The current research study investigated the relationship of the dependent variable employee intention to leave (ITL) employment among Registered Nurses (RNs), the independent variable leader-member high-quality social exchange (LMX), and a mediation variable organizational commitment (OC) as the independent variables on relationship between leader and follower which influenced RN intent to leave employment.
The theoretical construct of (LMX) high-quality formed the initial thrust for the study, as it aligned closely prior research concepts of organizational drivers, and with two-factor motivators of RN cognitive practice. Study respondents completed the (LMX-7) survey (see Appendix B) authored in Graen and Uhl-Bien (1995), which defined and measured leader-member relationship quality; the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6) (see Appendix C) which was designed and validated by Roodt (2004) to measure intention to turnover or intent to leave employment; as well as the Workgroup Affective Commitment Multidimensional Questionnaire – Short-Form (WACMQ-S), developed by Perreira et al. (2017) as it was proposed to define the organizational commitment within the healthcare worker community. Research findings suggested a relationship existed between the predictor variable LMX quality, with a positive and significant r = .368, (72) p < .01, (2-tailed) test paired with the control variable intention to leave (ITL); LMX quality and the mediator variable organizational commitment (OC), also revealed a strong positive correlation with a significant r = .608, (72) p < .01, (2-tailed). The control variable intention to leave (ITL) employment also indicated a strong positive relationship with the mediator variable OC with a strong positive and significant r = .571, (72) p < .01, (2-tailed).