Engagement, Citizenship Behavior, Burnout, and Intention to Quit: Mechanisms Fostering Sustainable Well-Being and Driving Retention Among Thai Frontline Bank Employees

The objective of this study is to investigate how two forms of engagement—job engagement and organization engagement—shape organizational citizenship behaviors directed at individuals (OCBI) and the organization (OCBO), and how these behaviors, in turn, influence employee burnout and intention to quit. This study also seeks to examine the impact of burnout on intention to quit. A paper-based survey was conducted among frontline bank employees from 21 financial institutions in Thailand. Data from 562 respondents, selected through convenience sampling, were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. Findings revealed that job engagement fosters OCBI, whereas organization engagement enhances OCBO. Job engagement also reduces burnout, while the adverse effect of organization engagement on burnout was small and insignificant. OCBI positively affects burnout and positively mediates the job engagement–burnout relationship. In contrast, OCBO negatively affects burnout and negatively mediates the organization engagement–burnout relationship. Finally, burnout increases employees’ intention to quit. These findings provide theoretical insights into the mechanisms linking engagement, citizenship behaviors, burnout, and intention to quit. Importantly, this study offers practical recommendations for promoting well-being and sustainable employee retention in the high-demand banking industry.