Employee Relations

Mediator analysis of job embeddedness: Relationship between work-life balance

practices and turnover intentions
Shweta Jaiswal Thakur, Jyotsna Bhatnagar,
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ER
39,5
718
Received 21 November 2016
Revised 29 March 2017
10 May 2017
Accepted 10 May 2017
Downloaded by Auckland University of Technology At 00:24 31 March 2018 (PT)
Employee Relations
Vol. 39 No. 5, 2017
pp. 718-731
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/ER-11-2016-0223
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
Mediator analysis of job
embeddedness
Relationship between work-life balance
practices and turnover intentions
Shweta Jaiswal Thakur
FPM, Management Development Institute, Gurugram, India, and
Jyotsna Bhatnagar
HRM, Management Development Institute, Gurugram, India
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating effect of job embeddedness on the
relationship between work-life balance practices (WLBP), which include accessibility (AWLBP), current
utilisation (CWLBP) and perceived future use (FWLBP) of these practices, as well as employees’ intentions to
stay (ITS). This research is based on conservation of resources theory.
Design/methodology/approach – This study uses a survey method and a structured questionnaire to
collect data from people working in diverse industries. A regression analysis is used to measure the direct
effects of the hypothesised relationships. The Sobel test and Baron and Kenny mediation analysis were used
to measure the indirect effects of the hypothesised relationship.
Findings – AWLBP, CWLBP and FWLBP are found to foster job embeddedness and turnover intention. Job
embeddedness fully mediates the relationship between AWLBP, CWLBP, FWLBP and ITS.
Practical implications – Human resources (HR) managers should introduce WLBP to create a web of
contextual and perceptual forces that embed employees in the organisation and encourage them to stay.
Factors that affect employee attraction and retention change with time, career and life stage; therefore, it is
important to assess the future needs of employees to augment retention. HR managers should proactively
attempt to enhance embeddedness by offering customised WLBP and by dealing with the signs of low
embeddedness before it results in voluntary turnover.
Originality/value – This study attempts to integrate two streams of research (job embeddedness and
WLBP), which, despite being similar in focus, have developed independently of each other. This is one of the
first studies to incorporate access to, utilisation and perceived future use of these practices in a single study.
It also adds to the literature by investigating antecedents of job embeddedness and analysing it as a mediator
between WLBP and ITS, which has been highlighted as a gap in the literature.
Keywords Retention, Turnover intention, Conservation of resources theory, Talent management,
Job embeddedness, Work-life balance practices
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Attracting and retaining talented people is becoming increasingly difficult as a result of specific
demographic and psychological trends (Dries, 2013, p. 273).
In the knowledge era, employees have become a source of competitive advantage (Glen, 2006;
Lumley et al., 2011). In order to survive and thrive, organisations need to attract the best talent
and make every effort to retain them (Vidal-Salazar et al., 2016). Cost and negative impact of
turnover is sufficiently explored in the literature (Allen et al., 2010). A significant amount of
literature exists on “why people leave” (turnover); however, scholars have pointed out that
there is scarce literature on “why people stay” (Kilburn and Kilburn, 2008; Zhao and Liu, 2010;
Karatepe, 2013). Mitchell et al. (2001) introduced the concept of job embeddedness, which
focusses on why people stay and describes the feeling of being stuck or enmeshed in a social
system due to various external or contextual forces. This study attempts to expand this work
by testing if job embeddedness is a mediator of the relationship between work-life balance
practices (WLBP) and employees’ intentions to stay (ITS).
 WLBP was chosen for this study because the literature highlights its significance in the Mediator
current era. Work-life balance (WLB) is a strategic issue that has become an important part analysis of job
of employee retention strategies (Cappelli, 2000; Jeffrey Hill et al., 2008; SHRM, 2010a, b). embeddedness
Employees are increasingly concerned about work-life issues, and it is becoming vital for
employees, their families and organisations (Bourhis and Mekkaoui, 2010). A recent survey
distributed in the USA, UK, Canada, France and India, among many others, showed that
WLB is the main career aspiration of respondents (Right Management, 2015). Another 719
survey revealed that poor WLB leads to dissatisfaction and job switch behaviour (Time Job
Survey, 2016). Allen et al. (2013) performed a meta-analysis that highlighted the significance
of WLBP for managing work and non-work responsibilities, which showed that WLBP
helps organisations attract and retain talent. It also helps employees reduce job-related
stress and increase job satisfaction. However, at the operational level its usage is often not
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appreciated and is understood as a sign of low commitment (Leslie et al., 2012). Previous
studies (Budd and Mumford, 2006; Berg et al., 2014; Allen et al., 2013) have examined
the differences between availability, accessibility and utilisation of WLBP. For example,
availability does not necessarily mean that employees’ have access to these practices for
use (Allen et al., 2013). Other researchers (Budd and Mumford, 2006; Berg et al., 2014) have
suggested that utilisation of these practices should be incorporated into future studies.
Furthermore, the literature on turnover ignores its dynamic and unfolding nature. Time and
change are two important elements of this dynamic perspective. While the benefits of using
this dynamic perspective are clear in other areas of psychology and business literature
(Vallacher and Nowak, 1994; Marion, 1999), studies that use this perspective to examine
turnover are scarce (Duan, 2007). This study attempts to bridge this gap in the literature by
using conservation of resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1989) to argue that accessibility
(AWLBP), current utilisation (CWLBP) and perceived future use (FWLBP) of WLBP leads
to job embeddedness and, ultimately, ITS. This study aims to demonstrate that job
embeddedness is an explanatory variable in the relationship between WLBP and ITS.

Purpose and need

The purpose of this study is to propose a model that examines whether AWLBP, CWLBP
and FWLBP influence turnover intentions indirectly through job embeddedness.
Specifically, this study aims to test the impact of AWLBP, CWLBP and FWLP on job
embeddedness and job embeddedness as a mediating variable between WLBP and ITS.
A review of the literature suggests that studies on antecedents of job embeddedness
are scarce. Until now, only four studies have investigated the relationship between human
resources (HR) practices, job embeddedness and turnover intention (Allen, 2006;
Bergiel et al., 2009; Hom et al., 2009; Bambacas and Kulik, 2013). Wheeler et al. (2010) show
that job embeddedness is an important retention strategy that is important to understand
as a mediating variable. Ng and Feldman (2011) also suggested further investigation into
what causes employees to become embedded in an organisation. Holtom et al. (2012)
support this argument by emphasising the importance of studying the antecedents of job
embeddedness. Meanwhile, Lee et al. (2014) examine the types of HR practices that
augment or reduce embeddedness and which HR practices reduce turnover with
organisation’s turnover being the criterion. Their study also attempts to study other areas
of HR practices and their effects on turnover intention via job embeddedness,
as suggested by other researchers (Erich et al., 2009; Hom et al., 2009; Bambacas and
Kulik, 2013). Additionally Lee et al. (2014) linked future embeddedness with the theoretical
lens of COR theory.
The majority of the findings on job embeddedness are largely dependent on western-based
studies (Karatepe, 2011). Researchers have called for more studies on job embeddedness in
Asian countries (Slåtten et al., 2011; Ramesh and Gelfand, 2010; Lee et al., 2014). As this study
 ER is conducted in India, it addresses the research gap of studies to be conducted in non-western-
39,5 based context. The findings of this study will also help HR managers acquire and retain
employees by taking steps to invest in WLBP to increase their employees’ job embeddedness,
which is an employee retention strategy that hinders employees’ intentions to leave.
Therefore, it is important to examine and elucidate the effects of WLBP on job embeddedness,
which this study aims to do.
720 This study will also contribute to WLB theory by introducing an intervening variable
between WLBP and turnover intention, which will help researchers understand how WLBP
creates contextual forces that embed employees in organisations and makes it difficult for
them to leave, thus improving retention. Eaton (2003) highlights the difference between
formal and informal flexibility policies, as well as the lack of utilisation of these flexible
practices. Utilisation is a significant construct that has received sparse attention in the
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literature on WLB programmes. Many scholars have referenced the gap between AWLBP
and CWLBP (Allen et al., 2013; Berg et al., 2014) and have suggested studying the usage of
these practices in future studies (Budd and Mumford, 2006; Butts et al., 2013). This study is
one of the first to incorporate AWLBP, CWLBP and FWLBP in a single study. Finally, this
study attempts to integrate these two streams of research, i.e. WLB and job embeddedness,
which share a similar focus (Ng and Feldman, 2012).

