Date of Award
10-15-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Department
College of Business
First Advisor
Donald Schoffstall, Ph.D.
Committee Members
Donald Schoffstall, Ph.D.; Julie A. Bilodeau, D.B.A.; Eric A. Brown
Keywords
Call centers; Perceived supervisor support; Remote call center; Remote leadership; Remote work; Turnover intention
Abstract
The goal of this study was to explore turnover intention and perceived supervisor support among remote customer service employees in the United States as no known published research exists. Turnover intention is the feeling an individual experiences up to the moment they decide to leave an organization (Mobley et al., 1977). According to Haynie et al., (2022), perceived supervisor support is an aspect of perceived organizational support that focuses on the employee’s perception of their direct leader. Remote customer service employees experience isolation and a unique stress of emotional dissonance that can be offset by training and other supervisor interventions (Zito et al., 2018). The research questions of this study were utilized to explore the relationship between turnover intention and perceived supervisor support and investigate if the frequency of supervisor engagement acts as a mitigator for turnover intention. This nonexperimental quantitative research study employed both correlational and comparative methods. Recruitment utilized an online survey platform combining employees from multiple sectors of remote customer service in the U.S. Respondents completed a single instrument that combined aspects of the 3-item scale for turnover intention (Michaels & Spector, 1982) and an adaptation of perceived organizational support (Eisenberger et al., 1976) scale to focus on perceived supervisor support (Haynie et al, 2022). The sample (N = 204) included individuals born between 1955 and 2004 employed remotely. Data analysis was conducted using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, regression analysis, and one-sided paired t-test respectively. The result was a negative correlation between turnover intention and perceived supervisor support with a stronger reaction to feelings of neglect by supervisor. While current and desired number of supervisor engagements was found to not have a significant impact on turnover intention, individuals that were not receiving their desired number of engagements did exhibit higher levels of turnover intention. Recommendations from the study include enhanced leadership development with a focus on remote intervention and the creation of structured engagement plans. The findings of the study should be utilized to help stakeholders in identifying practices that improve perceived supervisor support and developing strategies to reduce turnover intention in remote employees in the U.S.
Recommended Citation
Barnhart, Cory, "Like to Talk to a Supervisor: The Relationship Between Perceived Supervisor Support and Turnover Intention in Remote Call Centers in the United States" (2025). JWU Dissertations & Theses. 31.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/jwu_etd/31
