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Human Resources for Health
Published in: Human Resources for Health 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Care | Research

Turnover intention of hospital staff in Ontario, Canada: exploring the role of frontline supervisors, teamwork, and mindful organizing

Authors: Shahram Zaheer, Liane Ginsburg, Hannah J. Wong, Kelly Thomson, Lorna Bain, Zaev Wulffhart

Published in: Human Resources for Health | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

This study contributes to a small but growing body of literature on how context influences employee turnover intention. We examine the impact of staff perceptions of supervisory leadership support for safety, teamwork, and mindful organizing on turnover intention. Interaction effects of safety-specific constructs on turnover intention are also examined.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey data were collected from nurses, allied health professionals, and unit clerks working in intensive care, general medicine, mental health, or the emergency department of a large community hospital in Southern Ontario.

Results

Hierarchical regression analyses showed that staff perceptions of teamwork were significantly associated with turnover intention (p < 0.001). Direct associations of supervisory leadership support for safety and mindful organizing with turnover intention were non-significant; however, when staff perceived lower levels of mindful organizing at the frontlines, the positive effect of supervisory leadership on turnover intention was significant (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that, in addition to teamwork perceptions positively affecting turnover intentions, safety-conscious supportive supervisors can help alleviate the negative impact of poor mindful organizing on frontline staff turnover intention. Healthcare organizations should recruit and retain individuals in supervisory roles who prioritize safety and possess adequate relational competencies. They should further dedicate resources to build and strengthen the relational capacities of their supervisory leadership. Moreover, it is important to provide on-site workshops on topics (e.g., conflict management) that can improve the quality of teamwork and consequently reduce employees’ intention to leave their unit/organization.
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Metadata
Title
Turnover intention of hospital staff in Ontario, Canada: exploring the role of frontline supervisors, teamwork, and mindful organizing
Authors
Shahram Zaheer
Liane Ginsburg
Hannah J. Wong
Kelly Thomson
Lorna Bain
Zaev Wulffhart
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keyword
Care
Published in
Human Resources for Health / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1478-4491
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-019-0404-2

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