Thrive or survive?: A critical evaluation of the moderated mediating effects of job resources on employee psychological well-being leading to the intention to quit

Abstract

According to the Department of Labor, employees are leaving their organizations at higher-than-expected rates. This departure is being called “The Great Resignation.” These departures are causing significant impacts on organizations. Could the effects or job demands – strain produced because of work –significantly impact employee psychological well-being, which leads to the employee resignation? Existing job demand-and-control models narrowly explain how job demands impact psychological well-being. Using an internet survey method, this study explores the role of job demands influence on burnout, negative affect, job dissatisfaction, and the intention to quit. Understanding that job demands are high is irrelevant if employees lack resources to mitigate these demands. By extending the Job Demand-Resource Model, this study performs a moderated mediation model exploring the impact of job demands on turnover intentions through psychological well-being. Job resources – systems designed to improve work's social, psychological, and physical effects – are tested for interaction effects. Utilizing a constructed survey, this study tests thirteen hypotheses and examines how employee resources moderates-mediate the effect of job demands on burnout leading to intention to quit. Job resources are statistically significant in moderating-mediating the effects of high job demands on burnout and the subsequent intention to quit.