Abstract
Purpose: This study investigates whether well-being-oriented HRM (WBHRM) practices reduce turnover intentions through the mediating roles of psychological well-being (employee satisfaction), social well-being (perceived organizational support), and physical well-being (emotional exhaustion). It addresses gaps in HRM-well-being-performance research (i.e. organization-centred HRM and narrow well-being concept), particularly within the rapidly transforming and highly competitive Saudi information and communications technology (ICT) sector, where national development plans have intensified competition for skilled talent.
Methods: Drawing on the job demands-resources (JD–R) theory, the quantitative phase employed partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) on 238 employee survey responses from three Saudi ICT companies, supplemented by an importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) to assess each construct’s impact on turnover intentions. The following qualitative phase included 12 in-depth semi-structured interviews with survey participants, providing richer insights into the contextual factors influencing employee well-being and turnover intentions.
Findings: Quantitative results indicate that WBHRM practices significantly enhance satisfaction, perceived organizational support and lower exhaustion, yet do not directly predict employees’ turnover intentions. Instead, satisfaction and exhaustion fully mediate WBHRM’s link to retention, whereas perceived organizational support is not a significant mediator. Qualitative evidence reveals that unclear promotions, lag market compensation, and intensive work demand frequently undermine WBHRM’s potential benefits, prompting employees to seek external prospects despite valuing flexible working arrangements policies and a supportive work environment.
Contributions: This research expands the HRM–well-being literature by investigating employee-centered HRM practices (i.e., WBHRM) and integrating three distinct dimensions of employee well-being: satisfaction, perceived organizational support, and emotional exhaustion, through an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Although WBHRM reduces exhaustion and raises satisfaction, these findings demonstrate that employees still leave if core structural issues, such as unclear or unfair promotion criteria, lag-market compensations, and job strains and pressures, remain unaddressed. The study offers new insights into rapidly changing labor markets undergoing national transformation and increasing talent competition.