CC BY
43
Perspectives of Science & Education
International Scientific Electronic Journal ISSN 2307-2334 (Online)
Available: psejournal.wordpress.com/archive21/21-05/ Accepted: 17 July 2021 Published: 31 October 2021
Chang Seek Lee, Yeoun Kyoung Hwang
The relationship between job stress, job satisfaction,
and turnover intention in childcare teachers: a conditional direct
and indirect effect of gratitude
Introduction. In Korea, 25.7% of all teachers at daycare centers resigned in 2018. Turnover of childcare teachers leads to decreased quality of childcare services, so this issue merits academic interest and government measures. The purpose of this study was to examine the conditional direct and indirect effects of gratitude in relation to job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention of childcare teachers so that countermeasures can be prepared to reduce turnover intention.
Study participants and methods. The participants of the survey were childcare teachers working in daycare centers in Korea, and regarding age, the majority were in their 40s (49.1%), followed in order by those in their 30s or younger (38.6%) and those in their 50s or older (12.3%). In terms of the marital statuses of the participants, 78.6% were married, while in terms of education, college graduates accounted for the largest group at 61.8%. The data were analyzed using SPSS Win. 25 and the PROCESS macro 3.5. The following statistical techniques were applied: descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, mean comparison analysis, and moderated mediation effect analysis. The bootstrap method was used to analyze the moderated mediation effects, and bootstrapping was assigned as 5,000 samples and a 95% confidence interval, and the independent variables, mediating variables, and moderating variables were averaged.
Results. First, Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that there was a significant correlation between job stress, job satisfaction, gratitude, and turnover intention. Turnover intention and job satisfaction showed the highest negative correlation coefficient (r=-.528, p<.01). Second, job satisfaction mediated the link between job stress and turnover intention. Third, the conditional effect of gratitude on the link between job stress and turnover intention was significant when gratitude was low and average, and the effect of job stress decreased when gratitude increased. Fourth, the conditional effect of gratitude on the link between job satisfaction and turnover was significant when gratitude was low, average, and high, and the effect of job satisfaction decreased when gratitude increased. Fifth, the conditional indirect effect of job stress job satisfaction turnover intention was significant when gratitude was low (M-1SD), average (M), and high (M + 1SD). Altogether, the results verified the moderated mediation effect of gratitude.
Practical significance. This study examined the mediating effect of job satisfaction and the moderating effect of gratitude in the relationship between job stress and turnover intention. This study provides basic data that can be used for program development as well as the creation of policies that can reduce turnover intention in childcare settings.
Keywords: job stress, job satisfaction, turnover intention, gratitude, moderated mediation
For Reference:
Lee, Ch. S., & Hwang, Y. K. (2021). The relationship between job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention in childcare teachers: a conditional direct and indirect effect of gratitude. Perspektivy nauki i obrazovania - Perspectives of Science and Education, 53 (5), 415-428. doi: 10.32744/ pse.2021.5.29
Introduction
childcare teacher, who is the most important resource that determines the quality
of childcare, is a job with a high turnover rate, whether it be domestic or overseas.
In Canada, 60% of all early childhood teachers changed jobs in 1990 [1], while in
the United States, it was reported that more than 30% of early childhood teachers changed jobs every year [2]. Looking at the actual situation of resignation, which can help predict the degree of childcare teacher turnover in Korea, 67.3% of daycare centers had childcare teachers who resigned in 2018, and 25.7% of all teachers resigned that year [3]. In addition, according to the same report in 2018, 6.2% of childcare teachers were considering resigning from their daycare centers, 6.0% of teachers had plans to resign, and about 12.2% were willing to resign.
A childcare teacher's job change has a huge impact on the children and their parents, the teacher's colleagues, and the institution. Specifically, if one childcare teacher changes jobs, then their fellow teachers may show decreased motivation to work, and new teachers must be hired and trained [4]. Young children then must again go through the process of adapting to a new teacher [5]. In addition, childcare teachers with high turnover intentions are less sensitive to the needs of young children, and they are likely to have less interaction with the infants [6; 7]. Therefore, to improve the quality of childcare service, it is very important to study the variables related to turnover intention which predict the turnover rate of childcare teachers, and to prepare alternatives to lower turnover intention.
