Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory Advance Access originally published online on August 9, 2007
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 2008 18(2):205-227; doi:10.1093/jopart/mum013
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The Ties that Bind: Social Networks, Person-Organization Value Fit, and Turnover Intention
University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Kansas
Address correspondence to the author at dmoynihan{at}lafollette.wisc.edu.
This article examines the influence of social networks and value congruence on turnover intention among public and nonprofit employees. We argue that employees exist in social networks inside and outside their organization, and these networks shape employee attitudes and behavior. To illustrate this theory, we use turnover intention. A strong and positive intraorganizational social network characterized by good relations with and a sense of obligation toward other staff is hypothesized to make it more likely that employees will stay. A strong social network external to the organization is hypothesized to increase the opportunities that employees have to leave. Our findings offer strong support for the role of intraorganizational networks, but relatively weak support for the effect of external networks. We also propose that person-organization (P-O) fit shape turnover intention. Our results suggest that employees who experience a strong P-O fit in terms of value congruence are more likely to offer a long-term commitment.