Burnout as a Path Between Decent Work and Turnover Intention: The Buffering Effect of Calling

Rapid workplace changes have been associated with increased burnout and turnover intention. This study investigates the mechanisms linking decent work to employees’ turnover intention through a moderated mediation framework, in which burnout mediates the association between decent work and turnover intention, and career calling is hypothesized to moderate both the effect of decent work on burnout and the effect of burnout on turnover intention. A cross-sectional sample of 225 employees from diverse sectors in Portugal completed self-report measures. Data were analyzed using PROCESS, with 5000 bootstrap resamples. Decent work was negatively related to burnout, which in turn predicted higher turnover intention, supporting the mediating role of burnout. Career calling moderated the association between decent work and burnout, with the indirect effect of decent work on turnover intention via burnout significant at moderate and high levels of calling, but not low levels, indicating a partially supported moderated mediation. These findings highlight burnout as a key mechanism linking decent work to turnover intention, show that career calling amplifies the protective effect of decent work, and underscore the relevance of strategies aimed at fostering healthier, resilient, and sustainable workplaces.