When Workplace Politics Drive Turnover: How Resources Help Employees Stay

What is it about?

This study examines how organizational politics—the belief that self-interest shapes workplace decisions—affects employees’ turnover intentions, and how interpersonal and organizational resources can buffer this effect. Based on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, it argues that politics drains emotional and cognitive resources by breeding distrust and fatigue, leading employees to contemplate leaving. Yet, positive resources like knowledge sharing, social interaction, support for change, and forgiveness can offset these losses and aid retention. Survey data from Mozambican employees in the old and gas sector show that perceived politics strongly predicts turnover intentions. However, open knowledge exchange and supportive relationships weaken these negative effects. Likewise, when organizations embrace change and employees adopt a forgiving mindset toward mistakes or unfairness, resource losses are reduced and engagement sustained. The findings suggest that even in political climates, strong social and emotional resources can prevent disengagement. Overall, the study emphasizes that retention depends not only on reducing politics but on reinforcing positive resource cycles. Organizations that encourage collaboration, support adaptability, and foster forgiveness create a buffer that helps employees stay motivated and committed even amid political uncertainty. By doing so, they transform potential toxicity into an opportunity for collective learning and resilience.

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Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique in integrating organizational politics, turnover intentions, and multiple buffering mechanisms—knowledge sharing, social interaction, support for change, and forgiveness—within a single COR-based framework. It advances the theory by identifying how personal, relational, and organizational resources interact to convert stressful conditions into opportunities for cooperation and learning. The study reframes forgiveness as a critical emotional resource that restores trust and stabilizes employees’ sense of belonging amid perceived unfairness. It is also timely, given the global rise in organizational complexity and uncertainty, particularly in developing economies such as Mozambique, where institutional structures are evolving. In such environments, perceptions of politics are common, but so are opportunities for collective resilience. The study provides actionable insight for leaders: strengthening interpersonal bonds and promoting adaptive, forgiving cultures can help retain employees and sustain commitment—even when organizational politics cannot be fully eliminated.