Abstract Book of the 6th International Conference on Research in Human Resource Management
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Is Employee Eudaimonic Wellbeing a Panacea for Retention or Just a Perk? Redefining Eudaimonia and Its Impact on Turnover Intentions
Savvides Effie, Stavrou Eleni
ABSTRACT:
This study advances the understanding of employee eudaimonic wellbeing through the lens of the Broaden and Build Theory (BBT), which highlights how positive emotions, amongst other benefits, generate lasting psychological resources that enhance wellbeing. Employee eudaimonic wellbeing is conceptualized through three constructs: meaningfulness, virtue, and personal growth. Meaningfulness includes psychological meaningfulness, meaning-making through work, and motivations tied to the greater good. Virtue is reflected by employee character strengths, while personal growth is framed as an evolving process shaped by the work to life and life to work spillover. BBT further explains how these elements interact synergistically, where positive emotions fuel self-reflection and continuous growth. This dynamic helps employees align their internal values with external goals, fostering sustainable development. However, without virtue, the pursuit of personal growth may become self-serving rather than purpose-driven, leading to stagnation. A key organizational challenge is employee turnover, which impacts performance, resource allocation, and tacit knowledge retention. Reducing turnover enhances stability, lowers recruitment costs, and fosters a more engaged workforce. This study employs Structural Equation Modeling using data from 400 Amazon Mechanical Turk workers to validate a model measuring employee eudaimonic wellbeing and study its impact on employee turnover intentions. Results reveal a strong negative relationship between eudaimonic wellbeing and turnover intentions, emphasizing the critical role of eudaimonia in employee retention. By cultivating eudaimonia at work, organizations can create environments that enhance individual fulfillment while mitigating turnover, ultimately benefiting both employees and the organization.
Keywords: Meaningfulness, Personal Growth, Tenure, Virtue