Flexible work arrangements and employee turnover intentions: contrasting pathways

Abstract

This study examines the associations between flexible work arrangements (FWAs) and turnover intentions by testing four perspectives with consideration of the subprocess (i.e. indirect effects) that each conveys. Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) was applied to test the direct, indirect, and total effects of flextime, telecommuting, and overall flexibility on turnover intentions (n1 = 1,505 employees, n2 = 64 work units). Support was found for the subprocesses that involved job control and work engagement. Flexibility was associated with more job control and work engagement which were in turn related to lower turnover intentions. That telecommuting was associated with higher work-to-family conflict and indirectly to higher turnover intentions raised questions about the net effects of flexibility. The discussion recasts the narratives that have guided research into the possible outcomes of work arrangements that provide flexibility.