A cross-sectional study exploring associations between psychological safety, employee turnover intention and feedback skills in veterinary organisations

Abstract

Background: High employee turnover continues to challenge veterinary organisations globally, with leadership behaviours and interpersonal dynamics playing an important role in influencing staff retention. Emotional intelligence (EI), particularly as expressed through the quality of feedback exchanged between leaders and team members, may be an important factor in fostering retention by enhancing psychological safety. This study explores the relationship between psychological safety and turnover intention via the feedback quality of veterinary leaders and co-workers. Method: A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to 367 veterinary professionals in Australia and the UK. Participants completed validated scales measuring psychological safety, supervisor and co-worker feedback quality, and turnover intention. Correlation, regression and mediation analyses (via the Monte Carlo method) tested direct and indirect relationships among the variables. Results: Psychological safety was positively associated with high-quality feedback from both supervisors and co-workers and negatively associated with turnover intentions. Importantly, supervisor feedback partially mediated the relationship between psychological safety and turnover intention, indicating that emotionally intelligent feedback from leaders can not only enhance psychological safety but also reduce staff's desire to leave. Co-worker feedback, while positively related to psychological safety, did not mediate the turnover relationship. Limitations: This study relied on cross-sectional, self-reported data, limiting causal inference and introducing potential biases (e.g., recall and social desirability). Results may not generalise beyond the UK and Australian veterinary sectors. Future longitudinal and experimental studies are warranted. Conclusion: These findings highlight the critical role of emotionally intelligent leadership—particularly skilled, respectful feedback—in fostering safe team environments and improving staff retention in veterinary practice.