Too Good to Give Up? How Individuals' Team and Contextual Experiences Shape Their Turnover Intentions

Most employees engage in teamwork to some degree, yet limited research has explored how the team experience shapes individuals' intentions to turnover, a phenomenon that can create critical issues for organizations. Additionally, teamwork often occurs virtually, sometimes specifically as a strategy for reducing turnover, yet virtual communication can hinder team functioning and make employees feel disconnected from their organizations. Using a time-lagged survey study, we found transformational leadership in the team setting plays a key role in motivating individuals to remain with their organizations, specifically through its positive association with team identification and perceived task cohesion. Further, it was particularly important for fostering team identification, and to some extent, perceived social cohesion, when team members communicated through more virtual, or less socially rich approaches.