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Why Do Managers Leave Their Organization? Investigating the Role of Ethical Organizational Culture in Managerial Turnover

Author

Listed:
  • Maiju Kangas

    (University of Jyväskylä)

  • Muel Kaptein

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

  • Mari Huhtala

    (University of Jyväskylä)

  • Anna-Maija Lämsä

    (University of Jyväskylä)

  • Pia Pihlajasaari

    (University of Jyväskylä)

  • Taru Feldt

    (University of Jyväskylä)

Abstract

The aim of the present longitudinal study was to quantitatively examine whether an ethical organizational culture predicts turnover among managers. To complement the quantitative results, a further important aim was to examine the self-reported reasons behind manager turnover, and the associations of ethical organizational culture with these reasons. The participants were Finnish managers working in technical and commercial fields. Logistic regression analyses indicated that, of the eight virtues investigated, congruency of supervisors, congruency of senior management, discussability, and sanctionability were negatively related to manager turnover. The results also revealed that the turnover group is not homogeneous, and that there are several different reasons for leaving. The reasons given for turnover were grouped into five different categories: (1) lay-off, (2) career challenges, (3) dissatisfaction with the job or organization, (4) organizational change, and (5) decreased well-being/motivation. ANCOVA analyses showed that those managers who stayed in their organization perceived their ethical culture to be stronger than those in turnover groups, and especially compared to groups 3 and 5. The results acquired through different methods complemented and confirmed each other, showing that by nurturing ethical virtues an organization can decrease job changes and encourage managers and supervisors to want to remain in their organization.

Suggested Citation

  • Maiju Kangas & Muel Kaptein & Mari Huhtala & Anna-Maija Lämsä & Pia Pihlajasaari & Taru Feldt, 2018. "Why Do Managers Leave Their Organization? Investigating the Role of Ethical Organizational Culture in Managerial Turnover," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 707-723, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:153:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-016-3363-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-016-3363-8
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    2. Stef, Nicolae & Zenou, Emmanuel, 2021. "Management-to-staff ratio and a firm's exit," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 252-260.
    3. Olufunke P. Adebayo & Rowland E. Worlu & Chinonye L. Moses & Olaleke O. Ogunnaike, 2020. "An Integrated Organisational Culture for Sustainable Environmental Performance in the Nigerian Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-15, October.
    4. Ihor Bondar & Tatyana Gumenyuk & Yurii Horban & Olena Karakoz & Olena Chaikovska, 2020. "Distance E-Learning in the System of Professional Development of Corporation Managers: Challenges of COVID-19," Journal of Education and e-Learning Research, Asian Online Journal Publishing Group, vol. 7(4), pages 456-463.
    5. Emmanuel Mensah Horsey & Lijia Guo & Jiashun Huang, 2023. "Ethical party culture, control, and citizenship behavior: Evidence from Ghana," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Juliana Toro-Arias & Pablo Ruiz-Palomino & María Pilar Rodríguez-Córdoba, 2022. "Measuring Ethical Organizational Culture: Validation of the Spanish Version of the Shortened Corporate Ethical Virtues Model," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(3), pages 551-574, March.
    7. Andiappan, Meena & Dufour, Lucas, 2021. "The evolution of unethical behavior engagement amongst longshoremen in France: A 70-year perspective," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 49-67.

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