A Multilevel Study on the Role of Team Turnover for Stayers’ Turnover Intention

Research indicates that coworkers’ negative attitudes and behaviors may spill over to other employees and result in voluntary turnover. However, less is known about how the loss of coworkers via turnover affects stayers’ attitudes and behaviors. In this study, we treat loss of team social ties resulting from coworker turnover as a resource loss in line with the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and investigate its relationship with stayers’ turnover intention. Moreover, we examine whether individual perceptions of employers’ development and rewards practices might play a buffering role and compensate for the resource loss resulting from coworker turnover. Results of a multilevel analysis conducted using data from 267 employees nested within 57 teams indicate that the loss of team social ties resulting from turnover related positively to stayers’ turnover intention. Moreover, perceptions of strong development and rewards practices buffer this relationship in such a way that it is weaker for employees ...