To prepare such an alternative, one of the variables that affects turnover intention is job stress [8]. Because job stress is unavoidable burden on the job that occurs in the process of job performance, it lowers work motivation [9] as well as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job performance [10]. Therefore, job stress is a direct cause of turnover intention.
On the other hand, since job stress is the direct cause of turnover intention, it is possible that ways to lower turnover intention can be found by using mediating and moderating variables in the link between job stress and turnover intention. Therefore, job satisfaction was used as a mediating variable. In contrast to job stress, job satisfaction refers to a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from an individual's job or experience [11]. In other words, job stress is a variable that increases turnover intention by reducing job motivation and organizational commitment, whereas job satisfaction is a variable that lowers turnover intention. Childcare teachers experience not only job stress, but also job satisfaction. Therefore, job stress is expected to reduce turnover intention through job satisfaction.
Gratitude is a positive emotion that is a necessary part of a happy life [12]. People with high gratitude not only experience fewer psychological problems, but they also find positive meaning through reevaluation and actively coping with stressful situations [13]. Such gratitude is judged to moderate the relationship between childcare teachers' job stress and turnover intention. In other words, it is expected that the effect of job stress on turnover intention differs between people with high and low gratitude. It is also expected that the degree of influence on the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention might differ for people with high and low gratitude. Therefore, this study examines whether job stress reduces the effect of job stress on turnover intention by inputting gratitude as a
moderator in the link between job stress and turnover intention, and inputting gratitude as a moderating variable in the association between job satisfaction and turnover intention.
Meanwhile, the low fertility rate has long been a problem attracting attention in the global community. However, as a complex issue, it is difficult to find a simple solution. In the case of South Korea, the birth rate is also at an all-time low due to delays in marriage or avoidance of marriage; further, according to the resident registration demographics as of December 31, 2020, records of which are maintained by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, the number of deaths exceeded the number of births, which is called the population dead cross phenomenon. In addition, as women's social and economic activities increase, the number of dual-income families is also rapidly increasing, and as care is no longer seen as the domain of the family but is instead transferred to society, the social demand for childcare services and quality improvement is also growing. Accordingly, it is necessary to reduce the turnover rate of childcare teachers and improve the quality of childcare services to solve the current low birth rate in Korea.
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the conditional direct effect and conditional indirect effect of gratitude on the effects of job stress and job satisfaction on turnover intention among childcare teachers working in daycare centers, and to therefore present a model that reduces turnover intention by improving childcare teachers' gratitude.
_Theoretical background
1. The relationship between turnover intention and job stress
Turnover intention is a premonition that appears before one actually quits a job [14], and it is defined as the degree of intention to leave an organization [15] For a childcare teacher, turnover intention lowers their job satisfaction and induces negative emotions, which are then transmitted to the infants and young children in the childcare program, which leads to a loss of emotional stability, damage to attachment relationships, and feelings of insecurity, and ultimately reduces the teacher's sensitivity to children's needs [16]. In addition, frequent replacement of childcare teachers can stress the remaining teachers and lead to job dissatisfaction, and it is a factor that prevents stable attachment to young children [17; 18]. Therefore, it is a very serious issue.
Job stress is a representative causal variable that affects turnover intention [8]. Job stress is unavoidable for office workers. In the process of performing work as a member of an organization, various demands or restrictions occur, and an employee can experience both large and small job stress when their abilities and circumstances do not match. Such job stress is considered to be a representative cause of job attitude and organizational performance, and it has been studied for a long time and continues to be studied in various academic fields; this reflects the seriousness of job stress. People who have experienced job stress have reduced motivation to work, which negatively affects organizational efficiency [9] and lowers job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job performance [10]. In this way, if job stress is not properly managed, it can cause problems at the organizational and individual levels, so job stress should not be neglected in academia or in the field.
