Does usage of enterprise social media affect employee turnover? Empirical evidence from Chinese companies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the usage of enterprise social media (ESM) affects eventual employee turnover. Design/methodology/approach This study developed a theoretical model based on the proposition that different ESM usage behaviors (utilitarian use, hedonic use and social use) have different effects on employee turnover, and job type and job level can moderate the effect of ESM usage on turnover. The model was examined empirically using 1,791 employee samples from a large high-tech manufacturing enterprise deploying ESM. Findings The results indicate that the utilitarian and social use of ESM has negative effects on turnover, but the hedonic use of ESM has positive effects on turnover. Furthermore, for employees working in different job types and job levels, there are significant differences concerning the effect of ESM usage on their turnover. Practical implications ESM managers should encourage employees to use ESM for utilitarian needs and social support but restrict excessive use of ESM for leisure. In addition, different ESM use policies depending upon job types and job levels could be adopted to retain valuable employees. Originality/value Few studies have focused on how usage of ESM affects eventual employee turnover. Given the lack of theoretical research and empirical evidence, the authors developed a theoretical model and conducted an empirical study to fill the research gap.