How supervisor ostracism affects employee turnover intention: the roles of employee cynicism and job embeddedness

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the direct influence of supervisor ostracism on employee turnover intention and the mediating roles of employee cynicism and job embeddedness.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys were conducted to collect data in 3 waves, and 211 samples were finally obtained. The hypothesised relationships were tested using hierarchical multiple regression analyses and ProClin bootstrapping.

Findings

The results suggested that supervisor ostracism was positively related to employee turnover intention and that employee cynicism and job embeddedness played mediating roles. The analysis further confirmed that employee cynicism and job embeddedness played serial, double-mediating roles between supervisor ostracism and employee turnover intention.

Practical implications

This study helps understand the influence of supervisor ostracism on employee turnover intention, mitigating undesirable consequences that lead to employee turnover intention.

Originality/value

This study refines the knowledge on workplace ostracism, explores the impact of supervisor ostracism on employee turnover intention from different perspectives and reveals the relationship between them. It integrated cultural factors in a Chinese context, providing a further reference for local management practices.

Citation

Cheng, C. (2024), "How supervisor ostracism affects employee turnover intention: the roles of employee cynicism and job embeddedness", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 39-51. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-05-2023-0271