Resilience as a strategic imperative: Redefining retention for workplace stability
Keywords:
Management, Retention, Resilience, Human Values, Stability, Motivation, Strategies, Human Resources, Working EnvironmentAbstract
This research explores the critical role of human values in shaping workplace resilience, employee retention, and organizational stability. A qualitative focus group study involving 14 participants from diverse professional backgrounds examines responses to a case study contrasting two leadership styles within the same organization: a value-driven, relational approach under the founder and a results-oriented, authoritarian style under his successor. Thematic analysis revealed six interrelated themes: organizational stability and change, personal and collective resilience, empathy and ethical leadership, moral dilemmas and value conflicts, the purpose and meaning of work, and the limits of technology and monetary incentives. Findings suggest that resilience is not merely an individual trait but a culturally and relationally conditioned phenomenon, heavily influenced by leadership style, organizational values, and psychological safety. While financial incentives were initially perceived as primary motivators, participants ultimately emphasized the irreplaceable importance of trust, dignity, and ethical consistency in sustaining performance and retention. The study concludes that resilience must be reframed as a strategic imperative rooted in human values and that leadership transitions must be handled with emotional intelligence to preserve organizational integrity and long-term viability.
References
1. Acocella, I. (2012). The focus groups in social research: Advantages and disadvantages.
Quality & Quantity, 46(4), 1125–1136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-011-9600-4
2. Adjei, A., Nyarko, N., Abakah, E. J. A., & Yeboah, A. (2023). From high-performance work
systems and resilience to employee well-being during crises: Exploring the moderating role of
employee ambidexterity. Current Psychology, 43, 9955–9968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-
023-05138-3
3. Ahmed, M. A. O., Zhang, J., Fouad, A. S., Mousa, K., & Nour, H. M. (2025). The Dark Side
of Leadership: How Toxic Leadership Fuels Counterproductive Work Behaviors Through
Organizational Cynicism and Injustice. Sustainability, 17(1), 105.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010105
4. Al-Marri, M. T. S., Majid, A. H. A., & Abdullah, H. H. B. (2023). Examining the effects of
work values on employee commitment in UAE via literature survey. International Journal of
Advances in Management and Economics. 08 (01), 60-69.
https://www.managementjournal.info/index.php/IJAME/article/view/550
5. Ali, B. J., & Anwar, G. (2021). An Empirical Study of Employees’ Motivation and its
Influence Job Satisfaction. International Journal of Engineering, Business and Management.
5(2), 21-30. DOI:10.22161/ijebm.5.2.3
6. Amoadu, M., Ansah, E.W. & Sarfo, J.O. (2024). Preventing workplace mistreatment and
improving workers’ mental health: a scoping review of the impact of psychosocial safety
climate. BMC Psychol 12, 195 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01675-z
7. Amoadu, M., Frempomaa Agyare, D., Doe, P. F., & Abraham, S. A. (2025). Examining the
impact of psychosocial safety climate on working conditions, well-being and safety of
healthcare providers: A scoping review. BMC Health Services Research, 25(90).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12254-2
8. Barbour, R. (2007). Doing focus groups. Sage Publications.
9. Batool, N., Ishaq, H. M., & Akram, M. (2014). Does person- organization fit and affective
organizational commitment relationship is moderated by personality traits: Analysis of
extraversion and emotional stability. NUML Journal of Management & Technology, 9(2), 73-
89. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/does-person-organizationfit-affective/docview/2098674475/se-2
10. Ben-Hador, B., & Yitshaki, R. (2025). Organizational resilience in turbulent times—social
capital as a mechanism for successfully adapting human resources practices that lead to
resilience. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1–32.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2025.2470306
11. Bloor, M., Frankland, J., Thomas, M., & Robson, K. (2001). Focus groups in social research. Sage Publications.
12. Breevaart, K., & Van Woerkom, M. (2024). Building Employee Engagement and Resilience
Through Strengths-Based Leadership. 27, e25. The Spanish Journal of Psychology.
https://doi.org/10.1017/SJP.2024.28
13. Brady, J.M., Hammer, L.B., Westman, M., (2025). Supervisor resilience promotes employee
well-being: The role of resource crossover. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 156, 104076.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2024.104076
14. Bordia, P., Restubog, S. L. D., Jimmieson, N. L., & Irmer, B. E. (2011). Haunted by the past:
Effects of poor change management history on employee attitudes and turnover. Group &
Organization Management, 36(2), 191–222. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601110392990
15. Buchan, J. (2010). Reviewing the benefits of health workforce stability. Human resources for
health, 8, 1-5. Retrieved from: http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/8/1/29
16. Burnes, B. (2017). Kurt Lewin and the Harwood studies: The foundations of OD. The Journal
of Applied Behavioral Science, 53(3), 265–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886317702607
17. Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2019). Making sense of change management: A complete guide to
the models, tools and techniques of organizational change (5th ed.). Kogan Page.
