Determinants of burnout and turnover intention in travel agencies (Iran): the investigation of family work conflict, nepotism and customer aggression on employees’ performance

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the role of FWC (Family Work Conflict), nepotism, and aggression of customers towards burnout and turnover intention among employees. Employees of several Iranian travel agencies served as a study setting. A total of 30 semi-structured interviews with managers from 30 different travel agencies in Northern Iran were conducted in 2017. For interviews, an interview script was used with audio recorded permission. The interviews took an average of 30 minutes to complete (from Persian to English) and then analysed using a software. Based on interviews, FWC influenced the burnout and turnover intention among employees. The other salient point is the positive effect of customer aggression on the emotional exhaustion of employees; however, the study revealed that nepotism has a negative effect on burnout. To date, research on the role of FWC, nepotism and customer aggression in travel is lacking. This study is therefore a pioneer in the field of research. The researchers have recommended to examine these effects in other countries in Asia or the Middle East and evaluate the results in order to identify other psychological factors that affect burnout. The research revealed that FWC and nepotism effects have significant implications for training programs, especially on how employees deal with dissatisfied customers. Employees need to be trained properly to improve interpersonal skills and how to respect customer loyalty. In addition, managers should create workspaces where employees feel safe in respect of FWC. Lastly, managers should avoid any workplace favoritism and friendship.