Emotional Demands and Role Ambiguity Influence on Intentions to Quit: Does Trust in Management Matter?

Workers’ well-being is significantly influenced by the presence of clear and firm policies. This study examines the profound impact of members’ understanding of role ambiguity (ROA) on emotional demand and the pivotal role of trust in management in influencing turnover, as outlined in the job demand-resources model. The study, which purposefully selected 290 public sector employees from Lesotho, utilized a structured research instrument and analyzed the results using partial least squares structural equational modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings, in line with the hypotheses, reveal that role ambiguity significantly contributes to both emotional demands and employees’ intentions to quit. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that emotional demands act as a mediator in the relationship between ROA and intention to quit. Trust in management also plays a moderating role in the relationship between role ambiguity and intention to quit, with a negligible effect on the link between ROA and emotional demand. This interaction between work-related demands and available resources deviates from the core principles of the JD-R model. The novel concept that trusts in management can influence employees’ plans to leave, even in the face of role ambiguity, was swiftly embraced by the public service sector and government ministry managers in Lesotho. This acceptance highlights the practical applicability of the JD-R model, which suggests that workers can effectively manage demanding and unfavorable aspects of work, such as job ambiguity, by having sufficient access to valuable resources.