Impact of Job Satisfaction and Motivation on Intention to Quit and Organizational Commitment Among Airline Employees

Introduction

The civil aviation is a strategic sector that develops rapidly on a global scale, is open to intense competition and requires a high level of service quality. Since the mid-20th century, this development has been driven by technological advances and increasing passenger demand, making the aviation sector critical not only for transportation, but also for employment and service economy. Yet, these advancements have made working conditions in the sector more complex, stressful and demanding. In particular, the shift system, high security responsibility and operational pressures directly affect the psychology of employees, presenting significant management challenges for the sustainability of human resources.

In this framework, Research on how employee inspiration and fulfillment in work affect corporate behavior has grown significantly, not only theoretically, but also in practice. Employees' commitment to work, motivation sources, rewards, perceptions of management style and social support levels shape their relationship with the organization, which in turn forms both their organizational commitment levels and intentions to quit. The literature indicates that high job satisfaction tends to increase organizational commitment; whereas in cases of job dissatisfaction, their tendency to quit increases. However, considering that these relationships may vary across sectors, the necessity for empirically supported analyses becomes evident, particularly in high-risk and dynamic industries.

This study examines the effects of job satisfaction and motivation factors on intention to leave the job and organizational commitment of airline employees working in the civil aviation sector in Turkey. Accordingly, data were collected from 422 airline employees through a questionnaire as a quantitative research method. Validity and reliability analyses of the research's scales revealed that their reliability was 0.924; the relationships between variables were tested with structural equation modeling.

The analysis's conclusion was that organizational commitment is significantly enhanced by job fulfillment, while also significantly reducing intention to leave the job. Conversely, it was discovered that while employee motivation may have indirect impacts on organizational commitment, it does not significantly affect it directly. These findings reveal that job satisfaction plays a central role especially in sectors such as civil aviation where service quality is largely based on human factors.

In this regard, the research both contributes to the theoretical literature and offers practical recommendations for shaping human resource management policies. The strategies to be developed may enhance employee satisfaction and, in turn, support the sustainable success of airline companies.

Conceptual Framework

Job satisfaction pertains to the psychological responses—including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components—that an individual links to their work (Hulin & Judge, 2003). It is regarded as one of the key job attitudes that can be influenced by high levels of occupational stress and reflects an overall assessment of how suitable a person finds their job (Dartey-Baah et al., 2020).

Research on job satisfaction looks at how people are affected by their workplaces as well as how people are affected by their workplaces (Rowden, 2002).  According to Locke (1970), the idea of job satisfaction may be thought of as a comparison process where an employee assesses a circumstance or item against a standard they believe to be advantageous or excellent.   Job satisfaction is defined as "a pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one's job as achieving or facilitating the attainment of one's job values, particularly when these values are linked to recognition" by Locke, a renowned scholar who has extensively researched this concept (Schwepker, 2001). Job satisfaction comprises the set of attitudes employees hold toward their jobs. Job satisfaction is a critical factor in employee sustainability.  Employees with high job satisfaction represent a skilled workforce. Studies have demonstrated a favorable correlation between organizational success, customer satisfaction, and staff satisfaction (Stamolamprosa et al., 2019).

Motivation is an important subject that explains human behavior. Generally, it can be defined as the psychological processes that direct, initiate, and sustain action (Xiong & King, 2015).

The subjective assessment of the probability that an employee will leave the company in the near future is known as intention to quit. Takawira, Coetzee, and Schreuder (2014) define intention to resign as the desire to leave the company and look for work elsewhere. Using the intention to quit model, which attempts to explain the employees' conduct when they resign, Li, Kim, and Zhao (2017) first used intention to quit as a predictor of actual turnover behavior. The most reliable and direct indicator of employee turnover, according to earlier research, is the intention to leave (Dai et al., 2019).

