From victims to survivors: Does job passion mitigate the impact of social undermining on turnover intention?

Aim/purpose – Social undermining actions in workplaces may adversely affect employee performance and job satisfaction, eventually leading them to leave the organization. This study aims to examine whether the level of job passion exhibited by employees targeted by social undermining impacts their inclination to remain employed at the organization. Design/methodology/approach – The participants are 401 employees in the civil defense industry. Data have been analyzed using the SmartPLS and SPSS programs. Findings – The findings have revealed that job passion moderated the impact of social undermining on employee turnover intention. Specifically, harmonious job passion has been found to reverse the effect of social undermining on turnover intention, while obsessive passion has been found to aggravate this effect. Research implications/limitations – In addition to taking caution to prevent social undermining, managers should also support employees’ harmonious passion while avoiding obsessive passion to mitigate the negative impact of undermining behaviors on turnover intention. Originality/value/contribution – The main aim of this study is to extend the current literature by demonstrating that social undermining, regardless of its source, results in an increased desire to leave the organization. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of harmonious passion as a potential tool for mitigating this effect while also suggesting that obsessive passion may further intensify an employee’s intention to quit.