Turnover Intentions of Employees With Informal Eldercare Responsibilities: The Role of Core Self-Evaluations and Supervisor Support

Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2015 Dec;82(1):79-115. doi: 10.1177/0091415015624418. Epub 2016 Jan 6.

Abstract

As longevity increases, so does the need for care of older relatives by working family members. This research examined the interactive effect of core self-evaluations and supervisor support on turnover intentions in two samples of employees with informal caregiving responsibilities. Data were obtained from 57 employees from Australia (Study 1) and 66 employees from the United States and India (Study 2). Results of Study 1 revealed a resource compensation effect, that is, an inverse relationship between core self-evaluations and turnover intentions when supervisor care support was low. Results of Study 2 extended these findings by demonstrating resource boosting effects. Specifically, there was an inverse relationship between core self-evaluations and subsequent turnover intentions for those with high supervisor work and care support. In addition, employees' satisfaction and emotional exhaustion from their work mediated the inverse relationship between core self-evaluations and subsequent turnover intentions when supervisor work support and care support were high. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of employee- and supervisor-focused intervention strategies in organizations to support informal caregivers.

Keywords: core self-evaluations; employed informal caregivers; resource interactions; supervisor support; turnover intentions.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Australia / epidemiology
  • Caregivers / psychology*
  • Diagnostic Self Evaluation
  • Employment / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • India / epidemiology
  • Intention*
  • Job Satisfaction*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Personnel Turnover / trends*
  • Prevalence
  • Self-Assessment
  • Social Support
  • Stress, Psychological / epidemiology
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology*
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult