UNDERSTANDING TURNOVER INTENTIONS IN HIGH-PRESSURE WORK ENVIRONMENTS: A CASE STUDY OF THE STAFF OF MTN COMMUNICATION CENTER, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Abstract

In today’s fast-evolving workplace, occupational stress is a persistent challenge across various sectors, including the telecommunications industry. Rapid technological advancements and increasing digital surveillance have intensified job-related pressure among employees, particularly in leading firms like MTN Nigeria. This study examined the impact of occupational stress and work-life balance on turnover intentions among MTN employees in Lagos, focusing on the mediating role of job satisfaction. The study is situated within the broader context of 2024 workplace realities, including intensified workloads and organisational restructuring aimed at boosting efficiency and competitiveness. Quantitative research design was adopted, using structured questionnaires distributed to 500 MTN staff members across departments in Lagos, and 312 valid responses were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the relationships among occupational stress, work-life balance, job satisfaction and turnover intentions.

The findings reveal that occupational stress does not have a direct significant impact on employees’ turnover intentions. A significant negative relationship exists between work-life balance and turnover intentions, employees with better work-life balance report a lower desire to leave the organisation. Job satisfaction emerged as a key mediating variable in the relationship between work-life balance and turnover intentions. Employees experiencing a healthy work-life balance tend to be more satisfied with their jobs, which in turn reduces their intention to quit. Occupational stress alone does not drive turnover directly, it negatively affects job satisfaction, which can eventually influence attrition indirectly. Implications for human resource professionals to craft strategies to mitigate pressure against intentions to quit were highlighted.

Keywords:          Occupational stress; Work-life balance; Turnover intentions; Job satisfaction, Workplace pressure, MTN Nigeria