According to studies examining the effect of job stress on turnover intention, job stress has a positive effect on turnover intention [19; 20], and the higher the job stress, the higher the turnover intention [21]. Research has also shown that job stress eventually induces turnover [22]. That study found that childcare teachers with high job stress had negative
cognitive, behavioral, and psychological states; a passive attitude in their relationships with infants and young children, parents, and colleagues; and perceived low professionalism as a teacher [23]. Ultimately, job stress forms an unstable psychological state among childcare teachers, which lowers their job skills and sensitivity to infants and toddlers, and as a result, negatively affects the quality of the childcare services they provide [24]. Therefore, job stress in childcare teachers can have a variety of negative effects on the centers and children in which they work, so active management of such stress is required.
2. Mediating Effect of Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction is an organizational behavior variable that has been studied extensively in industrial organizations. Job satisfaction refers to a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from an individual's job or experience [11]. Job satisfaction is important in organizational management because it contributes to the promotion of organizational commitment and the successful development of the organization [25]. It also has significant impacts on turnover and absenteeism [26], meaning it has important implications for both individual and organizational management [27].
Childcare teacher job satisfaction is actively being studied as an organizational psychological factor that can alleviate turnover intention [28-32]. Specifically, low job satisfaction reduces voluntary participation and effort in the organization and one's own work, which weakens one's sense of belonging to the organization and which leads to turnover intention [15].
Job satisfaction is often applied as a mediating variable in studies targeting childcare teachers. Previous studies have verified the mediating effect of satisfaction in the relationship between job characteristics and turnover intention of childcare teachers [33], in the relationship between workplace support and turnover intention [34], and in the relationship between organizational fairness and turnover intention [35]. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanism of job satisfaction in the effect of childcare teachers' job stress on turnover intention and to find a way to reduce turnover intention.
3. Moderating effect of gratitude
Humans are constantly interacting with others in their social lives. In this process, people feel and express gratitude for the benefits or positive experiences given to them. Gratitude, derived from Latin gratia, is a complex psychological state that includes emotion, cognition, personality, and attitude; it is a positive emotion that is necessary for a happy life [12], and it is one of the responses that people experience when receiving benefits from others [36].
Gratitude itself is an indicator of happiness [37], and feeling and expressing gratitude is a virtue for a happy and prosperous life. Positive psychologists have conducted many theoretical discussions and systematic studies on this kind of gratitude, and they conceptualized gratitude as a constant and stable emotional quality that involves appreciation and that goes beyond the emotions that people simply experience. Although research into gratitude is lacking in many areas, it is actively being studied in various academic fields such as education, psychology, and counseling.
Gratitude is defined as a generalized tendency to recognize the goodwill of others and respond positively to the positive experiences or results one has had [12]. People with high gratitude try to find positive attributes in situations that are easy to interpret negatively, and they have the ability to reinterpret situations in a way that is favorable to them [38]. They not only experience fewer psychological problems, but they also find
positive meaning through reevaluations in stressful situations which allow them to actively cope with such situations, which is a factor that leads to personal or organizational growth [13]. It can be said that gratitude is a very important competency that employees should develop. Therefore, childcare teachers with high gratitude are expected to experience fewer psychological problems in childcare settings, actively cope with stress in a healthier manner, and contribute to the growth of daycare centers, so it is judged that there is enough research into gratitude as a variable affecting turnover intention.
Recently, studies using gratitude as a moderator variable have been reported wherein the relationship between the two variables varies according to the degree of gratitude. Gratitude has been shown to play an important role as a moderating variable in several relationships, including research showing the buffering effect of gratitude on reducing the negative effect of parenting stress on the subjective well-being of early childhood mothers [39], the moderating effect of gratitude on increasing the positive effect of authentic leadership on happiness [40], the buffering effect of gratitude on reducing the negative effect of stress on nursing students' feelings of happiness [41], and the buffering effect of gratitude in reducing the positive effect of adolescent irrational beliefs on game addiction [42]. However, few studies have directly analyzed the moderating effect of gratitude on childcare teachers. Specifically, there have been few studies examining the buffer effect of gratitude in reducing the negative effect of job satisfaction on turnover intention as well as the moderated mediation effect of gratitude on the relationship between job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention.