Theoretical framework and hypothesis development

WLBP and ITS
WLBP are defined as work options that provide flexibility in terms of where and when work
is conducted (Rau and Hyland, 2002; Allen et al., 2013). The term WLBP usually refers to
practices, such as support for dependent care, flexible work options and personal leaves
(Estes and Michael, 2005). Turnover intention is defined as an individual’s informed and
unforced willingness to leave an organisation (Griffeth et al., 2000; Lu et al., 2016) and is a
significant antecedent of the turnover decision (Aladwan et al., 2013).

WLBP and job embeddedness

In COR theory, resources hold value that embed employees either because they represent the
ends or the means to attain desired resources in a given context (Halbesleben et al., 2014).
Resources can be both tangible and intangible, and they can reside within an individual or in
a social context (e.g. HR practices or family). This study highlights contextual variables,
such as WLBP, that foster embeddedness among employees.
Mitchell et al. (2001) conducted an executive review that emphasised the importance of
WLB programmes and their relationships with embeddedness. One survey in their study
highlighted the importance of flexible work hours in generating better fit between
employees and organisations. Even strategies, such as alternative work schedules, part-time
work options and other alternatives, gave people an opportunity to synchronise their work
with their off-the-job activities. The theory of work adjustment refers to the fit between the
work environment and the employee’s and has been defined as a process where employees
fulfil the needs of the organisation (e.g. through performing work tasks) and the
organisation fulfils the needs of the employees (e.g. through extending WLBP or other
rewards). When this relationship is realised, employees make a greater effort to maintain the
relationship (stay) by demonstrating work adjustment (Schreuder and Coetzee, 2009). Social
network theory explains how social ties between employees and organisations are formed.
Social ties are found to influence economic decisions (Sozen, 2012), making it important to
analyse the connections that employees have with people, activities and life events on and off
the job. Furthermore, Mitchell et al. (2001) emphasise the frequent usage of on-site
childcare support and weekend day care centres. They refer to a childcare report that showed
27 per cent of applicants who applied for jobs mentioned day care as a major attraction.
 This signals the accumulation of resources for future use by potential employees, as Mediator
suggested by COR theory, which suggests that “people invest resources in order to protect analysis of job
against resource loss, recover from losses, and gain resources” (Hobfoll, 2001, p. 349). embeddedness
Mitchell et al. (2001) show that employee turnover is much lower (2.2 per cent) among those
who use day care centres, compared to non-users (9.5 per cent). This paper proposes that
utilisation of these practices results in higher embeddedness because usage (e.g. connections
with childcare support, utilising flex-time and work-from-home options to meet personal 721
needs) will help to create a web of forces in which users become stuck, compared to merely
accessing these practices. WLBP involves significant interactions between employer
representatives and employees. Furthermore, it is important that WLBP is customised to the
needs of the employee and creates meaningful opportunities to establish contextual forces that
embed the employee in the organisation. Therefore, we hypothesise that:
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H1. AWLBP is positively related to job embeddedness.

H2. CWLBP is positively related to job embeddedness.
H3. FWLBP is positively related to job embeddedness.

