Does Flexibility Really Matter to Employees? A Mixed Methods Investigation of Factors Driving Turnover Intention in the Context of the Great Resignation

The phenomenon of the Great Resignation during the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped workforce dynamics as the priorities of employees gradually changed after the pandemic. This study adopts an exploratory sequential mixed-method approach to identify the key factors driving employee turnover among Indian employees of the information technology sector during the Great Resignation. Study 1 employs a qualitative approach utilizing thematic analysis to explore the underlying drivers of employee voluntary turnover during the Great Resignation. For a quantitative analysis, Study 2 applies structural equation modeling to the data from the qualitative study to validate and examine the impact of abusive leadership, work role overload, and temporal flexibility on turnover intention during the Great Resignation. The findings of Study 1 reveal three primary factors driving employee voluntary turnover during the Great Resignation: work environment & culture, generational cohorts & workforce dynamics, and work flexibility & career satisfaction. Study 2 confirms a positive association between abusive leadership, work role overload, and turnover intention, with temporal flexibility moderating and reducing the effect of work role overload on turnover intention. Our findings extend the applicability of the conservation of resources theory and social exchange theory to understand turnover intention during the Great Resignation. The practical implications suggest measures fostering inclusive workplace cultures, implementing flexible work arrangements, and addressing abusive leadership and work role overload to reduce turnover intention, while the policy implications indicate the need for legislative support for flexible work and industry-wide standards to enhance workforce resilience and adaptability during the Great Resignation.