How Workplace Climate Affects Turnover Intentions Among First-generation Workers

Purpose: This research investigates the influence of the work environment on turnover intention in entry-level employees, with a primary focus on the mediating function of job stress and the moderating role of compensation level. Specifically, it explores how constituent elements of the job environment, such as occupational identity and job autonomy, shape the psychological responses and subsequent turnover behaviors of these early-career individuals.Methods: Data were gathered from 185 entry-level employees through a structured survey. The resulting empirical data were subsequently analyzed utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).Results: Job identity and Job autonomy were found to negatively affect job stress, while job stress had a positive effect on turnover intention. Job stress partially mediated the relationship between job environment and turnover intention. Additionally, compensation level significantly moderated the relationship between job stress and turnover intention.Conclusion: Improving the job environment can be an effective strategy to alleviate job stress and reduce turnover intention among entry-level employees. In particular, an appropriate compensation system serves as a key factor in lowering turnover rates. This study makes an academic contribution by empirically clarifying the structural relationships between job environment and turnover behavior, specifically among early-career employees.