Job embeddedness as a mediator between WLBP and ITS

Job embeddedness is considered a key mediator between on-the-job factors (Holtom and
Inderrieden, 2006) and withdrawal behaviours by employees. Work-related sources of
support, such as WLBP, are vital for creating job embeddedness, which results in positive
work-related attitudes and behaviours by employees. Organisational practices (WLBP) that
address these issues (e.g. flexible work hours and childcare facilities) may enhance
employees’ sense of fit and sacrifice because the employee would have to let go of these
benefits if they wanted to leave the position or the organisation (Casper and Buffardi, 2004).
Therefore, we expect that job embeddedness will mediate the effect of WLBP on ITS.
Employees find themselves a better fit, as the presence and utilisation of these facilities
creates a supportive culture that might not be found elsewhere, thus contributing to a
feeling of loss. In a broader context, flexibility allows employees to participate in non-work
activities and increase community embeddedness. We expect that job embeddedness
mediates WLBP and intention to stay, similar to other researchers (Lee et al., 2004; Mitchell
et al., 2001; Harris et al., 2011) who have argued that organisational practices help to develop
job embeddedness, which leads to organisational outcomes. Based on the COR theory,
we hypothesise that employees’ motivations to obtain and protect resources explain why
employees become embedded in organisations and provide context for their behaviours
once they are embedded in the system. The conceptual model presented in this study
highlights the contextual antecedents that clarify how employees become embedded.
Therefore, we present the following hypothesis:
H4. Job embeddedness mediates the relationship between AWLBP and ITS.
Hobfoll (1989) uses COR theory to reveal the sources of stress and coping strategies that
individuals are most likely to use in stressful situations. The COR theory puts forward two
principles: the primacy of resource loss, which reflects the fear of giving up existing benefits
and resource investment, which suggests that employees invest (stay) in order to
accumulate resources to meet current and future demands and protect against future losses.
Hobfoll (2001) suggests 74 types of work and non-work-related resources (e.g. support from
co-workers and time for loved ones), which are similar to work-life theory and job
embeddedness (on-the-job and off-the-job embeddedness). This theory suggests that
individuals are motivated to acquire, protect and retain resources. In the context of the
current study, this would mean that employees would aim to acquire, protect and retain
 ER WLB benefits because it would help them manage their work and family lives better, which
39,5 would affect their stress levels and encourage them to avoid situations (turnover) that would
result in loss of valued resources. Actual and perceived loss of resources result in
psychological stress (Brotheridge and Lee, 2002). Therefore, from the perspective of COR
theory, employees should try to acquire and retain the benefits that they are currently using,
as well as the ones that they plan to use in the future. Ng and Feldman (2011) suggest that
722 employees become embedded in their organisations partially to develop surplus resources to
deal with future stress or loss of resources (e.g. an employee planning for a child in the near
future may want to stay with their organisation because it has childcare benefits).
Halbesleben and Wheeler (2008) identify a potential link between COR theory and job
embeddedness, although there is scarce literature on what types of work resources are more
likely to augment embeddedness (Harris et al., 2011). Therefore, we hypothesise (Figure 1):
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H5. Job embeddedness mediates the relationship between CWLBP and ITS.
H6. Job embeddedness mediates the relationship between FWLBP and ITS.

Research methods
Sample
This study used a survey and a structured questionnaire to collect data from people
working in diverse industries, such as information technology, banking, outsourcing and
manufacturing. Different industries were included because they contributed to the
generalisability of the results (Ostroff, 2007). A link containing the online questionnaire was
sent to 120 HR professionals in the above-mentioned industries in India who were requested
to pass the survey on to their employees, resulting in 209 usable questionnaires.
The questionnaire did not contain compulsory questions about identity and the participants
were assured that their anonymity and confidentiality would be maintained. Among the
participants, 112 (53.58 per cent) were male and 97 (46.41 per cent) were female. The average
age of the participants was 29.92 years, the average work experience of the participants was
67.48 months and their average tenure in the organisation was 42.32 months.

Measures
Job embeddedness: a seven-item scale developed by Crossley et al. (2007) was administered to
measure job embeddedness. A sample from the scale is: “It would be difficult for me to leave
my organisation”. The aggregated measure was preferred because past literature exploring
the relationship between HR practices and turnover intention used this measure (Allen, 2006;
Bergiel et al., 2009; Hom et al., 2009) with the exception of Bambacas and Kulik (2013).

+(H1) Job
AWLBP
Embeddedness

CWLBP +(H2)

