Moderating effect of the locus of control on the process of turnover intentions for high-tech personnel

This study examines the role of locus of control as a moderator on the process of turnover intentions. A theoretical model was proposed. In the model, the antecedents are job satisfaction and need for achievement, the outcome variable is turnover intentions, and the mediating constructs include work role centrality (WRC) and organizational commitment. The causal chain specifies the relationships between job satisfaction and turnover intentions, job satisfaction and organizational commitment, job satisfaction and WRC, need for achievement and WRC, WRC and organizational commitment, and organizational commitment and turnover intentions. The causal relationships are moderated by locus of control. The moderating effects were simultaneously examined using data of Taiwanese high-tech personnel. It has been confirmed that the influences of job satisfaction on turnover intentions, organizational commitment, and WRC are all stronger for internals than externals, the influence of organizational commitment on turnover intentions is also stronger for internals than externals, and the influence of need for achievement on WRC is stronger for externals than internals. Finally, the implications of the above findings are discussed.