Abstract

The purpose of this research was to provide new insights into the effects of satisfaction with pay and satisfaction with relational returns on turnover intentions and organizational citizenship behaviours. Both the independent and the interactive effects of satisfaction with pay and satisfaction with relational returns on turnover intentions and organizational citizenship behaviours were examined. In addition, the moderating influences of positive and negative affect on the independent effects of satisfaction with pay and satisfaction with relational returns on turnover intentions and organizational citizenship behaviours were also considered. Data were collected from two countries using different sampling procedures. Study 1 (N = 175) was conducted in a single organization in China and targeted full-time employees working in various departments at the organization’s corporate headquarters. Study 2 (N = 300) was conducted via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform and targeted full-time employees living in the U.S. and working in different organizations across a variety of industries. Results from both studies confirmed that satisfaction with pay and satisfaction with relational returns are multidimensional constructs. Consistent with the hypothesized effects, all dimensions of satisfaction with pay and all dimensions of satisfaction with relational returns were negatively associated with turnover intentions, and positively associated with organizational citizenship behaviours. Moreover, some dimensions of satisfaction with pay interacted with some dimensions of satisfaction with relational returns to predict turnover intentions and organizational citizenship behaviours. Finally, negative affect, but not positive affect, moderated the independent effects of a few dimensions of satisfaction with pay and a few dimensions of satisfaction with relational returns on turnover intentions and organizational citizenship behaviours. These findings have practical implications for both compensation and staffing decisions.