+(H3) Intention to stay

(ITS)
FWLBP

+(H4) Mediation AWLBP - Job Embeddedness - ITS

Figure 1.
Theoretical +(H5) Mediation CWLBP - Job Embeddedness - ITS
model of the study +(H6) Mediation FWLBP - Job Embeddedness - ITS
 The Cronbach’s α for this scale was 0.90, and job embeddedness was measured using a Mediator
five-point Likert scale (1 ¼ strongly disagree, 5 ¼ strongly agree). analysis of job
ITS: intention to stay with an organisation was measured using the four-item scale embeddedness
developed by Mitchel (1981). A sample item from the scale is: “I plan to be with the company
for quite a while”. The Cronbach’s α score for this measure was 0.83, and ITS was measured
using a five-point Likert scale (1 ¼ strongly disagree, 5 ¼ strongly agree).
WLBP index: the practices that formed the WLBP index were derived from prior 723
research (Becker and Huselid, 1998; Ezra and Deckman, 1996; Saltzstein et al., 2001;
Schmidt and Duenas, 2002; Bond and Galinsky, 2006; Wolf et al., 1994; Facer and
Wadsworth, 2008). The survey provided three checklists of six WLBP items and the
respondents were asked to choose the practices that they had access to in their
organisations ( first checklist), the practices they were currently using (second checklist)
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and the practices they planned to use in the future (third checklist; Allen, 2001; Masuda
et al., 2012). The WLBP included following in the list: childcare assistance (on-site
childcare facilities, near-site day care, childcare referral services, subsidised childcare,
emergency childcare leave, childcare assistance (tie ups) and bringing a child to work in
case of emergency), flex-time ( flexible work hours, leaving early and arriving late in case
of emergency and choice of days off ), telecommute or working from home in case of
emergencies, compressed and part-time work hours, maternity, paternity and adoption
leave beyond what is required by law, personal leave of absence (time off for personal
reasons, including specialised experiences, family issues, and extenuating personal needs,
as well as marriage leaves, compassionate leaves and bereavement leaves). The range of
this index was 0 to 6. The number of practices were added to form an additive index in
order to be consistent with the literature (Osterman, 1995; Konrad and Mangel, 2000;
Macky and Boxall, 2007; Masuda et al., 2012; Chami-Malaeb and Garavan, 2013).
The WLBP index does not assume a causal relationship between items; therefore, it is not
necessary for the items to be highly inter-correlated (Wright and Boswell, 2002), and
reliability statistics would not be appropriate (Delery, 1998).

Results
Descriptive statistics
Table I provides a descriptive analysis of the study. The correlation results confirmed that
the model could be tested for mediation.

Consistency of the instrument

The Harman single-factor test was conducted to address the issue of common method
variance, as identified by Podsakoff et al. (2003). The results revealed only 45.62 per cent
variance for a single factor. The items were also intermingled to create a natural distracter
and reduce common method bias (Som, 2008). A confirmatory factor analysis was
performed using Amos version 22.00 to assess the model fit. In line with the literature, the
maximum likelihood estimation was used to determine the fit indices. The literature

Mean SD 1 2 3 4 5

1. AWLBP 3.89 0.79

2. CWLBP 2.78 0.81
Table I.
3. FWLBP 3.61 0.69 Means, standard
4. JE 2.94 0.72 0.299** 0.304** 0.197** (0.905) deviations, correlation
5. ITS 2.52 0.85 0.215** 0.227** 0.141* 0.681** (0.832) and reliability
Notes: n ¼ 209. *,**Correlation is significant at the 0.05 and 0.01 levels (two-tailed), respectively statistics
 ER recommends that the values of these indices (GFI, TLI, NFI, CFI and RFI) should be W0.90.
39,5 Similarly, an RMSEA value of less than 0.07 is considered a good fit (Hair et al., 1998).
The model fit was achieved because the GFI, TLI, NFI, CFI and RFI values were above 0.90.
Finally, the normed χ2 value was 1.74 and the RMSEA was 0.06, which indicates a
well-fitting model (Table II).

