IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/futbus/v11y2025i1d10.1186_s43093-025-00563-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The mediating role of creative behavior in the relationship between transformational leadership and turnover intention

Author

Listed:
  • Tamaradieyefagha Edonomokumor

    (Cyprus International University)

  • Richard Arhinful

    (Multimedia University)

  • Leviticus Mensah

    (World Peace University)

  • Hayford Asare Obeng

    (World Peace University)

Abstract

The study used the job characteristics model to investigate the mediating role of creative behavior in the relationship between transformational leadership and turnover intentions within the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Nigeria was chosen as the study’s country due to its status as a central hub for the oil and gas industry in West Africa. The industry faces high employee turnover rates, which result in higher recruitment expenses, loss of institutional knowledge, and disruptions in workflow. The study selected 17 oil and gas companies operating in Lagos State using cluster sampling. Within these clusters, data were collected from 356 employees through convenience sampling by administering print-based questionnaires. Covariance-based structure equation modeling (CB-SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were the methods used to analyze the data with the help of AMOS software. The study discovered that transformational leadership had a positive and significant influence on turnover intention and creative behavior. Creative behavior was discovered to have a positive and significant impact on turnover intention. The study found that creative behavior partially mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and turnover intention. Oil and gas companies should adopt transformational leadership practices to reduce employee turnover and foster a culture that encourages creativity, innovation, and sustained organizational performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Tamaradieyefagha Edonomokumor & Richard Arhinful & Leviticus Mensah & Hayford Asare Obeng, 2025. "The mediating role of creative behavior in the relationship between transformational leadership and turnover intention," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:futbus:v:11:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s43093-025-00563-1
    DOI: 10.1186/s43093-025-00563-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s43093-025-00563-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s43093-025-00563-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carlo Salvato & Roberto Vassolo, 2018. "The sources of dynamism in dynamic capabilities," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(6), pages 1728-1752, June.
    2. Swati Mittal, 2016. "Effects of transformational leadership on turnover intentions in IT SMEs," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 37(8), pages 1322-1346, November.
    3. Mohammad Tahlil Azim & Luo Fan & Md. Aftab Uddin & Munshi Muhammad Abdul Kader Jilani & Sumayya Begum, 2019. "Linking transformational leadership with employees’ engagement in the creative process," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 42(7), pages 837-858, May.
    4. Ek Styvén, Maria & Näppä, Anna & Mariani, Marcello & Nataraajan, Rajan, 2022. "Employee perceptions of employers’ creativity and innovation: Implications for employer attractiveness and branding in tourism and hospitality," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 290-298.
    5. Jin Cheng & Kunlin Li & Ting Cao, 2023. "How Transformational Leaders Promote Employees’ Feedback-Seeking Behaviors: The Role of Intrinsic Motivation and Its Boundary Conditions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-25, November.
    6. Mazzei, Matthew J. & Flynn, C. Brian & Haynie, Jeffrey J., 2016. "Moving beyond initial success: Promoting innovation in small businesses through high-performance work practices," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 51-60.
    7. Hayford Asare Obeng & Richard Arhinful & Leviticus Mensah & Dennis Affum Osei, 2024. "Investigating the influence of green human resource management practices on employee behavior and organizational commitment in Ghana’s tourism sector," Journal of Tourism Management Research, Conscientia Beam, vol. 11(1), pages 75-97.
    8. Fong-Yi Lai & Hui-Chuan Tang & Szu-Chi Lu & Yu-Chin Lee & Cheng-Chen Lin, 2020. "Transformational Leadership and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440198, January.
    9. Andrea Bastianin, 2020. "Robust measures of skewness and kurtosis for macroeconomic and financial time series," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(7), pages 637-670, February.
    10. Mohammad Tahlil Azim & Luo Fan & Md. Aftab Uddin & Munshi Muhammad Abdul Kader Jilani & Sumayya Begum, 2019. "Linking transformational leadership with employees’ engagement in the creative process," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 42(7), pages 837-858, May.
    11. Richard Arhinful & Mehrshad Radmehr, 2023. "The Impact of Financial Leverage on the Financial Performance of the Firms Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    12. Hayford Asare Obeng & Richard Arhinful & Dagnu Haile Tessema & Japheth Ahmed Nuhu, 2025. "The mediating role of organisational stress in the relationship between gender diversity and employee performance in Ghanaian public hospitals," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, December.
    13. Leviticus Mensah & Murad Abdurahman Bein, 2023. "Sound Corporate Governance and Financial Performance: Is There a Link? Evidence from Manufacturing Companies in South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-24, June.
    14. Daria Gom & Tek Yew Lew & Mary Monica Jiony & Geoffrey Harvey Tanakinjal & Stephen Sondoh, 2021. "The Role of Transformational Leadership and Psychological Capital in the Hotel Industry: A Sustainable Approach to Reducing Turnover Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-20, September.
    15. Mehmet Nurettin Uğural & Heyecan Giritli & Mariusz Urbański, 2020. "Determinants of the Turnover Intention of Construction Professionals: A Mediation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-12, January.
    16. Richard Arhinful & Leviticus Mensah & Jerry Seth Owusu-Sarfo, 2024. "The impact of corporate governance on debt service obligations: evidence from automobile companies listed on the Tokyo stock exchange," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(4), pages 501-519, December.
