Management in Times of Crisis: A Qualitative Exploration of the Great Resignation from a Social Exchange Perspective

Abstract

This study explores the driving forces of the Great Resignation in an effort to inform human resource management strategy in modern-day workplaces—particularly in times of crisis or unrest. This paper provides a summary of the state of the post-pandemic workforce through the lens of relevant management theories. Further, it presents a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with participants who resigned from a job between April 2021 and March 2023. The interviews uncovered the experiences of participants, what led to their decision to quit and the motivators for selecting a new job. The analysis revealed five major themes including (1) a toxic work environment, (2) COVID-19 pandemic-specific effects, (3) burnout, (4) lacking work–life balance and (5) compensation. A major finding of this study was that there was not one primary reason for employees’ decision to resign. Rather, it was an apparent interaction of these themes that led to the decision. A thematic model was created to guide the direction of future research and to assist organizational leaders and practitioners with organizing and prioritizing human resource management interventions during times of crisis.