724 Hypothesis testing

Mediation
Mediation was assessed using the maximum likelihood estimation algorithm (Wood et al., 2008).
Conceptually, the SEM procedure for testing mediation is similar to the four-step mediation
analysis suggested by Baron and Kenny (1986). However, scholars (Preacher and Hayes, 2004;
Shrout and Bolger, 2002) have recently pointed out potential flaws in Baron and Kenny’s (1986)
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approach to testing mediation effects because it does not explicitly present the numerical value
of the significance of the indirect (mediated) effects. Therefore, this study used both the
approaches of Baron and Kenny (1986) and Preacher and Hayes (2004, 2008) to test the
mediation effects. The study specifically used Sobel test to estimate the mediation effect
(Preacher and Hayes, 2004; Jou et al., 2013) (Table III).
The first step in the mediation analysis revealed that AWLBP was significantly and
positively related to ITS (β ¼ 0.23, p o 0.002). In the second step, AWLBP and job
embeddedness showed a significant relationship (β ¼ 0.273, p o 0.000). In the third step,
job embeddedness and ITS showed a positive and significant relationship (β ¼ 0.803,
p o 0.000). Finally, the results of the fourth step confirmed that job embeddedness fully
mediated the relationship between AWLBP and ITS (β ¼ 0.013 p o 0.816). Hence, the first
and fourth hypotheses were accepted. We ran a similar analysis for CWLBP, which
showed that CWLBP and ITS were significantly related (β ¼ 0.241, p o 0.001).
Furthermore, CWLBP and job embeddedness had a positive and significant
relationship (β ¼ 0.272, p o 0.000). Finally, the results of the final step confirmed that
job embeddedness fully mediated the relationship between CWLBP and ITS (β ¼ 0.024,
p o 0.670). FWLBP and ITS were significantly related (β ¼ 0.174, p o 0.041), and FWLBP
and job embeddedness had a positive and significant relationship (β ¼ 0.205, p o 0.004).
The results of the final step confirmed that job embeddedness fully mediated the
relationship between FWLBP and ITS (β ¼ 0.009, p o 0.883). The Sobel test results were
also found to be significant (see Table IV ).

Model RMR GFI NFI RFI IFI TLI CFI RMSEA CMIN/df

Model fit 0.031 0.938 0.936 0.917 0.979 0.972 0.979 0.047 1.45
Notes: RMR, root mean square residual; GFI, goodness of fit index; NFI, normed fit index; RFI, relative fit
Table II. indices; IFI, incremental fit index; TLI, Tucker Lewis index; CFI, comparative fit indices; RMSEA, root mean
Fit indices square error of approximation and CMIN/df, χ2/df

Variables Direct effect Indirect effect Mediation result Hypothesis result

AWLBP-JE-ITS 0.23 ( p o 0.002) 0.013 ( p o0.816) Full mediation H1, H4 accepted

Table III. CWLBP-JE-ITS 0.241 ( p o 0.001) 0.024 ( p o0.670) Full mediation H2, H5 accepted
Mediation and FWLBP-JE-ITS 0.174 ( p o 0.041) 0.009 ( p o0.883) Full mediation H3, H6 accepted
hypothesis result Source: Baron and Kenny (1986)
 Discussion Mediator
This study aimed to examine the relationship between AWLBP, CWLBP, FWLBP and job analysis of job
embeddedness, and job embeddedness as a mediating variable between WLBP and ITS. embeddedness
The results presented above show that job embeddedness fully mediates the relationship
between AWLBP, CWLBP, FWLBP and ITS, which means that access to these practices,
their usage and possibility of using them in the future create contextual and perceptual
forces that embed employees in the organisation, thus making it more difficult to leave the 725
organisation. This study used COR theory as the underlying theory to synthesise the job
embeddedness and WLBP literature. The results demonstrated that AWBLP, CWLBP and
FWLBP fostered job embeddedness, which was in line with COR theory. This finding is in
line with a study conducted by Harris et al. (2011), which also used the COR theory to find
that the relationships between leader-member exchange and job satisfaction and turnover
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intention and actual turnover were mediated by job embeddedness. An abundance of

literature has shown that WLBP is associated with job satisfaction and withdrawal
intention (Kanwar et al., 2009; Scandura and Lankau, 1997; Batt and Valcour, 2003).
However, this study demonstrated that job embeddedness is an intermediary mechanism
that explains how WLBP affects ITS. Drawing from COR theory, WLBP are resources that
embed employees in the organisation and encourage them to stay in order to accumulate
and avoid loss of resources.

Theoretical implications
This study aimed to show how COR theory could offer a parsimonious explanation for the
mounting nomological network by relating job embeddedness to its various antecedents and
outcomes. This theory successfully explains why employees stay with organisations to
retain resources that hold intrinsic or instrumental values because resource loss is stressful
(Halbesleben et al., 2014). Our conceptual model, which is grounded in COR theory, identified
the mediating mechanisms, namely acquiring and protecting resources, which explain how
job embeddedness works and addresses the lack of integrative theory underpinning this
construct (Lee et al., 2014; Kiazad et al., 2015). This lens offers a new way of understanding
job embeddedness, which adds to the literature by investigating the antecedents of job
embeddedness and analysing it as a mediator between WLBPs and ITS in an Asian country
that has been highlighted as gap in the literature. The literature on FWLBP is very scarce;
therefore, this study adds to this area of research by associating it with job embeddedness
and ITS.
Inclusion of other HR practices, such as WLBP, in the conceptual model has enhanced
our understanding of job embeddedness as a mediator in the relationship between WLBP
and ITS. The research contributes to the WLB and turnover intention literature by studying
it through the lens of COR theory rather than social exchange theory, which has received
much of the attention so far (Baral and Bhargava, 2010; Beauregard and Henry, 2009). Social
exchange theory (Blau, 1964) posits that employees stay in organisations so they can
reciprocate the benefits received from the organisation. This theory establishes a steady
self-perpetuating system that is maintained through the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner,
1960); therefore, it is vital to identify the practices that help to create this equilibrium and

