Value Compatibility: Work–Family Conflict, Psychological Ownership, Person–Organisation Value Congruence and Turnover Intention amongst Chinese Social Workers

Abstract

Abstract Chinese social work has experienced a sharp rise in staff turnover. Work–family conflict is a key risk factor for employees’ turnover intention. Whilst the relationship between work–family conflict and turnover intention has been widely documented, little is known about its mediating and moderating mechanisms, especially amongst social workers in China. This study explored the mediating role of job-based and collective psychological ownership and the moderating role of person–organisation value congruence. The study drew on data from the China Social Work Longitudinal Study 2019, a nationally representative sample of 1,421 Chinese social workers (79.73 per cent female; mean age = 28.9 years old). We performed a moderated mediation analysis combining a simple slope test and the Johnson–Neyman technique. Both job-based psychological ownership and collective psychological ownership were found to mediate the association between work–family conflict and turnover intention. Person–organisation value congruence moderated the indirect relationship between work–family conflict and turnover intention via collective psychological ownership. This study enhances understanding of the impact of the psychological mechanisms of work–family conflict on Chinese social workers’ turnover intention. Specific strategies should be adopted to establish a work environment that supports psychological ownership, enhance social workers’ identification with and attachment to their organisations, and thus reduce their turnover intention.