Chapter 2: Explaining the Link Between Turnover Intentions and Turnover: The Roles of Risk, Personality, and Intentions-Behavior Linkages

Attitudes typically only explain around 5% of turnover variance, while intentions to quit rarely exceed 10–15% (Griffeth et al., 2000; Hom & Griffeth, 1995), and the relationship between intentions to quit and turnover varies widely (Vandenberg & Barnes-Nelson, 1999). The purpose of this chapter is to explore possible mechanisms explaining why individuals do or do not follow through on expressed desire and even intentions to leave the organization, and offer directions for future research. I focus on three areas of research that can inform our understanding of why individuals who have decided they want to quit sometimes do and sometimes do not. One is a consideration of the risks involved in quitting a job. Turnover decisions inherently involve elements of risk and uncertainty, and there is an extensive literature on risky decision making that could be applied to turnover. Two is a consideration of personality as it affects the relationship between turnover intentions and turnover. Although personality variables have in some cases been related to turnover, only limited research has investigated personality as a potential moderator of the intentions-turnover relationship. Three is a consideration of research on how attitudes and intentions are translated into behavior in terms of behavioral control and consistency, and emotional arousal.