Commitment is not Enough: How and When Occupational Commitment Influence Employees’ Organizational Turnover Intention

TY - JOUR

T1 - Commitment is not Enough

T2 - How and When Occupational Commitment Influence Employees’ Organizational Turnover Intention

AU - Zhu, Fei

AU - Guo, Hongsong

AU - Xu, Ying

AU - Hu, Han-Lin (Alex)

AU - Guan, Yanjun

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited

PY - 2025/9/24

Y1 - 2025/9/24

N2 - Purpose This study investigates why employees with high occupational commitment are generally reluctant to leave their organization and, crucially, when this pattern might deviate. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical model is validated through a time-lagged survey (Study 1) and a scenario experiment (Study 2). Findings Occupational commitment was negatively related to organizational turnover intention through occupation-oriented job crafting under specific (Study 1) and general conditions (Study 2). Faultlines led to the attenuation (Study 2) or reversal (Study 1) of the mediation effect. Servant leadership neutralized the moderation impact of faultlines. Originality/value This research reveals the nuanced relationship between occupational commitment and turnover intention and, more importantly, pinpoints the conditions under which this relationship reverses.

AB - Purpose This study investigates why employees with high occupational commitment are generally reluctant to leave their organization and, crucially, when this pattern might deviate. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical model is validated through a time-lagged survey (Study 1) and a scenario experiment (Study 2). Findings Occupational commitment was negatively related to organizational turnover intention through occupation-oriented job crafting under specific (Study 1) and general conditions (Study 2). Faultlines led to the attenuation (Study 2) or reversal (Study 1) of the mediation effect. Servant leadership neutralized the moderation impact of faultlines. Originality/value This research reveals the nuanced relationship between occupational commitment and turnover intention and, more importantly, pinpoints the conditions under which this relationship reverses.

KW - Occupational commitment

KW - Job crafting

KW - Faultlines

KW - Servant leadership

KW - Organizational turnover intention

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105017164901

U2 - 10.1108/JMP-06-2024-0424

DO - 10.1108/JMP-06-2024-0424

M3 - Article

SN - 0268-3946

VL - 40

SP - 1091

EP - 1105

JO - Journal of Managerial Psychology

JF - Journal of Managerial Psychology

IS - 8

ER -