The Formation Mechanism of Employees’ Turnover Intention in AEC Industry

Abstract

Talent attrition significantly undermines the stable functioning and long-term development of firms in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Turnover intention is an effective predictor of turnover behavior. Understanding the formation mechanism of turnover intention can help companies maintain the stability of their workforce. However, most of the existing research focuses on the impact of individual factors on turnover intention, lacking an in-depth exploration of the combined effects of multiple factors. This study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms of employee turnover intention by considering the interplay of various factors. Through an extensive literature review, thirteen hypotheses related to turnover intention are proposed, and a comprehensive theoretical model is developed. Using questionnaire data collected from the AEC industry, the turnover intention model is validated through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The validated model shows that turnover intention is directly influenced by working hours (β = 0.127), family-supportive leadership behavior (β = −0.211), and work values (β = 0.356). Meanwhile, turnover intention is indirectly affected by job autonomy (β = −0.089), job demands (β = 0.055) and working hours (β = 0.023), with work interference with family as the mediator, and indirectly affected by family stress (β = 0.037), with work–family interference with work as the mediator. It is worth noting that the impact of family-supportive leadership behavior and job autonomy on turnover intention is negative. This study not only enriches the body knowledge of turnover intention, particularly within the AEC industry, but also provides practical implications for organizations to keep the stability of human resource.