18. Carr, S. C., & MacLachlan, M. (1996). Effects of unreasonable pay discrepancies for underand overpayment on double demotivation. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology
Monographs. 122(4), 475–494.
19. Cao, T. H. V., Chai, D. S., Nguyen, L. P., Nguyen, H. T. H., Han, C. S.-H., & Park, S. (2024).
Learning organization and employee performance: The mediating role of job satisfaction in the
Vietnamese context. The Learning Organization. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-09-2023-0177
20. Choi, S. (2024). Understanding job stability from a psychological perspective. Listen-Hard.
Retrieved from: https://listen-hard.com/psychology-in-the-workplace-and-organizations/jobstability-psychological-perspective/
21. Chowdhury, S. (2003). Total rewards: Strategic compensation for the knowledge worker.
Wiley.
22. Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary
review. Journal of management. 31(6), 874-900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602
23. Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627–668. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.6.627
24. Denison, D. R., Hooijberg, R., Lane, N., & Lief, C. (2004). Leading culture change in global organizations: Aligning culture and strategy. Jossey-Bass.
25. Devers, Cynthia & Dewett, Todd & Belsito, Carrie. (2009). A General Theory of Organizational Stigma. Organization Science. 20 (1), 154-171. DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1080.0367
26. Dollard, M. F., & Bakker, A. B. (2011). Psychosocial safety climate as a precursor to conducive
work environments, psychological health problems, and employee engagement. Journal of
Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(3), 579–599.
https://doi.org/10.1348/096317909X453327
27. Dollard, M. F., Clune, L., & Siami, N. (2024). Preventing workplace mistreatment and
improving workers’ mental health: A scoping review of the impact of psychosocial safety
climate. BMC Psychology. 12, 195.
28. Dong, R.K., Li, X., Hernan, B.R., (2024). Psychological safety and psychosocial safety climate
in workplace: A bibliometric analysis and systematic review towards a research agenda.
Journal of Safety Research. 91, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2024.08.001
29. Dulebohn, J. H., Bommer, W. H., Liden, R. C., Brouer, R. L., & Ferris, G. R. (2012). A metaanalysis of antecedents and consequences of leader-member exchange: Integrating the past
with an eye toward the future. Journal of Management, 38(6), 1715–1759.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206311415280
30. El-Sayed, O. A., et al. (2024). Relationship between resilience at work, work engagement and
job satisfaction among engineers: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 24, 1077.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18507-9
31. Ganster, D. C., Kiersch, C. E., Marsh, R. E., & Bowen, A. (2011). Performance-based rewards
and work stress: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Stress Management,
18(3), 340–369. https://doi.org/10.1080/01608061.2011.619388
32. Gerstner, C. R., & Day, D. V. (1997). Meta-analytic review of leader–member exchange theory:
Correlates and construct issues. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(6), 827–844.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.82.6.827
33. Gifford, W. A., Graham, I. D., Ehrhart, M. G., Davies, B. L., & Aarons, G. A. (2021). Putting
resilience at the centre of implementation. BMJ Leader, 5(3), 183–186.
https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2020-000378
34. Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership:
Development of leader–member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years:
Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. The Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219–247.
https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(95)90036-5
35. Guillemin, M., & Nicholas, R. (2022). Core values at work—Essential elements of a healthy
workplace. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12505.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912505
36. Harris, K. J., Li, N., & Kirkman, B. L. (2009). Leader-member exchange (LMX) in context:
How LMX differentiation and LMX relational separation attenuate LMX’s influence on performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 20(3), 348–361.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2009.03.014
37. Harland, L., Harrison, W., Jones, J. R., & Reiter-Palmon, R. (2005). Leadership behaviors and
subordinate resilience. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 11(2), 2–14.
https://doi.org/10.1177/107179190501100202
38. Hassan, A. (2007). Human resource development and organizational values. Journal of
European Industrial Training, 31(6), 435–448. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590710772631
39. Janka, M., Heinicke, X., & Guenther, T. W. (2020). Beyond the “good” and “evil” of stability
values in organizational culture for managerial innovation: the crucial role of management
controls. Review of Managerial Science, 14(6), 1363-1404. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-
019-00338-3
40. Kaiser, M. (2024). The idea of a theory of values and the metaphor of value-landscapes.
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 268.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02749-4
41. Kalleberg, A. L. (1977). Work values and job rewards: A theory of job satisfaction. American
sociological review, 124-143. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2117735
42. Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change. Harvard Business Review Press.
43. Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2000). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research
(3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
44. Kuntz, J. R., Malinen, S., & Näswall, K. (2016). Resilient employees in resilient organizations:
Flourishing beyond adversity. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 10(3), 1–28.
https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2016.91
45. LaMontagne, A. D., Keegel, T., Louie, A. M., & Ostry, A. (2023). Conceptualizing workrelated psychosocial risks: current state of the art and implications for research, policy and
practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 20(4), 2334.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042334
46. Leana, C. R., & Barry, B. (2000). Stability and change as simultaneous experiences in
organizational life. Academy of Management Review. 25(4), 753-759. Retrieved from:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/259203
47. Ling, F. Y. Y., Ng, Y. J., & Zhai, W. (2025). Examining the mediating role of organizational
pride on the relationship of human values and work outcomes of facilities managers. Facilities, 43(1/2), 129–148. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-09-2023-0087
48. Liu, W., Wang, Z., & Liao, J. (2013). Helping others helps me: Prosocial behavior and satisfaction with life through self-affirmation and LMX. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-011-9311-849. Lu, C.-S. (2023). Sustainable human resource management practices, employee resilience, and employee outcomes: Toward common good values. Human Resource Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22153
50. Lu, Y., Zhang, M. M., Yang, M. M., & Wang, Y. (2023). Sustainable human resource
management practices, employee resilience, and employee outcomes: Toward common good
values. Human Resource Management, 62(3), 331-353. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22153
51. Mansoor, S., Tran, P. A., & Ali, M. (2021). Employee outcomes of supporting and valuing
diversity: Mediating role of diversity climate. Organization Management Journal, 18(1), 19–
35. https://doi.org/10.1108/OMJ-09-2019-0801
52. Morgan, D. L. (1998). The focus group guidebook. Sage Publications.
53. Nawaz, A., Jahanian, R., & Mahmood, M. (2017). Role of incentives in organizational
citizenship behavior. Journal of Educational Administration, 55(1), 21–35.
54. Newman, A., Donohue, R., & Eva, N. (2017). Psychological safety: A systematic review of
the literature. Human Resource Management Review, 27(3), 521–535.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.01.001
55. Noorazem, T., Salleh, N. M., & Ahmad, N. L. (2021). The role of total rewards in motivation
and retention. International Journal of Human Resource Studies, 11(2), 98–115.
56. Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Dickinson, W. B., Leech, N. L., & Zoran, A. G. (2009). A qualitative
framework for collecting and analyzing data in focus group research. International Journal of
Qualitative Methods, 8(3), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690900800301
57. Oreg, S., Vakola, M., & Armenakis, A. (2011). Change recipients’ reactions to organizational
change: A 60-year review of quantitative studies. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science,
47(4), 461–524. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886310396550
58. Rafferty, A. E., & Griffin, M. A. (2006). Perceptions of organizational change: A stress and
coping perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(5), 1154–1162.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.5.1154
59. Ramadhani, I., Sobandi, A., & Santoso, B. (2024). Exploring the impact of resilient leadership
on employee and organizational resilience: A systematic literature review. Jurnal Ekuisci, 1(6).
https://doi.org/10.33500/ekuisci.v1i6.293
60. Rhoades, L., & Eisenberger, R. (2002). Perceived organizational support: A review of the
literature. Journal of Applied Psychology.
61. Scandura, T. A. (1999). Rethinking leader–member exchange: An organizational justice perspective. The Leadership Quarterly, 10(1), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(99)80007-1
62. Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
63. Shaik, R., Nambudiri, R. & Yadav, M.K. (2021). Mindfully performed organisational routines: reconciling the stability and change duality view. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 30 (4), 1019-1038. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-12-2020-2535
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 HRM Research and Practices
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