Research method
1. Research model
The research model was set up as illustrated in [Figure 1]. The analysis in this study was conducted according to the moderated mediation effect analysis procedure of model 15 of PROCESS macro ver. 3.5. In the research model, job satisfaction plays a mediating role between job stress and turnover intention, while gratitude has three roles: a moderating effect (conditional direct effect) on the relationship between job stress and turnover intention, a moderating effect on the link between job satisfaction and turnover intention, and a moderated mediation effect (conditional indirect effect) on the path of job stress ^ job satisfaction ^ turnover intention.
Figure 1 Research model
2. Participants and data collection
The target area of this study was limited to Chungcheongnam-do, Korea, which makes it easy to reflect the research results. The participants were teachers working at daycare
centers. In an attempt to increase the generalizability of these findings, three cities and counties in Chungcheongnam-do were randomly selected, and 20 daycare centers with 10 or more daycare teachers in each city and county were conveniently sampled. In total, 233 participants were used for analysis.
To determine the number of subjects required for this study, G*Power analysis program 3.1.9.7 was used to set the median effect size of .15, the power of .95, and the significance level of .05 (two-tailed test). As a result, data from 204 respondents were ultimately analyzed. Considering the dropout rate of 10% (20 people), the number of subjects to be surveyed must be at least 224. However, the PROCESS macro to be used for analysis in this study has no limitations on the sample, and G*Power has a limit in predicting the number of samples for mediated, moderating, and moderated mediation effect analysis, so 233 is considered to be a sufficient sample.
A questionnaire was used to collect data: after visiting a daycare center, the purpose of the questionnaire was explained to the principal and teachers, consent was obtained, and the questionnaire was administered.
Among the participants, those in their 40s accounted for the largest group with 49.1% of respondents, followed in order by those in their 30s or younger with 38.6% and those in their 50s or older with 12.3%. Regarding marriage, 78.6% of respondents were married, and in terms of education, college graduates accounted for the largest group at 61.8%.
3. Research tools
3.1. Job stress
Job stress was measured using a scale developed by Parker and Decotiis [10] and adapted by An [43]. The sub-domains of this scale are psychological tension, job instability, and excessive work. Each item was answered on a 5-point Likert scale, and there were 13 items in total. A higher score means higher job stress, and Cronbach's a was .877 for job stress reliability in this study.
3.2. Job satisfaction
To measure job satisfaction, five items from the Job Satisfaction Index (JSI) developed by Brayfield & Rothe [44] were used, and they were all measured on a 5-point Likert scale. The higher the score, the higher the degree of satisfaction of the nursery school teachers with their jobs. Cronbach's a of job satisfaction reliability in this study was .918.
3.3. Turnover intention
Turnover intention was measured using a scale developed by Mobley [45]. There are five items in total, and each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale, where a higher score indicates a stronger will to leave one's current job. The reliability of turnover intention in this study was Cronbach's a=.877.
3.4. Gratitude
For gratitude, this study used the Korean version of the gratitude scale (K-GQ-6) adapted by Kwon et al. [13], which was based on Gratitude Questionnaire-6: GQ-6 developed by McCullough et al. [12]. Originally, this scale was supposed to be responded to on a 7-point Likert scale, but this study used a 5-point Likert scale. The higher the score, the higher the gratitude. In this study, the reliability of gratitude was Cronbach's a=.845.
4. Data analysis
In this study, we conducted descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, average comparison analysis, and moderated mediation effect analysis using SPSS Win. 25 and the PROCESS macro 3.5 proposed by Hayes [46] The bootstrap method was used to test the moderated mediation effect, and the bootstrap was assigned 5,000 samples and 95% confidence interval; the independent variables and moderating variables were averaged.
Results
1. Correlation
Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted to analyze the correlation between job stress, job satisfaction, gratitude, and turnover intention. As presented in <Table 1>, there was a statistically significant correlation between each variable. Job stress had a positive relationship with turnover intention (r=.506, p<.01), but it had negative relationships with job satisfaction (r=-.390, p<.01) and gratitude (r=-.288, p<.01). Gratitude had a negative relationship with turnover intention (r=-.339, p<.01), but it had a positive relationship with job satisfaction (r=.390, p<.01).
