Job embeddedness and voluntary turnover in the face of job insecurity

Two important contributions to the understanding of voluntary turnover are the ideas that employees become embedded in a net or web of restraining forces on- and off-the-job and that they experience varying degrees of control and desire that yield proximal withdrawal states explaining turnover motivations. We build on these ideas in two multi-wave studies to study job insecurity, one of the most common work stressors and top concerns among employees around the world. Study 1 demonstrates that job search mediates the positive relationship between job insecurity and voluntary turnover, and that employees higher in on-the-job embeddedness are less likely to search for jobs despite job insecurity. Study 2 demonstrates that turnover intention mediates the positive relationship between job insecurity and voluntary turnover, and that employees higher in on-the-job embeddedness are less likely to contemplate quitting despite job insecurity. However, off-the-job embeddedness had opposite interactive effects, exacerbating the relationship of job insecurity with turnover.

Automated summary

This article discusses two important factors influencing voluntary turnover: the impact of restraining forces and the relationship between control, desire, and turnover motivation. Two multi-wave studies were conducted to explore job insecurity, a common work stressor and concern among employees worldwide. Study 1 found that job search mediated the positive relationship between job insecurity and voluntary turnover, and employees with higher on-the-job embeddedness were less likely to search for jobs despite job insecurity. Study 2 revealed that turnover intention mediated the positive relationship between job insecurity and voluntary turnover, and employees with higher on-the-job embeddedness were less likely to contemplate quitting despite job insecurity. However, off-the-job embeddedness had opposite effects, exacerbating the relationship between job insecurity and turnover.