Exploring Legacy Identification Theory: Job Satisfaction as a Key to Post-Employment Word-of-Mouth

As scholars increasingly recognize the lasting value of former employees to their past organizations, the impact of post-employment word-of-mouth (WOM) is coming into sharper focus. Despite this, research on the precursors of post-employment WOM remains underexplored. Drawing from the literature on job satisfaction and legacy identification theory, this study examines how and when former employees' job satisfaction influences positive and negative WOM. Our two-wave survey of 429 former employees revealed that job satisfaction across five dimensions-general, pay, coworker, supervision, and growth (excluding job security)-strengthens legacy identification with previous organization, which in turn promotes positive WOM and reduces negative WOM. Additionally, the gratitude trait enhances the relationship between legacy identification and positive WOM while also amplifying the effect on negative WOM. Overall, this study initially explores how enduring psychological connections link former employees' job satisfaction to their WOM and the role of psychological capital in these relationships.