Moderating effects of supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths on the relationship between job burnout and turnover intentions in the context of call centers

Abstract

Purpose

This study focuses on the management of job burnout among customer service representatives. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths moderate the relationship between job burnout and turnover intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a survey of 287 customer service representatives from seven call centers for the analysis. To validate the research model and test the hypotheses, the authors employed structural equation modeling, and for the moderating effects, the authors conducted a multi‐group analysis after dividing the moderating variables into high and low groups by using each of their means as a split point.

Findings

As expected, the results indicate that emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment increased turnover intentions. Emotional exhaustion led to a sharp increase in depersonalization. The results for the three moderating variables indicate that not all interventions were always useful for all three components of job burnout. In particular, the application of supervisor support required considerable attention because it exacerbated the adverse effect of depersonalization on turnover intentions. Monetary rewards reduced turnover intentions under depersonalization, whereas they increased turnover intentions under reduced personal accomplishment. Career paths reduced turnover intentions under both depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the moderating effects of supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths on the relationships between three components of job burnout and turnover intentions for customer service representatives from call centers.

Citation

Choi, S., Cheong, K.(K). and Feinberg, R.A. (2012), "Moderating effects of supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths on the relationship between job burnout and turnover intentions in the context of call centers", Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 22 No. 5, pp. 492-516. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604521211281396