Intention to quit is one of the most commonly discussed subjects in organizational commitment research. According to Arye and colleagues (1991), 37% of the variation in the desire to quit the company may be explained by commitment. Naturally, this is not applicable to all employees who consider leaving their organizations. Despite evidence suggesting that intentions are the best predictors of behavior, many individuals who think about quitting their jobs do not actually do so. Personality traits may influence behaviors associated with the intention to quit. Nevertheless, behavioral scientists generally consider intentions to quit as the most direct indicator of actual turnover behavior (Labatmediene et al., 2007).

Numerous definitions have been put up for the idea of organizational commitment, which has been seen as a variable of interest in and of itself. Changes in employment practices brought about by the global labor market and the growing number of options for qualified workers in the global economy have recently attracted more attention from academics (Jain et al., 2009).

Job satisfaction refers to the general level of satisfaction an individual has with their job and workplace. This satisfaction directly affects employees' attitudes towards the organization. Many studies in the literature reveal that individuals with high levels of job satisfaction develop greater emotional and organizational commitment to the organization. Analyses have shown that job satisfaction positively affects all dimensions of emotional, continuation and normative commitment. This shows that airline employees' satisfaction with their jobs contributes to establishing a longer-term and sincere bond with the organization.   

This premise is further supported by the results of our investigation.  It has been discovered that work satisfaction considerably lowers the likelihood of quitting a job. This situation shows that especially stressed and pressured airline employees have a significantly lower tendency to leave the job when their job satisfaction is high.    

However, our research revealed no meaningful connection between corporate commitment and employee motivation. This result shows that the motivation sources of employees in the civil aviation sector may be based more on individual or short-term factors; motivation may not be directly effective in developing a long-term commitment to the organization.  

However, this tendency is strongly correlated with the work environment, the nature of the tasks, and individual goals. In general, people who are highly motivated at work are less likely to quit, while people who are not as motivated are more likely to look for other positions.

Our research revealed no statistically significant correlation between motivation and quitting intention. This shows that motivation functions more towards personal success or economic goals rather than in the context of the organization and is insufficient to shape decisions to leave the job on its own.

Materials and Methods

 Purpose, Scope and Importance of the Research

The research was produced from the doctoral thesis prepared by Elçin YAKUPOĞLU (Advisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Canan TİFTİK). The study's primary goal is to ascertain how employee motivation and work satisfaction affect organizational commitment and desire to quit the aviation industry. In the study, the model created to reveal whether employee motivation and job satisfaction elements affect intention to leave the job and organizational commitment was tested with the help of structural equation modeling in order to achieve the measured purpose. In this context, the conceptual framework and theoretical background related to the variables used in the study were evaluated and the scope of the study was established in this way.   

Limitations of the Research

The main limitations are time and cost constraints. Another limitation in the scope of the research is the limitation caused by the sample. The maturity time of the research and the data collection process in the research coincided with COVID-19. This situation brought about a process where human interaction was reduced to minimum levels worldwide. Naturally, the data was collected through online platforms.

 Hypotheses and Model of the Research

H1a: The motivation levels of airline employees influence their continuance commitment.

H1b: The motivation levels of airline employees influence their affective commitment.

H1c: The motivation levels of airline employees influence their normative commitment.

H2: The motivation levels of airline employees influence their intention to quit.

H3: Employee retention is impacted by work satisfaction in the aviation industry.  

H4: Affective commitment is influenced by airline employees' job happiness.

H5: The job satisfaction of airline employees affects their normative commitment.

H6: The job satisfaction of airline employees affects their intention to quit.

Population and Sample of the Study

The population of the study consists of employees working in the civil aviation sector in Turkiye. A non-probability sampling method, specifically convenience sampling, was preferred for this research. Due to the dynamic nature of the sector and high employee turnover rates, it was challenging to determine the exact size of the population; therefore, the commonly accepted figure of 384 for an infinite population was taken as a reference. In light of this, data were collected from a total of 422 participants using the convenience sampling method. The data were analyzed using the Smart-PLS software. Of the 422 participants, initial pilot data were collected from 51 individuals, and the results obtained from this subset were presented as a pilot study.     

