Machiavellianism in the Millennial Workforce: Unpacking the Relationships between Work Environment, Engagement, Innovation, and Turnover Intentions

This study investigates the relationships between work environment, innovative work behavior, and quitting intentions among millennial employees, with a particular focus on the moderating role of Machiavellianism and the mediating role of employee engagement.Data were collected through a survey of 379 millennial employees across various organizations in West Java, Indonesia.Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis was employed to test the proposed hypotheses.The findings reveal that work environment positively influences employee engagement, which in turn promotes innovative work behavior and reduces intentions to quit.Moreover, Machiavellianism moderates the relationship between work environment and employee engagement, as well as the indirect relationships between work environment and innovative work behavior and quitting intentions through employee engagement.The study contributes to the literature by shedding light on the complex interplay between organizational factors, personality traits, and work-related outcomes among the millennial workforces.Practical implications for organizations include fostering supportive work environments, implementing strategies to enhance employee engagement, and considering the influence of Machiavellian traits in shaping work behaviors and intentions.Limitations and avenues for future research are also discussed.