Work context and turnover intention in social enterprises: the mediating role of meaning of work

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of meaning of work as a linking mechanism between the perception of work context and turnover intention within the rarely studied context of social enterprises. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on meaning of work theories, an integrated research model was developed. Data were collected using questionnaires from 315 full-time employees at 114 social enterprises in Korea. Mediated and moderated structural equation models were used to assess the hypotheses. Findings Social mission was fully mediated by meaning of work to predict low turnover intention, and shared vision was partially mediated to predict the same. The authors also found that the positive relationship between social mission and meaning of work was stronger when shared vision was higher. Originality/value This study extends previous literature on managerial psychology (i.e. meaning of work and turnover) in the context of a new but increasingly prevalent organizational form, social enterprises. It also provides practical advice for managers seeking to retain employees and encourage the sustainability of the social enterprise sector.

The association between supervisor support and ethical dilemmas on Nurses' intention to leave: The mediating role of the meaning of work

“…This therefore supports H5. Meaning of work has previously been negatively associated with turnover intention (Arnoux-Nicolas et al, 2016;Clausen et al, 2010;Sun, Lee, & Sohn, 2019). A meta-analysis by Humphrey, Nahrgang, and Morgeson (2007) showed the experience of meaningfulness to be the most significant psychological feature of work in preventing undesirable work outcomes.…”

Diasporan students social entrepreneurship intention: The moderating role of institutional support

“…Significantly, social enterprises have been variously conceptualized. In the views of Sun, Lee, and Sohn (2019), social enterprises are referred to as organizations which marshal and deploy business principles to tackle social problems. Social enterprises undertake this activity through well‐tailored innovative strategies.…”

The Influence of Dual Missions on Employees’ Meaning of Work and Turnover Intention in Social Enterprises

“…The pressure of pursuing both social and economic missions can hinder employees from finding their work meaningful. An organizational mission presents the standard for employees' behavior and decision making [72] and influences the meaning of work in previous studies [40]. Strong but conflicting missions, therefore, present multiple standards for aligning activities toward the mission.…”

“…However, only a limited number of studies have paid attention to the combined effect of organizational and individual factors on turnover intention. Besides the fact that a highly emphasized social mission attracts more prosocial individuals [37][38][39], not much is known about how an organization's prosocial values are related to the actual job behaviors [40].…”

“…Turnover scholars have called for the need to clarify the conditional factors that make certain antecedents more or less powerful to predict withdrawals [88]. In the previous study by Sun and colleagues, the effect of the social mission on turnover intention via the meaning of work was positively moderated to the extent of a clear perception of the organizational vision [40]. In other words, the meaning of work translated the social mission into a lower turnover intention well when the vision was communicated well.…”