Unraveling the Influence of Job Autonomy on Affective Commitment and Turnover Intentions: Exploring the Role of Person-Job Fit in Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Autonomy is a pivotal topic in organizational psychology, with profound implications for organizations and employees. Drawing on existing research from a person-job fit perspective, this study explores the daily fluctuations in job autonomy and its impact on turnover intentions and affective commitment among healthcare professionals. We propose a moderation model, positing that the influence of daily autonomy on turnover intentions and affective commitment is moderated by person-job fit. Data were collected from 49 full-time employees holding various nursing positions at Østfold Hospital Trust, using an experience sampling methodology (ESM) to examine the hypothesized moderation model. The findings confirmed that job autonomy positively affects affective commitment. However, the hypothesis that person-job fit moderates this relationship was not supported. Additionally, the direct effect of job autonomy on turnover intentions and the moderating role of person-job fit was found to be non-significant, leading to the rejection of these hypotheses. The non-significant findings could be attributed mainly to the low sample size, and organizations should prioritize job autonomy to eliminate the possibility of negative work outcomes. This study contributes to existing research on job autonomy, turnover intentions, and affective commitment, enhancing our understanding of their implications at both organizational and individual levels. Future research should refine our proposed model and employ longitudinal studies or mixed methods to explore how these relationships evolve over time and across different conditions. Such exploration can provide insights into the long-term impacts and sustainability of interventions to improve job autonomy.