The Influence of Competition on Turnover Intention among Co-operative Bank Employees: The Moderating Role of Training and Organisational Size

Co-operative banks (CBs) in many countries have recently been experiencing increased competitive pressure. Although studies have analysed how competitive intensity affects the stability of CBs, research dedicated to its impact on employee attitudes is extremely scarce. Furthermore, it is unknown how human resource management (HRM) practices modify these relationships. To fill this gap, this article examines the influence of competitive intensity on turnover intention in CBs and assesses the moderating role of training and company size in this relationship. Several hypotheses are formulated on the basis of human capital theory and social exchange theory, which are then verified with data from a nationwide survey covering the responses of 1707 employees from 43 CBs in Poland. The results of multilevel modelling confirm that competitive intensity increases employee turnover intention. Moreover, this influence is much weaker when employees receive intensive training. Finally, adding company size to the analysis has a marginal impact on the interaction between competitive intensity and training. The article contributes to the literature on co-operative banks by analysing what shapes CB employees’ attitudes in the current dynamic environment. It also adds to HRM research by exploring how contextual variables (competition, company size) affect turnover intention and interact with HRM practices (in particular, training).