Organizational culture and turnover intention in higher education: a moderated mediation model of commitment and self-efficacy

This study examines how organizational culture (OC) impacts academic staff’s commitment (COM) and turnover intentions (TI), taking into account individual self-efficacy (SE). Using a cross-sectional survey, we collected data from 574 academic staff from universities in Uganda. Analyses were conducted through Hayes’s PROCESS technique. Results show that COM partially explains the effect of OC on TI (β = −0.141, SE = 032, CI = −0.205, −0.077), with the strength of this mediation increasing alongside higher SE. Particular importance should be placed on those staff with high SE (β = −0.165, SE = 0.036, CI = -0.240, −0.094). We urge institutions to promote SE through customized training, mentoring, and coaching initiatives that aim to reinforce COM and reduce turnover. This study pioneers an integrated examination of both the direct and indirect effects of OC on TI via COM, as well as the moderating function of SE, within the less-explored organizational landscape of a developing country, Uganda.