Social support and leaving intention among computer professionals

Although prior studies have established a number of reasons why computer professionals leave their organizations, they have rarely suggested that lack of social support may be one reason. This study attempted to explain why social support is salient to computer professionals’ leaving intention. It developed a model that posits that (i) social support is positively related to job satisfaction, (ii) social support is negatively related to leaving intention, and (iii) social affiliation needs moderate the relationship between social support and leaving intention. The model was tested using data from a questionnaire. The results indicated that social support from supervisor and colleagues were negatively related to leaving intention for computer professionals with high social affiliation needs, and that job satisfaction mediated the relationship between social support and leaving intention. Social support from family and friends was not related to leaving intention, but it was positively related to job satisfaction.