Self‐monitoring and turnover: The impact of personality on intent to leave

Abstract

AbstractEmployee turnover is a topic of considerable interest within most organizations. Despite years of research, the antecedents of turnover remain elusive. Traditionally, studies have focused on job satisfaction and organizational commitment as the primary precursors of voluntary (as distinguished from involuntary) turnover. Increasingly, however, researchers have suggested investigating possible personality variables that may help explain even more variance in turnover. The social psychological construct of self‐monitoring was found to be such a variable. After the traditional predictors of satisfaction and commitment had been entered, self‐monitoring accounted for previously unexplained variance in turnover intentions. Furthermore, the pattern of relationships among the variables of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions differed for high and low self‐monitors. Specifically, commitment was a better indicator of intent to leave among low self‐monitors but job satisfaction showed a stronger relationship among high self‐monitors. Implications for the organization and suggestions for further research are discussed.