Transformational leadership and employee turnover intention: The mediating role of affective commitment, Michael Gyensare, Dr. Olivia Anku-Tsede, Dr. Mohammed-Aminu Sanda and Prof. Christopher Okpoti
Michael Asiedu Gyensare
Department of Business Education
University of Education, Winneba
Ghana
Email: magyensare@uew.edu.gh
Dr. Olivia Anku-Tsede
Department of Organisation & Human Resource Management
University of Ghana Business School, Legon
Ghana
Dr. Mohammed-Aminu Sanda
Department of Organisation & Human Resource Management
University of Ghana Business School, Legon
Ghana
Prof. Christopher Adjei Okpoti
Department of Mathematics Education
University of Education, Winneba
Ghana
DOI: 10.1108/WJEMSD-02-2016-0008
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of transformational leadership on employee turnover intention through the mediating role of affective commitment.
Design/methodology/approach: The study examines conceptual relationships in the Ghanaian context, based on structural equation modelling with maximum likelihood estimation, using sample employees from the private sector organizations. In addition, the mediation analysis is conducted with Sobel’s test and 95 per cent CI bootstrap analysis.
Findings: The study shows that affective commitment would decline workers’ quitting intention and serves to promote a degree of trust and willingness to follow their leaders’ philosophy, ideology, vision and guidance in the organization. Hence, affective commitment fully mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and employee turnover intention.
Practical implications: To help lessen employees quitting intentions, both middle and top-level managers should endeavour to create an atmosphere of trust, admiration, loyalty and respect for their employees.
Originality/value: Overall it is shown that affective commitment was the mechanism through which transformational leadership influences employees’ turnover intentions in the SLCs in Ghana.
Keywords: Transformational leadership; SEM; Ghana; Affective commitment; Turnover intention; Savings and loans companies.
Citation: Gyensare, M.A., Anku-Tsede, O., Sanda, M.-A. and Okpoti, C.A. (2016), "Transformational leadership and employee turnover intention: The mediating role of affective commitment", World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 243-266. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-02-2016-0008
