Multilevel Model of Factors Influencing Employee Turnover Intention: Professional and Technical Staff in China as an Exemplar

Although a great deal of employee turnover models have been well established, previous study on employee turnover has focused on either organization- or individual-level analysis; no framework exists for simultaneously examining individual variables and organizational characteristics. In an effort to fill this theoretical gap, the present investigation proposed a multilevel model which integrated factors at both individual- and organization-level, and then distinguished their different influencing mechanisms on employee turnover intention. Applying structural equation modeling (SEM) and hierarchical linear models (HLM) techniques, empirical examination was conducted. The results based on 959 employees´ responses from 26 organizations in four industries, indicated that individual-level determinants were significantly associated with employee turnover intention mediated by job satisfaction and organizational commitment; in addition, organizational culture and climate as two organization-level factors moderated the relationship between individual-level variables and influenced employee turnover intention through the individual-level mediators. Finally, the implications for organizational research and managerial practice were discussed.