Dependent variable: intention to stay Sobel’s normal theory tests

Independent variables Indirect effects Z
Table IV.
AWLBP Job embeddedness 4.30 Results of mediation
CWLBP 4.35 test for hypothesised
FWLBP 2.82 relationships
 ER embed employees in this social exchange (Tanova and Holtom, 2008). A dearth of studies
39,5 have explored HR practices that foster job embeddedness and retention (Bergiel et al., 2009).
Therefore, this study contributes to the dynamic and unfolding nature of turnover by
incorporating the perceived future use of WLBP. Employees’ turnover decisions are not
determined solely by the factors that were significant at the time of joining; rather, these
factors change and evolve overtime. Anticipated events and shocks affect the psychological
726 and economic antecedents of turnover. Our model supports this dynamic perspective by
demonstrating that the possibility of using these practices in the future affects
embeddedness and retention.

Practical implications
One of the most important HRM challenges facing organisations is promoting
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embeddedness among employees (Tews et al., 2015) who expect that many of their needs
will be met through employment. When this does not happen, employees leave the
organisation. Managers need to be cognisant of the fact that WLBP does not directly affect
turnover, rather it embeds employees in the organisation and makes mobility more difficult.
Therefore, managers may introduce WLBP to help build deeper contextual and perceptual
forces that embed employees.
The overarching principle of job embeddedness is that situations and circumstances
exist that can make employees stay with organisations. If an employer is able to provide
resources to embed employees in the organisation, community or family, the employees
will be more likely to stay. However, the length of stay would increase if employers were
able to capture and cater to the future needs of employees. It is important for HR managers
to identify and address the needs of their workforce. WLB is about responding to
individual circumstances to help individuals fulfil their responsibilities and aspirations,
which leads to mutual benefit for the individual, business and society. Low et al. (2016)
show that the career stage of the individual also shapes their preference for relevant
contributions and inducements. This is in agreement with Twenges’ (2010) and Cowart
et al.’s (2014) findings that organisations need to provide flexibility and WLB in order to
recruit and retain employees.

Limitations and areas for future research

This study used cross-sectional data; therefore, future research scholars may choose to
conduct longitudinal studies to establish causal relationships and may use actual turnover
or tenure data to substantiate their findings. Furthermore, this study analysed the overall
effects of WLBPs on job embeddedness. Future studies may analyse the effects of individual
practices to determine what practices are most effective at embedding employees. Further
analysis using marital status, gender and responsibility for dependents could be conducted
to gain information that is more detailed. Since this study adopted a global measure of job
embeddedness, future studies could consider analysing the effect of WLBPs on different
dimensions (link, fit and sacrifice) for on- and off-the-job embeddedness. These studies may
choose to control for established predictors of turnover intentions, such as job satisfaction,
organisation commitment and job alternatives since prior literature has found a significant
relationship only in the case of off-the-job embeddedness (Lee et al., 2004). Researchers could
also examine the effects of additional areas of HR practices on job embeddedness, such as
being identified as a high-potential employee, socialisation tactics among existing
employees, strategic HR practices, team climate, etc. Finally, McDonald et al. (2013)
highlighted a gap between promises and practices. Qualitative studies in this area may be
helpful for identifying why this gap exists and suggest solutions to close it. Scholars may
also choose to look at these practices through different theoretical lenses in order to draw
new conclusions and conduct further research in the area of retention.
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Corresponding author
Shweta Jaiswal Thakur can be contacted at: shwetajaiswalhr@gmail.com

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