Gratitude and job satisfaction exceeded the median score of 3, while job stress and turnover intention did not exceed the median score of 3.
Table 1
Correlation and descriptive statistics
Job stress Job satisfaction Gratitude Turnover intention
Job stress 1
Job satisfaction -.390** 1
Gratitude -.288** .390** 1
Turnover intention .506** -.528** -.339** 1
M 2.3537 3.7308 4.0167 2.2560
SD .73074 .69857 .60766 .88672
**p<.01
2. Mediating effect, moderating effect, and moderated mediation effect
To elucidate the conditional indirect effects of gratitude on the effects of job stress and job satisfaction on turnover intention, we conducted an analysis according to the procedure of model 14 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS proposed by Hayes [46]. The conditional indirect effect was verified using bootstrap, for which a confidence interval of 95.0% and 5,000 samples were set, and job stress and gratitude were averaged. The analysis results are presented in Table 2, Figure 2 and Figure 3.
Job stress had a significant negative effect on job satisfaction (-.3709, p<.001), job satisfaction had a significant negative effect on turnover intention (-.4206, p<.001), and job satisfaction had a mediating effect on the relationship between job stress and turnover intention.
The interaction term between job stress and gratitude had a significant effect on turnover intention, indicating that gratitude moderated the link between job stress and turnover intention. Further, the interaction term of job satisfaction and gratitude had
a significant effect on turnover intention, indicating that gratitude moderated the link between job satisfaction and turnover intention.
Table 2
Analysis of mediating and moderating effects
Classification Variables coeffect se t-value p LLCI* ULCI**
Mediating variable model (DV: Job satisfaction) Constant .0000 .0420 .0000 1.0000 -.0828 .0828
Job stress -.3709 .0576 -6.4356 .0000 -.4844 -.2573
Dependent variable model (DV: Turnover intention) Constant 1.9473 .2263 8.6049 .0000 1.5013 2.3933
Job stress .1002 .0956 1.0487 .2955 -.0881 .2885
Job satisfaction -.4620 .0715 -6.4660 .0000 -.6028 -.3212
Gratitude -.1141 .0792 -1.4409 .1510 -.2701 .0419
Job stress x gratitude -.4543 .0942 -4.8253 .0000 -.6399 -.2688
Job satisfaction x gratitude -.3062 .0969 -3.1595 .0018 -.4972 -.1152
*LLCI = The lower bound of the bootstrap within the 95% confidence interval **ULCI= The upper bound of the bootstrap within the 95% confidence interval
The moderating effect of gratitude was confirmed in the relationship between job stress and turnover intention, and the results of analyzing the conditional effect of job stress are listed in Table 3.
Three conditions (M±SD, M) were provided according to the gratitude value, and the conditional effect of job stress according to the gratitude value was significant when gratitude was low (M-1SD) and average (M) (p<.001). As gratitude increased, the conditional effect of job stress decreased.
The significance area of the conditional effect was identified through Johnson-Neyman analysis. The conditional effect of job stress was found to be significant in the area where the gratitude value was less than .5131; 80.2575% of the total survey subjects fell into this area. That is, when the value of gratitude increased, the conditional effect of job stress decreased, but the conditional effect was not significant for the 19.7425% of subjects with gratitude values higher than .5131.
Figure 2 shows the results of visualizing the conditional effect of job stress by dividing gratitude into high, medium, and low. In all three conditions, turnover intention also increased when job stress increased. However, those with high gratitude showed a gentle slope of the increase in turnover intention as job stress increased, whereas those with low gratitude showed a steeper slope of the increase in turnover intention as job stress increased.