Data Collection Tools

In this study, quantitative research methodologies were employed.  Consequently, a questionnaire was used as the main instrument for gathering data. The questionnaire consisted of five sections: one section covered demographic variables, while the remaining four focused on scales measuring the study’s research variables. The second section of the questionnaire specifically included a scale designed to measure intention to quit.   This intention to quit scale was originally utilized by Harris et al. (2006). There are four items in all, and a five-point Likert scale was used for structuring. Confirmatory component analysis of the scale was performed under a single dimension that represented the intention to quit. A scale gauging the level of job satisfaction among workers in the civil aviation industry makes up the third component of the questionnaire. The original creators of the work satisfaction measure employed in the study were Martins and Proença (2012). The five-point Likert style was used to develop the scale, which included 20 items in total. It was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis under a single dimension representing job satisfaction. The fourth section of the questionnaire includes a scale measuring employee motivation among civil aviation personnel. The employee motivation scale employed in the study was developed by Tremblay et al. (2009). This scale consists of 18 items and was also structured using a five-point Likert format. It was analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis as a single-dimensional measure of employee motivation. Employees in the civil aviation industry, who make up the study population, are measured on organizational commitment using a scale in the fifth and final portion of the questionnaire.  Allen and Meyer created and executed the organizational commitment measure that was utilized in the research (1990).  The measure, which had 24 items, was created using a five-point Likert scale. The three aspects of continuation commitment, normative commitment, and emotional commitment were the subjects of confirmatory factor analysis (Table 1).  Online platforms were used to acquire the data, which was gathered online.  

Validity and Reliability of the Study

Table 1. Reliability Analysis Results of the Research Scale

Data Analysis

The data gathered for the study was analyzed using two different computer-aided statistical data analysis systems, SPSS and Smart-PLS.  Prior to doing the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis, SPSS was utilized to assess the reliability of the data and gather descriptive information about the participants. SPSS was preferred for these two analyses because it easily provides Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and presents frequency values related to demographic characteristics in a simple and systematic manner. For the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) of the six-factor structure tested in the study, the Smart-PLS program was used.

Different tests were used for the measurement and structural models in the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) study carried out with Smart-PLS tools. Results were given based on reliability (Cronbach's Alpha, Reliability Coefficient (Rho_A), and Composite Reliability) and validity (convergent and discriminant validity) values after the measurement model was tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. For the structural model testing, path analysis was employed. Hypotheses were tested based on t values, p values, and path coefficients obtained through this analysis. The results of the data analysis were reported in the findings section.

Results and Discussion

Conclusions on the participants' demographics and descriptive traits: It is significant to notice that there were more male participants (64.0%) than female participants (36.0%). In terms of age distribution, participants aged 45–59 (10.7%) and those aged 60 and above (1.2%) are in the minority, while the distribution across other age groups appears to be relatively homogeneous. When examining the educational background of the participants, it appears that more than half of the participants hold a bachelor's degree (63.3%). Additionally, a significant proportion of the participants have a postgraduate degree (25.1%).  In terms of marital status, the majority of participants are single (58.3%).  When income levels are examined, it is observed that most participants fall within the “3001–6500 Turkish Liras” range (42.2%).  Finally, regarding the participants’ length of service at their institutions, those with 0–5 years of service make up more than half of the total (55.7%). It can also be stated that the distribution of other service durations is relatively balanced.   

Table 2. Statements Used in the Study, Factor Loadings, and Their Status

Those with factor loadings below 0.60 were excluded (Table 2). The exclusion of these statements ensured that the other criteria supporting the consistency and significance of the model remained within the acceptable reference range (Şengel et al., 2022).

