How do increased job demands resulting from rationalization of costs exhaust flight attendants and push them to leave? An international study

Cost effectiveness becomes a priority of airlines pushed organizations to achieve their objectives of being cost leader. This strategy generated multiple employees' related issues such as emotional exhaustion, work-family conflict, and a high turnover. However, these issues still need more research in the airline sector. In the current study, we aim to explore the indirect effect of increased job demands on intention to leave via work-family conflict, emotional exhaustion that provides an insight of the route towards flight attendants’ intention to leave. Data was collected from 1664 flight attendants working in three countries (Canada, France, and Germany) using questionnaires online. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to evaluate the said relationships. Results exhibit that all the factors contributing towards intention to leave are significantly and positively interrelated. The results also revealed that work-family conflict positively mediates the relationship between increased job demands and emotional exhaustion and this last mediates the relationship between increased job demands and intention to leave. Furthermore, psychosocial safety climate acts as a moderator on the relationships between increased job demands and work-family conflict and on the link between this last variable and emotional exhaustion. •Flight attendants face multiple psychosocial risks due to cost rationalization.•Increased job demands directly and indirectly enhanced turnover intentions.•Psychosocial safety climate moderates the indirect effects.•Airlines can use psychosocial safety climate to reduce these risks.