Unravelling Paradoxical Effects of Leader-Rated Performance on Follower Turnover Intention: A Regulatory Focus Perspective

Herbert Kin Shing Leung
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Herbert Kin Shing Leung: Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

International Journal of Business and Administrative Studies, 2020, vol. 6, issue 1, 51-64

Abstract: To leaders in the workplace, followers with superior performance have more potential to be retained and developed than those who perform less well. To the followers, however, performing better may not correspond with a stronger intention to stay. Indeed, evidence relating leader-rated performance to follower turnover intention has not been consistent. Concluding a meta-analysis of sixty-five studies on the relationship, Zimmerman and Darnold (2009) have called for more efforts to understand such inconsistencies. As of yet, more clarity is needed. To contribute, I address the question by applying the regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997, 1998) which distinguishes individuals as leaning to- ward either a promotion focus (i.e., advancement-seeking orientation) or a prevention focus (i.e., stability-safeguarding orientation). Guided by the theory, I surmise that leader-rated performance may inspire a follower’s promotion focus to seek better jobs or prevention focus to secure the present job, thus fostering or curbing a follower’s turnover intention. Insofar as these opposite effects offset each other, the impact of leader-rated performance on follower turnover intention may remain paradoxical unless it is understood in the light of followers’ regulatory focus as an explanatory mechanism. Hence, I hypothesize that leader-rated performance is positively related to a follower’s promotion focus or prevention focus, which in turn will impact a follower’s turnover intention positively or negatively. If so, the direct effect of leader-rated performance on follower turnover intention will be insignificant and fully mediated by the pair of regulatory focus. With data collected from 133 supervisor-subordinate dyads in a mix of companies in Hong Kong, the hypotheses were supported. Contribution to literature as well as implications for managers and researchers are discussed.

Keywords: Regulatory focus; leader-rated performance; follower turnover intention development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:apa:ijbaas:2020:p:51-64

DOI: 10.20469/ijbas.6.10005-1

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