The mediating role of organizational culture in the effect of VUCA on intention to stay at work

Purpose: This study aims to assess the impact of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) on employees’ intention to stay at work and to evaluate whether organizational culture serves as a mediating factor in this relationship, addressing an identified gap in the existing literature. Design: This is a cross-sectional observational study. The study population comprised 258 white-collar employees in service sector companies based in Istanbul, Turkey. Data were collected using an online survey (Google Forms) and face-to-face interviews from 7 April 2024 to 07 June 2024. Three scales were employed in this study: the VUCA scale, the Intention to Stay at Work scale, and the Organizational Culture scale. Organizational culture was examined as a potential mediator. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to validate the scales used. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were applied to examine relationships between variables. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0 software. Findings: VUCA was found to have a negative effect on both the intention to stay at work and the organizational culture. Organizational culture had a significant positive impact on the intention to stay at work. Additionally, organizational culture partially mediated the relationship between VUCA and the intention to stay at work. All hypotheses were supported by the data. Originality: There is no study in the literature investigating the relationship between VUCA, intention to stay at work, and organizational culture variables. This study provides novel insights into the relationship between VUCA, organizational culture, and employees’ intention to stay at work. It highlights the mediating role of organizational culture in the VUCA-intention to stay at work relationship, contributing uniquely to the literature.