Distributive Justice, Goal Clarity, and Turnover Intention
Do Leadership Styles Matter
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22006202 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kuk-Kyoung Moon (0000-0002-3019-688X, Inha University), Jaeyoung Lim (Chosun University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SAGE Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21582440261416729 |
| OpenAlex | W7126077913 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 58 |
Although employee motivation and organizational outcomes often hinge on leadership behaviors, little empirical research has examined how leadership styles influence the links between distributive justice, goal clarity, and turnover intention in the public sector. Employing equity theory and goal-setting theory, the present study investigates how distributive justice and goal clarity relate to turnover intention. Based on social exchange theory, it also explores transactional and transformational leadership as moderating factors. Relying on a survey of South Korean government employees, the findings reveal that distributive justice is negatively associated with turnover intention, whereas goal clarity exhibits no significant direct effect. Furthermore, transactional leadership diminishes the negative link between distributive justice and turnover intention, while transformational leadership mitigates the positive link between goal clarity and turnover intention. These findings indicate that leadership styles shape how fairness perceptions and goal management relate to employees’ intentions to stay, providing insights into the complex motivational processes underlying workforce stability in public organizations
CLARITY · Distributive justice · Empirical research · Leadership style · Procedural justice · Transactional leadership · Transformational leadership · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Public Policy and Administration Research
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |