Talent turnover and the contagion effect: the case of the aerospace industry

Abstract

This study takes a talent turnover perspective that relies on the contagion effect. It focuses on the role of the perceived organisational commitment of co-workers in the relationship between organisational commitment and intention to quit of focal talent. Organizational commitment is one of the major predictors of intention to quit, yet it has barely been studied as a research construct in examining this contagion effect. Drawing on the emotional contagion literature and proposing a new variable, we find that the perceived organisational commitment of co-workers has an indirect effect on intention to quit through organisational commitment. This study is based on the survey responses of 56 highly knowledgeable and skilled employees, identified as talent, from the aerospace industry in Luxembourg. It contributes to the turnover contagion literature by empirically highlighting the important role of co-workers’ organisational commitment in the generation of focal talent’s thoughts on quitting. It also has implications for the talent management literature and human resource management practitioners.