Supervisor phubbing and employee turnover intention: a literature review and empirical investigation

Excessive usage of mobile phones in organizations can negatively affect the quality of interpersonal relationships between users and their peers. In the present study, we focused on the possible consequences of a specific form of excessive emerging mobile phone use in organizations called supervisor phubbing. Supervisor phubbing refers to the phenomenon in which a supervisor pays attention to a mobile phone rather than a subordinate during face-to-face interactions. The current study explored the effects of supervisor phubbing on employee turnover intention and the mediating roles of employee-perceived social exclusion and workplace powerlessness. We used the assumptions of self-determination theory (SDT) and the social distance theory of power (SDTP) to formulate our hypotheses. Questionnaire data were collected from a sample of 338 American participants. The results show that supervisor phubbing has an indirect effect on employees’ turnover intentions through employees’ perceived social exclusion and powerlessness. We conclude that managers must realize that supervisor phubbing can have serious negative consequences for both employees and the organization.