WSEAS Transactions on Business and Economics
Print ISSN: 1109-9526, E-ISSN: 2224-2899
Volume 23, 2026
Leadership Styles and Turnover Intention: A Narrative Review of Relational Mechanisms and Contextual Moderators
Authors: , , ,
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Abstract: This narrative review aims to integrate 27 empirical research articles from 2012 to 2025 to examine the effects of transformational, authentic, inclusive, paternalistic and strategic leadership on the turnover intention (TI) of employees. Results indicate that there is a significant indirect effect of leadership on TI through perceived supervisor support, job satisfaction, organisational commitment, psychological safety, and work engagement. These mechanisms differ across sectors (e.g., transactional, emotional-labour, knowledge intensive) and cultures (collectivism, power distance, institutional formality). The review suggests a multi-level model, with leadership serving as the distal factor influencing TI through relational climates in the context of the cultural context and sectoral, and recommends for longitudinal investigation of the model and multi-group studies.
Keywords:
Leadership styles, turnover intention, perceived supervisor support, psychological safety, transformational leadership, authentic leadership, inclusive leadership, cultural moderation
Pages: 889-901
DOI: 10.37394/23207.2026.23.69