From Traits to Tenure: Unpacking the Role of Meaningful Work in Hospitality Turnover Intentions

Abstract

This conceptual study investigates the impact of personality traits on employee turnover intention within the hospitality industry, emphasizing the mediating role of meaningful work and the moderating role of transformational leadership. Grounded in the Theory of Purposeful Work Behaviour (TPWB), the study integrates insights from personality psychology and transformational leadership theory to propose a comprehensive framework. It explores how transformational leadership enhances employees’ perceptions of meaningful work, thereby influencing the relationship between individual personality dimensions and their intention to leave. The proposed model suggests that transformational leadership fosters a stronger sense of purpose, particularly among employees with traits such as conscientiousness and agreeableness, ultimately reducing turnover intention. Meaningful work acts as a crucial mediating mechanism, enabling personality traits to translate into greater job attachment when employees find alignment between their personal values and job roles. This framework offers novel insights into the interplay between personality, leadership, and meaningful work, with practical implications for leadership development and employee retention strategies in high-turnover sectors like hospitality.