Supervisor Interpersonal Justice and Worker Turnover Intention in Global Supply Chains: Evidence from Bangladesh Garment Factories

Global brands’ simultaneous commercial and social compliance requirements may exacerbate supervisor stress and abuse of workers at export factories. Yet, the impacts of supervisors have been underexamined in private regulation. This article draws on the organizational justice literature to analyze the effects of supervisor interpersonal justice (SIJ)—treating subordinates with respect and propriety—on garment workers and how these effects are shaped by labor rights institutions in the workplace and external environment. The authors find that SIJ reduces workers’ turnover intention directly and indirectly through engendering positive affect. The results also suggest that SIJ may have a stronger relationship with positive affect in the presence of worker participation committees (WPCs) and stringent monitoring programs such as the Bangladesh Accord. This article thereby spotlights the relatively neglected role of supervisors in influencing worker well-being and turnover intention in global supply chains.