Defining who you are not: The roles of moral dirtiness and occupational and organizational disidentification in affecting casino employee turnover intention

Abstract

Based on social identity and cognitive dissonance theories, this study examines the roles that occupational and organizational disidentification play in the relationship between perceived moral dirtiness and intention to quit in a sample of 152 casino dealers. The results indicate that the more casino dealers perceive their work to be morally dirty, the higher their levels of occupational and organizational disidentification. Analyses further show that both types of disidentification are positively related to turnover intention. Moreover, occupational status weakens the relationship between occupational disidentification and intention to quit, whereas perceived organizational support alleviates the negative impact that organizational disidentification has on intention to quit. This paper concludes with implications of these findings and directions for future research.