    17. Hayford Asare Obeng & Tarik Atan, 2024. "Understanding Turnover Intentions: The Interplay of Organizational Politics, Employee Resilience, and Person-Job Fit in Ghana’s Healthcare Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-30, November.
    18. Nuel, Okoli Ifeanyi E. & K., Nnabuife Ezimma & Ifechi, Adani Nnenne & Emmanuella, Ugbo Ifeoma & Institute of Research, Asian, 2021. "Transformational Leadership and Organizational Success: Evidence from Tertiary Institutions," OSF Preprints u7epm, Center for Open Science.
    19. Sajeet Pradhan & Lalatendu Kesari Jena, 2019. "Does Meaningful Work Explains the Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Innovative Work Behaviour?," Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers, , vol. 44(1), pages 30-40, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Richard Arhinful & Hayford Asare Obeng & Leviticus Mensah & Ebenezer Asante-Darko, 2025. "The mediating role of racial discrimination in the relationship between authentic leadership and job commitment in Ghanaian Public Organizations," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Hayford Asare Obeng & Richard Arhinful & Dagnu Haile Tessema & Japheth Ahmed Nuhu, 2025. "The mediating role of organisational stress in the relationship between gender diversity and employee performance in Ghanaian public hospitals," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, December.
    3. Theresa Obuobisa-Darko & Emelia Amoako Asiedu & Frank Ohemeng & Kenneth Parku, 2024. "Managing Employee Engagement in Crisis Situations in Developing Countries: The Case for Responsible Leadership in the Public Sector in Ghana," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 803-821, September.
    4. Maira Khan & Mukaram Ali Khan & Syed Sohaib Zubair & Aisha Rizwan, 2022. "How Transformational Leaders Are Engaged in Work Settings During Episode of Covid-19? Exploring Mediating Effects of Structural Empowerment and Process Innovation," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, April.
    5. Hani A. Omran Elarabi & Wagdi Khalifa, 2025. "Impact of Sustainable Finance on Business Financial Performance: Insight from London Stock Exchange Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-28, May.
    6. Fathi Abdulsalam Mohammed Alsoukini & Muri Wole Adedokun & Ayşen Berberoğlu, 2025. "Enhancing Sustainable Innovation Performance in the Banking Sector of Libya: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Applications and Organizational Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-25, June.
    7. Hayford Asare Obeng & Bright Akwasi Gyamfi & Richard Arhinful & Leviticus Mensah, 2025. "Unlocking Performance Potential: Workforce Diversity Management and Gender Diversity as Drivers of Employee Performance in Ghana’s Public Healthcare Sector," Societies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-22, May.
    8. Richard Arhinful & Leviticus Mensah & Halkawt Ismail Mohammed Amin & Hayford Asare Obeng & Bright Akwasi Gyamfi, 2025. "The Strategic Role of Sustainable Finance in Corporate Reputation: A Signaling Theory Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-28, May.
    9. Saidu Koroma & Murad Bein, 2024. "The Moderating Effect of Economic Policy Uncertainty on the Relationship Between Working Capital Management and Profitability: Evidence from UK Non-Financial Firms," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, May.
    10. Richard Arhinful & Leviticus Mensah & Halkawt Ismail Mohammed Amin & Hayford Asare Obeng, 2024. "The influence of cost of debt, cost of equity and weighted average cost of capital on dividend policy decision: evidence from non-financial companies listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-24, December.
    11. Saleem Abualgasem M Milaad & Tarik Atan & Mehmet Yeşiltaş, 2025. "Assessing the Impact of Perceived Supervisory Support on Service Recovery Performance: The Role of Work Engagement and Emotional Stability Among Libyan Air Traffic Controllers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-23, March.
    12. Hayford Asare Obeng & Tarik Atan, 2024. "Understanding Turnover Intentions: The Interplay of Organizational Politics, Employee Resilience, and Person-Job Fit in Ghana’s Healthcare Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-30, November.
    13. Richard Arhinful & Leviticus Mensah & Jerry Seth Owusu-Sarfo, 2024. "The impact of corporate governance on debt service obligations: evidence from automobile companies listed on the Tokyo stock exchange," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(4), pages 501-519, December.
    14. Hayford Asare Obeng & Richard Arhinful & Leviticus Mensah & Jerry Seth Owusu-Sarfo, 2024. "Assessing the Influence of the Knowledge Management Cycle on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Culture Considering the Interplay of Employee Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-28, October.
    15. Kyriaki Papadopoulou, 2020. "Comparative Review Of Performance Measurement Methods Effectiveness," Economics and Management, Faculty of Economics, SOUTH-WEST UNIVERSITY "NEOFIT RILSKI", BLAGOEVGRAD, vol. 17(1), pages 127-139.
    16. C. Lakshman & Sangeetha Lakshman & Kubilay Gok, 2023. "Managers’ knowledge and customer-focused knowledge management as dynamic capabilities: implications for innovation performance," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 246-274, February.
    17. Bağış, Mehmet & Kryeziu, Liridon & Akbaba, Yılmaz & Ramadani, Veland & Karagüzel, Ensar Selman & Krasniqi, Besnik A., 2022. "The micro-foundations of a dynamic technological capability in the automotive industry," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    18. Dr. Khan Sarfaraz Ali & Professor Dr. Mezbah-Ul-Islam & Tamanna Nowrin Azam & Lt. Cdr. (Retd.) Wares-Ul-Matin, 2021. "Influence of Job Engagement on Transformational Leadership Style and Organizational Performance," iRASD Journal of Management, International Research Alliance for Sustainable Development (iRASD), vol. 3(1), pages 14-21, june.
    19. Zuomiao Xie & Yuanyuan Li & Shiqi Yuan & Jinjing Zhu, 2024. "Why expert leaders matter: a study on the mechanism of team value creation in knowledge-intensive teams," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    20. Jinan Fattah & Mehmet Yesiltas & Tarik Atan, 2022. "The Impact of Knowledge Sharing and Participative Decision-Making on Employee Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Support," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:futbus:v:11:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s43093-025-00563-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.