Purpose: This study aims to explore the relationships between workplace spirituality, intention
to leave and organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) among nurses and whether OCB
mediates the relationship between workplace spirituality and intention to leave.
Design/methodology: Due to the shifting paradigm of health policies, administrations in
Malaysian hospitals are faced with trials of cost reduction. The high rate of nurses leaving the
hospital poses a burden to the human resource department. This study aims to discover how to
cope with this problem by utilizing workplace spirituality and organizational citizenship
behaviour. In the present correlational study, data were collected using questionnaires. A total
of 345 nurses from three public and general hospitals located in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, were
chosen as samples using a random sampling method to respond to questionnaires. The
measurement and structural model were assessed using SmartPls 2.0.
Findings: Workplace spirituality has significant negative influence on nurses’ intention to leave
and positive influence on OCB. Amongst nurses, workplace spirituality contributed to 34% of
the variation in intention to leave, whereas 36% of the variation was in accordance to OCBI and 45% of the variation was in accordance to OCBO. Furthermore, OCB arbitrated the effect
of workplace spirituality on the intention to leave.
Social implications: This study has shown the probable advantages of better understanding
the positive impact of workplace spirituality on nurses’ tendency to leave and OCB. This is
important for the managers of nurses in the effort to improve nurses’ performance and, by
extension, the healthcare system.
Originality/value: Workplace spirituality contributes to nurses’ intention to leave and OCB.
This study highlights the benefits of the novel idea of workplace spirituality, especially amongst
nurses needing motivation in their duties.
