, asking for feedback or conversating intentionally or spontaneously.…”

“…These learning conditions are usually divided into facilitating and inhabiting factors that relate to the work environment, resources and interpersonal structure at work. These can be summarized as contextual factors (Puhakka et al , 2021). Skule (2004) identifies three major components of the conditions relevant to learning in the workplace.…”

“…This should be a worthy research focus, as no learning leads to the inability to work properly, achieve self-development or reach goals, may they be for the company or oneself. Not knowing the barriers to learning on individual, team and organizational levels within a workplace affects workflow, interrupt learning activities and prevent or complicate professional development (Puhakka et al , 2021). Referring to the current literature, the concept of barriers to learning is indeed wide-ranging and heterogenous.…”

Investigating factors predicting employees' turnover intention: An empirical study on islamic banking industry

“…Previous research on the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention has been described by several previous studies. For example, Khan & Aleem (2014); Puhakka et al, (2021) revealed that job satisfaction has a significant effect on employee turnover intention. This finding is also supported by Alam & Asim (2019) explains that high job satisfaction can reduce the level of employee desire to leave their job.…”