The analysis started with the measurement model in order to test the model developed within the parameters of the research.  Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was initially used in this situation.  The studies were conducted using the Smart-PLS Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) tool.  Six factors in all were used to conduct evaluations. As shown in (Table 3), the measurement model of the study indicates the formation of a six-variable structure. When examining (Table 4), it is observed that the measurement model in the study consists of a four-dimensional structure (Aloufi et al., 2022; BaSalamah et al., 2022; Hungund et al., 2022). Evaluations are conducted based on factor loadings and t-values (Karpov et al., 2023; Medvedev et al., 2023; Sapunova et al., 2023). The t-values of the items constituting the continuance commitment variable range from 1.610 to 3.002, while their factor loadings range from 0.644 to 0.882. The t-values of the items forming the affective commitment variable range from 3.022 to 35.757, and their factor loadings range from 0.615 to 0.885.  The t-values of the items pertaining to the normative commitment variable range from 2.999 to 9.903, while the factor loadings vary between 0.633 and 0.827. 

Table 3. Confirmatory Factor Analysis

For the variables beyond the dimensions of organizational commitment, evaluations are also conducted based on t-values and factor loadings.  When examining (Table 3), it is observed that the t-values of the items constituting the employee motivation variable range from 4.744 to 18.938, while the factor loadings range from 0.684 to 0.878.   The t-values of the items forming the job satisfaction variable range from 4.615 to 27.034, and their factor loadings range from 0.605 to 0.837.   Finally, the t-values of the items related to the intention to quit variable range from 20.660 to 27.065, while the factor loadings vary between 0.863 and 0.892. Based on all these findings, it can be stated that the factor loading values obtained from the study support the measurement model in accordance with both the essential criteria required by the Smart-PLS software and the core metrics of social sciences (Hair et al., 2010; Doğan, 2019).

Table 4. Fornell-Larcker Discriminant Validity Criterion

When examining the results (Table 4), the value for continuance commitment was determined to be 0.805, which is the highest value in its respective column. For the affective commitment variable, the diagonal value was found to be 0.725. This value is the highest (101) in both its column and row. For the third commitment variable, normative commitment, the value was identified as 0.740. As expected, this diagonal value—highlighted in bold—is the highest in its respective row and column. Among the variables representing the dimensions of organizational commitment, employee motivation (0.767), job satisfaction (0.751), and intention to quit (0.874) exhibited higher diagonal values compared to others. According to evaluations based on the Fornell-Larcker criterion, the condition of discriminant validity has been met in this study.

Table 5. Discriminant Validity of the HTMT Ratio

As a result of the conducted evaluations (Table 5), the HTMT values were found to range between 0.226 and 0.893. Based on the available data and the Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio values, it is evident that the Fornell-Larcker criterion values supporting discriminant validity have also been confirmed in the study.

Table 6. AVE coefficients for the variables

It was observed that the AVE values for all constructs were above 0.50 (Table 6). These values provide reference information that convergent validity has been established in the study.   

Table 7. Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficients for the Variables

For all variables, the reliability coefficients obtained from the three reliability analyses tested were found to be above 0.70 (Table 7). These reliability coefficients indicate that the condition of reliability has been met in the study. In fact, the benchmark value of 0.70 is widely accepted in the social sciences (Gudykunst & Hammer, 1988; Hong et al., 2012; Oldmeadow et al., 2013; Paraskevas et al., 2013). Similarly, this value is also considered acceptable for structural equation modeling analyses conducted via Smart-PLS (Doğan, 2019).

For the variables constituting the three dimensions of affective commitment, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated as 0.72 for the three items of continuance commitment, 0.78 for the five items of affective commitment, and 0.72 for the four items of normative commitment.  For the employee motivation variable, which consisted of seven items, the alpha value was found to be 0.88.  The Cronbach's alpha value for the work satisfaction variable, which included 15 items, was 0.94.  Finally, the alpha value for the three-item intention to quit variable was determined to be 0.85.    