Table 3
Analysis of conditional effect of job stress according to gratitude value
Gratitude Effect se t-value p LLCI* ULCI**
-.6089 .6740 .0847 7.9535 .0000 .5070 .8409
.0000 .3973 .0654 6.0711 .0000 .2684 .5263
.6089 .1207 .0892 1.3527 .1775 -.0551 .2965
Johnson-Neyman's conditional effect significance area
Gratitude Effect se t-value P LLCI* ULCI**
-1.5160 1.0861 .1539 7.0566 .0000 .7828 1.3894
.4840 .1774 .0817 2.1727 .0308 .0165 .3384
.5131 .1642 .0833 1.9705 .0500 .0000 .3284
.6090 .1206 .0892 1.3522 .1777 -.0552 .2965
.9840 -.0497 .1162 -.4281 .6690 -.2786 .1792
*LLCI = The lower bound of the bootstrap within the 95% confidence interval **ULCI= The upper bound of the bootstrap within the 95% confidence interval
» -.61 ■ .00
■iffl -.50 ib .50 1j00
Job stress
Figure 2 Moderating effect of gratitude on the link between job stress and turnover
intention
The moderating effect of gratitude was confirmed in the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention, and the results of analyzing the conditional effect of job satisfaction are listed in Table 4.
Three conditions (M±SD, M) were given according to the gratitude value, and the conditional effects of job satisfaction when the gratitude value was low (M-1SD), average (M), and high (M+1SD) were all significant. As gratitude increased, the conditional effect of job satisfaction decreased.
The significance area of the conditional effect was identified through Johnson-Neyman analysis. The conditional effect of job satisfaction was not significant for gratitude values ranging from -1.15160 to -.8232, but the conditional effect of job satisfaction was significant in the range above -.8232. This was a significant area for 88.4120% of the total survey subjects. That is, when the value of gratitude increased, the conditional effect of job satisfaction decreased, but when the value of gratitude was -.8232 or less, the conditional effect was not significant.
Figure 3 shows the result of visualizing the conditional effect of job satisfaction by dividing gratitude into high, medium, and low. In all three conditions, turnover intention decreased when job satisfaction increased. However, as job satisfaction increased, the slope of the decrease in turnover intention was steeper in those with high gratitude than it was in those with low gratitude.
Table 4
Analysis of conditional effect of job satisfaction according to gratitude value
Gratitude Effect se t-value p LLCI* ULCI**
-.6089 -.2755 .0922 -2.9891 .0031 -.4572 -.0939
.0000 -.4620 .0715 -6.4660 .0000 -.6028 -.3212
.6089 -.6485 .0932 -6.9608 .0000 -.8320 -.4649
Johnson-Neyman's conditional effect area of significance
Gratitude Effect F t-value p LLCI* ULCI**
-1.5160 .0022 .1627 .0138 .9890 -.3183 .3228
-.8910 -.1891 .1115 -1.6965 .0912 -.4088 .0305
-.8232 -.2099 .1065 -1.9705 .0500 -.4198 .0000
-.7660 -.2274 .1025 -2.2190 .0275 -.4294 -.0255
.9840 -.7633 .1198 -6.3728 .0000 -.9993 -.5273
*LLCI = The lower bound of the bootstrap within the 95% confidence interval **ULCI= The upper bound of the bootstrap within the 95% confidence interval
-.60 .30 00 .30 .60
Job satisfaction
Figure 3 Moderating effect of gratitude on the link between job satisfaction and turnover
intention
To understand the conditional direct effect and the conditional indirect effect on the link between job stress and turnover intention, gratitude values were analyzed according to three conditions (M±SD, M).
In the relationship between job stress and turnover intention, the conditional direct effect was significant when gratitude was low (M-1SD) and average (M), and as gratitude increased, the conditional direct effect decreased. However, this trend was not significant when gratitude was higher than the mean (M+1SD).
In addition, the conditional indirect effect in the path of job stress ^ job satisfaction ^ turnover intention was significant when gratitude was low (M-1SD), average (M), and high (M+1SD). When the value of gratitude increased, the conditional indirect effect increased,
and the moderated mediation effect index of .1136 (.0421 ~ .1981) was also significant, indicating that the moderated mediation effect of gratitude was verified in the effect of job stress on turnover intention through job satisfaction.
