The impact of vertical and horizontal communication on turnover intention: The mediating role of job satisfaction

This research examines the influence of internal communication particularly vertical and horizontal communication on employees' turnover intention with job satisfaction as a mediator variable. Guided by systems theory, the study frames internal communication as a fundamental organizational activity that binds subsystems, increases consistency, and facilitates employee engagement. With the quantitative approach, data were gathered from 203 employees and teachers in Istanbul and Baghdad in Iraq, and subsequently analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The study shows that vertical communication highly increases job satisfaction, but horizontal communication does not show a direct effect. Job satisfaction, in turn, has a strong negative effect on turnover intention, confirming its critical role in employee retention. Mediation analysis indicates that job satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between vertical communication and turnover intention, but does not mediate the relationship between horizontal communication and turnover intention. The results of the research highlight the strategic role of managerial communication in both job satisfaction and employees' turnover reduction. The research provides an empirically validated model to isolate the horizontal and vertical communication impacts, thereby adding value to both internal communication and human resource management literatures. Organizational decision-makers might find usefulness in the recommendations that involve placing investment in supervisor communication practices as a priority area and taking job satisfaction seriously as a primary consideration in facilitating workforce stability.