For the variables representing the three dimensions of affective commitment, the Reliability Coefficient (Rho_A) was calculated as 0.79 for the three items of continuance commitment, 0.85 for the five items of affective commitment, and 0.74 for the four items of normative commitment. The Rho_A value for the employee motivation variable, which consisted of seven items, was found to be 0.90. For the job satisfaction variable, composed of fifteen items, this value was 0.95. Finally, the intention to quit variable, measured through three items, had a Reliability Coefficient (Rho_A) value of 0.85.  

For the variables representing the three dimensions of affective commitment, the composite reliability values were calculated as 0.84 for the three items of continuance commitment, 0.85 for the five items of affective commitment, and 0.83 for the four items of normative commitment. The composite reliability value for the employee motivation variable, measured through seven items, was found to be 0.91. For the job satisfaction variable, which consisted of fifteen items, this value was calculated as 0.95. Lastly, the intention to quit variable, composed of three items, yielded a composite reliability value of 0.91. 

Structural Model

To evaluate the model's capacity for prediction, Q² values were examined. Generally, it is expected that Q² values be greater than zero.  The model's predictive value in the current investigation varied depending on how the dependent variables and the two independent variables (113) were related. While the predictive power was high for job satisfaction, it was found to be low for employee motivation (Chen & Huang, 2019). This finding is also clearly reflected in the level of support observed for the related hypotheses. Furthermore, the f² values presented in Table.  Show how well the independent variables in the model can explain the data, and the findings imply that these f2 values are also in line with research outcomes that are deemed acceptable (Doğan, 2019).

After doing route analyses for this study, it was shown that employee motivation had no effect on organizational commitment. For the three aspects of commitment—normative, continuation, and emotional commitment—this impact was not seen.   The goal was to show that corporate commitment and employee motivation were linearly related.  However, studies conducted in different fields have demonstrated such a relationship. In their research of engineers, for example, Salleh et al. (2016) found a favorable correlation between organizational commitment and job motivation.  Ultimately, it can be concluded that companies must increase job motivation if they want to raise employee commitment levels.

Conclusion

According to the results of the study, employee motivation among airline personnel does not appear to influence their intention to leave the job. In organizational structures of businesses operating at many sectors, a non-linear interaction is typically expected between employee motivation and intention to quit.   Employees with higher motivation are less likely to consider leaving their jobs. Nevertheless, there isn't much research looking at this link in the world of civil aviation. One such study, carried out by Sever (2017), showed that work processes might be impacted by employee motivation. The paucity of studies examining the relationship between motivation and intention to leave (or the propensity to change occupations) in the civil aviation industry may be the reason for the absence of a meaningful association found in this study. Additionally, this may be resulted from different sector dynamics of the civil aviation and the relatively high mobility of airline employees. Furthermore, an examination of the demographic distribution in the present study reveals a predominantly younger age group. This may influence loyalty levels and, consequently, intention to leave the job. It is worth noting that numerous studies across different fields have established a relationship between these two variables (Badrieva et al., 2023; Bisri et al., 2023; Saada et al., 2023; Karim et al., 2024; Mohammad et al., 2024; Rohmani et al., 2024).     

From the standpoint of job satisfaction, it was discovered that while job satisfaction among airline employees positively impacted both normative and affective commitment, it had no influence on organizational commitment for continuity commitment. In the civil aviation industry, prior research has also shown that work satisfaction has an impact on organizational commitment. The organizational commitment of workers in the civil aviation sector was found to be positively impacted by job satisfaction in this study.  Notably, the assessments were carried out directly in terms of total organizational commitment rather than using the organizational commitment scale's sub-dimensions.

The desire of airline workers to quit their jobs is also influenced by their level of job satisfaction. Additionally, the link between intention to leave the work and other relevant factors is mediated by job satisfaction.   

Acknowledgments: The authors would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to their family for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout this research journey. Their belief in the authors has been a constant source of motivation and strength.

Conflict of Interest: None

Financial Support: None

Ethics Statement: None