The Influence of Servant Leadership on Employee Turnover Intention: Employees Want to Be Heard

Abstract

Employee turnover is expensive. This qualitative single-case study examined the effectiveness of the servant leadership characteristic of listening concerning employee turnover intention in the manufacturing industry. The study sampled seventy randomly selected employees from a cross section of a manufacturing plant from each generation using a structured five-point Likert scale questionnaire. Findings suggest the servant leadership characteristic of listening is critical to reducing employee turnover intention in millennials in this industry. Employees wanted to be listened to, cared about, and for leaders to consider their opinions. Servant leaders practice listening, inclusion in decision-making, and development of employees.