Organizational Turnover: The Effects of Leader Servant Leadership Behaviors and Leader Emotional Intelligence on Follower Turnover Intentions

The costs of organizational turnover have significant economic consequences. Thus, scholars and practitioners often strategize how to reduce followers’ turnover intentions, potentially saving organizations countless dollars on the direct, indirect, and opportunity costs of turnover. Studies found in the literature provide evidence that the behavior of leaders directly impacts followers’ turnover intentions. Therefore, this research focused on followers from a healthcare institution based in the Southwest U.S., and their perceptions of their managers’ leadership behaviors. It specifically examined the effects of leader servant leadership behaviors and leader emotional intelligence on their subordinates’ turnover intentions. The results indicated that higher levels of servant leader behaviors and increased levels of leader emotional intelligence had an inverse effect on follower turnover intentions, thereby reducing followers’ propensities to leave the organization. This study was unique in that it combined the constructs of servant leadership and emotional intelligence in a turnover intentions-based model. The findings are significant in that they can be incorporated into programs that could help leaders across disparate industries develop a more holistic style of leadership in an effort to positively impact the reduction of organizational turnover