Table 5
Analysis of conditional direct and indirect effects of job satisfaction according
to gratitude value
Gratitude Effect se t-value P LLCI* ULCI**
-.6089 .6740 .0847 7.9535 .0000 .5070 .8409
.0000 .3973 .0654 6.0711 .0000 .2684 .5263
.6089 .1207 .0892 1.3527 .1775 -.0551 .2965
Conditional indirect effects of job stress on turnover intention
Gratitude Effect BootSE BootLLCI* BootULCI**
-.6089 .1022 .0421 .0273 .1941
.0000 .1713 .0400 .1005 .2567
.6089 .2405 .0510 .1479 .3467
Index of moderated mediation:
Gratitude Index BootSE BootLLCI* BootULCI**
.1136 .0399 .0421 .1981
*LLCI = The lower bound of the bootstrap within the 95% confidence interval **ULCI= The upper bound of the bootstrap within the 95% confidence interval
Discussion and Conclusion
This study was conducted to investigate the conditional indirect effect of gratitude on the link between job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention among childcare teachers. Based on the results of this study, the discussions are as follows.
First, Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that there was a significant correlation between job stress, job satisfaction, gratitude, and turnover intention. That is, job stress, job satisfaction, and gratitude are related to turnover intention, suggesting that there may be ways to lower turnover intention using these variables.
Second, job satisfaction played a mediating role in the relationship between job stress and turnover intention. These results are similar to the results of studies examining the mediating effect of job satisfaction in the relationship between the job characteristics of childcare teachers and turnover intention [33] and the relationship between workplace support and turnover intention [34]. Therefore, since job satisfaction mediated the relationship between job stress and turnover intention, it is necessary to prepare a plan to reduce the turnover intention of childcare teachers by increasing their job satisfaction.
Third, the conditional effect of gratitude on the relationship between job stress and turnover intention was significant when gratitude was low and average, and the effect of job stress decreased when gratitude increased. Based on an analysis of the moderating effect using the slope, the effects of job stress on turnover intention differed between childcare teachers with high gratitude and those with low gratitude. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that it is possible to prepare a plan to reduce turnover intention and improve the quality of childcare service by leveraging gratitude.
Fourth, in the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover, the conditional effect of gratitude was significant when gratitude was low, average, and high, and when gratitude increased, the effect of job satisfaction decreased. Analyzing the moderating effect using the slope yields that the effect of job satisfaction on turnover intention differed between childcare teachers with high gratitude and those with low gratitude. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that turnover intention is reduced with increasing gratitude.
Fifth, in the effect of job stress on turnover intention through job satisfaction, there was a moderated mediation effect of gratitude. The gratitude's moderating results of this study serves a similar role as the buffering effect [41] that reduces the negative effect of stress on the happiness of nursing students. Therefore, there is a need for a strategy to change the psychology and emotions of job stress, which are unavoidable in the course of job performance, by increasing the gratitude of childcare teachers.
This study is significant in that it attempted to integrate the results of previous studies by analyzing the moderated mediation effect of gratitude in the effects of job stress and job satisfaction on turnover intention and in that it verified the theoretical validity.
Nevertheless, the following suggestions are made for follow-up studies: First, this study investigated the variables affecting turnover intention, but it did not specifically consider the reasons for turnover and switching to different careers. Increased academic interest in childcare teachers' coping strategies after turnover is needed through future research investigating the specific reasons for turnover and changing career paths by using qualitative research methods.
Second, the conditional direct effect of job stress on turnover intention decreased as gratitude increased. On the other hand, the conditional indirect effect of job stress on turnover intention via job satisfaction increased as gratitude increased. This indicates that the effect of job stress varies depending on the role of job satisfaction, which is a mediating variable, and a detailed follow-up study should be conducted to reveal the reason for this.
_Acknowledgement
This study was done with the support of a research grant in 2021 from Hanseo University.
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Information about the authors
Chang Seek Lee
(South Korea, Seosan city) Doctor of Philosophy, Chairman, Professor Department of Health, Counseling and Welfare Hanseo University E-mail: lee1246@hanmailnet ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9222-1953
Yeoun Kyoung Hwang
(South Korea, Seosan city) Doctor of Lifelong Education, Professor for Academic Research
Multicultural Education and Welfare Institute Hanseo University E-mail: 01020707980@hanmail.net ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4530-3641
