Translating Intentions to Behavior: The Interaction of Network Structure and Behavioral Intentions in Understanding Employee Turnover

Abstract

T his paper integrates psychological and sociological perspectives to provide a more complete explanation of the link between intended and actual turnover. Findings from two studies suggest that the translation of intentions to leave one's job into turnover behavior is attenuated by centrality in organizational advice and friendship networks. Our results demonstrate that psychological and network factors jointly impact employee turnover, and distinguish the effects of different types of networks (friendship, advice), ties (in-degree, out-degree), and levels (dyadic, triadic) in the turnover process. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice, and propose a two-stage model of turnover grounded in temporal construal theory that describes how psychological and structural factors variously influence the turnover decision process.

Social comparisons and organizational support: Implications for commitment and retention

“…By contrast, comparison effects may have had less impact on retention behavior because quitting on the basis of diminished self-enhancement may be too extreme of a response when one is adequately or well-supported in general. Put differently, less risky behavioral responses may be more sensitive to comparison effects than retention behavior because shifting one's performance or citizenship behaviors might "cost" the employee less than severing an employment relationship (Vardaman et al, 2015). Given that commitment was subject to comparison effects even in well-supported work-units, while retention behavior is subject to comparison effects only in poorly-supported work-units, this explanation is quite plausible.…”

Self-Limiting Deprived Choice-a Study of China's Civil Service Career

“…In the past, the research on the relationship between the psychological factors, such as personality traits, risk preference and so on, is often not considered the key environmental factors [5]. Vardaman, James M., et al (2015) from the perspective of relational network in the external environment is a breakthrough, but only focused on the organization's internal network relations, the family network has not been considered which is especially crucial in the context of the Chinese situation is, also did not take the important influence of culture into account.…”

“…Allen, Weeks, & Moffitt (2005) explained why some people turn their turnover intention into action, and some of them don't. Vardaman, James M., et al (2015) considered that the center of the advice network and the friendship network of the organization network has weakened the turnover intention to leave the transformation.In the past, the research on the relationship between the psychological factors, such as personality traits, risk preference and so on, is often not considered the key environmental factors [5]. Vardaman, James M., et al (2015) from the perspective of relational network in the external environment is a breakthrough, but only focused on the organization's internal network relations, the family network has not been considered which is especially crucial in the context of the Chinese situation is, also did not take the important influence of culture into account.…”

Why not Translate Turnover Intentions Into Behavior?

“…Want to leave but can not do, the negative effect of the individual and the organization is greater than the turnover behavior itself [1]. In view of the problem that why evidence shows that turnover intention is the best redictor of the turnover behavior [2,3] but many people who intend to resign did not act [4,5] we conducted a literature analysis. Allen, Weeks, & Moffitt (2005) explained why some people turn their turnover intention into action, and some of them don't.…”

“…Allen, Weeks, & Moffitt (2005) explained why some people turn their turnover intention into action, and some of them don't. Vardaman, James M., et al (2015) considered that the center of the advice network and the friendship network of the organization network has weakened the turnover intention to leave the transformation [5].…”