Paternalistic Leadership, Organizational Cynicism, and Intention to Quit One's Job in Nursing

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between paternalistic leadership, organizational cynicism, and the intention to quit one's job among nurses. The implementation part of the study was carried out with nurses working in a public hospital in the city of Mersin, Turkey. Data were collected in January 2018 from 215 participants and then analyzed. The analyses indicate that the dimensions of organizational cynicism and paternalistic leadership explained 41.8% of the variance for the intention to quit. In addition, there were negative and significant relationships between paternalistic leadership and dimensions of organizational cynicism. As the participants' perceptions of cognitive cynicism and behavioral cynicism increased, their intention to quit increased. In addition, as their perceptions of paternalistic leadership increased, their cognitive, affective, and behavioral cynicism decreased. This study will help managers of healthcare institutions better understand how paternalistic leadership is related to organizational cynicism and the intention to quit one's job.