The impact of abusive supervision on teacher turnover intention: the moderating role of psychological empowerment and creativity

Teacher turnover has emerged as a critical challenge faced by educational systems in developing countries, including Somalia. This study examines the influence of abusive supervision on teachers' turnover intention, with a particular focus on the moderating roles of psychological empowerment and creativity using a cross-sectional, correlational survey research design. A sample of 356 Somali teachers, working in private and government school recruited through convenience and snowball sampling, participated in the study. A quantitative analytical approach was employed, including correlation analysis, and moderation analysis to test the hypothesized model. The findings indicate a significant positive association between abusive supervision and turnover intention. Importantly, psychological empowerment did not buffer the impact of abusive supervision on turnover intention whereas creativity was identified as a significant moderator, suggesting that fostering teacher creativity and encouraging innovative instructional practices can buffer the detrimental effects of abusive leadership. These results have both theoretical and practical implications, highlighting the need to promote supportive leadership and to cultivate environments that enhance teacher creativity. Such interventions are vital for improving teacher retention and ensuring educational stability in fragile and resource-constrained contexts.