Crossref JGate SDG Google Scholar Open Access Creative Commons WorldCat OCLC DORA Scilit Semantic Scholar SDG
Beyond the Paycheck: Societal and Cultural Influences on Turnover Intention in Contemporary Workplaces - A Conceptual Review
ARTICLE PDF FILE

Keywords

Societal and cultural determinants.
Contemporary workplace
Turnover Intention

Categories

How to Cite

Mishra, P., Sinha, J., & Amit. (2026). Beyond the Paycheck: Societal and Cultural Influences on Turnover Intention in Contemporary Workplaces - A Conceptual Review. South India Journal of Social Sciences, 24(1), 121-125. https://doi.org/10.62656/

Abstract

Turnover intention has traditionally been examined through organizational and individual lenses, emphasizing majorly job satisfaction, commitment, compensation, and leadership dynamics. However, this paper shifts the focus to broader societal determinants that subtly yet powerfully shape employees’ decisions to exit. Drawing on sociological and cultural frameworks, it explores how social norms, community expectations, and cultural pressures influence perceptions of loyalty, career mobility, and workplace disengagement. In collectivist contexts, family obligations, societal status, and normative conformity often override organizational incentives, creating a complex interplay between personal agency and communal influence. The study proposes a conceptual model integrating socio-cultural aspects with turnover intention, offering fresh insights for HR practitioners and organizational psychologists. By moving beyond the paycheck, this work invites a rethinking of retention strategies that account for the socio-cultural embeddedness of employee behavior, especially in emerging economies like India.

ARTICLE PDF FILE

References

1. Anderson, N., Ones, D. S., Sinangil, H. K., & Viswesvaran, C. (Eds.). (2001). Handbook of industrial, work & organizational psychology: Volume 2 – Organizational psychology. SAGE Publications.

2. Maier, C., Laumer, S., Eckhardt, A., & Weitzel, T. (2013). Analyzing the impact of HRIS implementations on HR personnel’s job satisfaction and turnover intention. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 22(3), 193–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2012.09.001

3. Aycan, Z., Kanungo, R. N., & Sinha, J. B. P. (1999). Organizational culture and human resource management practices: The model of culture fit. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 30(4), 501–526. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022199030004006.

4. Hussain, T., & Asif, S. (2012). Is employees’ turnover intention driven by organizational commitment and perceived organizational support? Journal of Quality and Technology Management, 8(2), 1–10.

5. Joo, B. K. (2010). Organizational commitment for knowledge workers: The roles of perceived organizational learning culture, leader–member exchange quality, and turnover intention. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 21(1), 69–85. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.20031

6. Udechukwu, I. I. (2009) Correctional Officer Turnover: Of Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy and Herzberg’s Motivation Theory. Journal: Public Personnel Management, 38(2), 69–82. DOI: 10.1177/009102600903800205

7. Tett, R. P., & Meyer, J. P. (1993). Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention, and turnover: Path analyses based on meta-analytic findings. Personnel Psychology, 46(2), 259–293. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1993.tb00874.

8. Hom, P. W., & Griffeth, R. W. (1995). Employee Turnover. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing.

9. Bell, J., & Harrison, B. T. (1995). Vision and Values in Managing Education. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351041508

10. Martocchio, J. J., & Webster, J. (1992). Effects of feedback and cognitive playfulness on performance in microcomputer software training. Personnel Psychology, 45(3), 553–578. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1992.tb00860.x

11. Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1(1), 61–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/1053-4822(91)90011-

12. Shore, L. M., & Wayne, S. J. (1993). Commitment and employee behavior: Comparison of affective commitment and continuance commitment with perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(5), 774–780. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.78.5.774.

13. Covella, G., McCarthy, V., Kaifi, B., & Cocoran, D. (2017). Leadership’s role in employee retention. Business Management Dynamics, 7(5), 1–15.

14. Harris, S. E., & Robinson Kurpius, S. E. (2014). Social networking and professional ethics: Client searches, informed consent, and disclosure. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 45(1), 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033478

15. Kim, J. H., Kim, M.-S., & Nam, Y. (2010). An analysis of self-construals, motivations, Facebook use, and user satisfaction. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 26(11–12), 1077–1099. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2010.516726

16. Kong, H., Jiang, X., & Chan, W. (2019). Perceived employability and turnover intention: The mediating role of organizational commitment. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 82, 72–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.03.004

17. Xu, S., Jackson, L., & Zhang, J. (2019). Employees’ turnover intention and job performance: The moderating role of organizational culture. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30(17), 2513–2531. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1326390

18. Belete, A. K. (2018). Turnover intention influencing factors of employees: An empirical work review. Journal of Entrepreneurial Organization Management, 7(3), 253–267. https://doi.org/10.4172/2169-026X.1000253

19. Alkaabi, S. A., Al Hammadi, F. A., & Al Shamsi, M. A. (2024). The impact of toxic leadership on turnover intention: Evidence from UAE organizations. Humanities and Social Sciences Studies, 14(8), 77–81. https://hsssjournal.com/

20. Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

21. Wójcik, P. (2020). Determinants of employee turnover intention. Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology – Organization and Management Series, 149, 739–750. https://doi.org/10.29119/1641-3466.2020.149.60

22. Singh, G., & Venugopal, A. (2022). Assessment of employee turnover on an organisation’s efficiency in post-COVID scenario. Indian Scientific Journal of Research in Engineering and Management, 6(6), 145–154. https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsrem14554

23. Kapur, A., & Mehta, A. K. (2021). Working women, Delhi Metro and COVID-19: A case study in Delhi-NCR. The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 64(2), 389–413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-021-00366-9

24. Chatman, J. A., & O’Reilly III, C. A. (2016). Paradigm lost: Reinvigorating the study of organizational culture. Research in Organizational Behavior, 36, 199–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2016.11.004

25. Sinha, J. B. P., & Sinha, D. (1990). Role of social values in Indian organizations. International Journal of Psychology, 25(5–6), 705–714. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207599008247922

26. Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In S. Worchel & W. G. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 7–24). Chicago: Nelson-Hall.

27. Papadionysiou, E., & Myloni, B. (2023). Socio-cultural dimensions, employee-related assumptions and HRM practices: A multivariate model in a cross-national setting. Cogent Business & Management, 10(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2197157

28. Triandis, H. C. (1995). Individualism and collectivism. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

29. Aycan, Z., Kanungo, R. N., & Sinha, J. B. P. (1999). Organizational culture and human resource management practices: The model of culture fit. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 30(4), 501–526. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022199030004006

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2026 South India Journal of Social Sciences

Disclaimer: This site displays third-party advertisements provided through Google AdSense. We do not control the content of these ads and do not endorse any products or services advertised. Ad revenue helps minimize APCs and supports the ongoing maintenance, development, and open accessibility of this academic journal.