Too good to give up? How individuals’ team and contextual experiences shape their turnover intentions.

Abstract

Most employees engage in teamwork to some degree, yet limited research has explored how the team experience shapes individuals’ intentions to turnover, a phenomenon that can create critical issues for organizations. Additionally, teamwork often occurs virtually, sometimes specifically as a strategy for reducing turnover, yet virtual communication can hinder team functioning and make employees feel disconnected from their organizations. Using a time-lagged survey study, we found transformational leadership in the team setting plays a key role in motivating individuals to remain with their organizations, specifically through its positive association with team identification and perceived task cohesion. Further, it was particularly important for fostering team identification, and to some extent, perceived social cohesion, when team members communicated through more virtual, or less socially rich approaches.

How group characteristics determine the relationship between perceived group cohesion and collective action intentions.

“…Prior research shows that specific group characteristics are associated with the development of group cohesion (see Table 1). However, often these studies do not distinguish between social and task cohesion (e.g., Croy & Eva, 2018) and measure other outcome variables that are distinct from collective action intentions (e.g., performance, Brahm & Kunze, 2012; intention to leave a group, Grossman & Mazer, 2021). In this article, we argue that different group characteristics may lend themselves more to fostering either the social or task dimension of cohesion, and that any action intentions that are mobilized by members of those groups will be linked to those specific dimensions of cohesion.…”

“…Jung and Sosik (2002) Grossman and Mazer (2021) Clear roles and responsibilities When members know and understand the role they and others play in the group, there is higher group cohesion and group commitment. Frequency and consistency of interaction Allows for the characteristics above (challenges of group size, strength of leadership, communication of roles and aims) to promote group cohesion.…”