Turnover intention has become an increasingly urgent concern in the Korean public sector, with rising turnover rates observed not only among junior MZ generation officials but also among mid-level managers, indicating an overall acceleration of depart...
Turnover intention has become an increasingly urgent concern in the Korean public sector, with rising turnover rates observed not only among junior MZ generation officials but also among mid-level managers, indicating an overall acceleration of departures across the public workforce. While low compensation, excessive workloads and limited opportunities for promotion are commonly cited as primary drivers, recent discussions point to a more nuanced dynamic involving Organizational Citizenship Behavior(OCB). Although OCB is widely regarded as a critical resource that enhances public service quality and organizational adaptability, it also requires additional time and energy beyond formal job duties. When such contributions are not met with fair recognition or rewards, OCB may paradoxically heighten, rather than reduce, employees’ intentions to leave.
This study posits the possibility of a more complex, non-linear relationship between OCB and turnover intention, suggesting that this link may not be fully captured through the linear lenses of previous models. This inquiry is motivated by the inconsistent empirical findings found in prior research. Against this backdrop, this study investigates how OCB shapes turnover intention among public employees by focusing on the complex nature of its effects. By integrating insights from prior empirical research as well as Social Exchange Theory(SET), the Job Demands–Resources(JD-R) model, Conservation of Resources(COR) theory, the study takes a dual-track approach. First, it explores the nonlinear direct impact of OCB on turnover intention and the contextual influence of organizational justice-comprising distributive, procedural, and interactional justice-as a moderator. Second, it delves into the underlying mechanism by assessing the mediating role of work overload. To capture the distinctive characteristics of OCB dimensions, the analysis differentiates between Affiliative OCB(AOCB) and Change-Oriented OCB(COOCB).
Using data from 6,075 general public officials in central and local governments in the 2024 Public Service Employee Survey conducted by the Korea Institute of Public Administration(KIPA), the study tested nonlinear and moderated effects through hierarchical regression analysis in SPSS Statistics 29.0 and assessed mediation using PROCESS Macro (version 5.0, Model 4).
The findings highlight three significant insights. First, the relationship between OCB and turnover intention revealed distinct non-linear patterns depending on the OCB type. AOCB exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship, with turnover intention peaking at low-to-moderate levels and decreasing thereafter. In contrast, COOCB displays a U-shaped pattern: initially reducing turnover intention but showing a slight rebound at very high levels.
Second, the results show that organizational justice significantly alters these nonlinear relationships. For AOCB, higher levels of justice(distributive, procedural, and interactional justice) flatten the inverted U-curve, dampening increases in turnover intention as AOCB rises. In contrast, when employees perceive lower justice, the curve becomes steeper, meaning that turnover intention rises more quickly as AOCB rises. For COOCB, higher justice(procedural and interactional justice) makes the U-Curve more distinct. Turnover intention decreases more noticeably at moderate COOCB levels, but rises more sharply once COOCB becomes very high.
Third, mediation analysis shows that employees who conduct more OCB tend to experience less work overload, and work overload, in turn, is positively related to turnover intention. This finding implies that OCB may function as a job resource by fostering cooperation and streamlining work processes rather than operating as a resource-depleting job demand.
Overall, the findings offer several theoretical and practical implications. On the theoretical side, the study broadens existing knowledge by demonstrating distinct nonlinear effects across different OCB dimensions, showing the role of work overload as a mitigating mediator, and illustrating how organizational justice shapes these nonlinear patterns through its moderating influence. In a practical sense, the results highlight the importance of managing OCB in a more tailored and qualitative manner rather than encouraging increases in OCB levels. In particular, managers should be attentive to the signs of the withdrawal among employees who perform moderate levels of AOCB, and reduce ambiguous tasks linked to AOCB. For COOCB, managers should actively encourage COOCB while keeping a close eye on burnout risks at very high levels. Moreover, fostering interactional justice through consistent day-to-day communication and feedback is essential. Such efforts may help sustain employees’ voluntary commitment and ultimately promote their retention within public organizations.