Promoting meaningfulness in work for higher job satisfaction: Will intent to quit make trouble for business managers?

Purpose – Limited empirical research has been conducted on the mediational influence of employees’ intent to quit (IQ) and strategic human resource management (SHRM) to examine meaningfulness in work (MW) and job satisfaction (JS). Applying the psychological contract theory (PCT), this paper aims to explore the relationships among SHRM, IQ, MW, and JS; and the mediational influence of IQ on the relationship between SHRM and MW. Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines a proposed hypothesised model with a two-stage technique of structural equation modelling, including four propositions. A web-based survey including a pilot test was directed to collect data targeting a sample of 200 full time Bangladeshi employees. Findings – The results indicate that SHRM has significant effects on employees’ IQ and MW, and IQ has a partial mediational impact on the direct relationship between SHRM and MW. Moreover, employees’ IQ on MW was negative, and MW on JS was significantly positive among Bangladeshi employees. Practical implications – This paper suggests that organisations aiming higher MW and JS should encourage SHRM and align their HRM functions accordingly. Furthermore, the implications of the study results can help organisations and HR managers to recognise the adverse effects of IQ on MW and the effective implementation of SHRM for higher MW and JS. Originality/value – Despite the significant relationship between HRM and employee motivation, limited empirical research has been conducted on the mediational influence of IQ from PCT. Therefore, this paper examines the unique mediational role of IQ on the relationship between SHRM and MW, which has not been utterly observed from a developing nation’s employee perspective.