Communication is also a very important aspect of organisational culture that influences turnover intention. Research on African countries indicates that poor communication causes misunderstandings, dissatisfaction, and voluntary exits [10][11]. Poor communication channels also lead to employee isolation and a lack of engagement [12].

Transparent and open communication has been noted to reduce turnover and enhance job satisfaction in Southern Africa [13][14]. In Zambia, such problems as the lack of communication and job ambiguity are also among the sources of employee turnover, including the selected commercial bank [15]. Frequent meetings and systematic feedback systems can be used to minimise attrition [16].

Organisational culture comprises leadership styles and recognition practices, which impact retention. African studies demonstrate that positive and respectful leaders have an eminent decrease in turnover intentions [17][18].

The institutions in Southern Africa where the leadership is collaborative and the culture is supportive of diversity show better retention results [19][20]. The factors that contributed to turnover cited to be lack of recognition, lack of involvement of leadership and poor professional support. Research proposes mentorship and leadership development programmes as the means of enhancing retention [21][22].

The career advancement opportunities have a major role to play in employee retention. In African organisations, lower turnover is noted in cultures that endorse constant learning and acquisition of skills [23][24].

Growth opportunity in the form of limited career growth options coupled with disconnects between the published organisational values cause attrition [25]. Absence of career progression and growth opportunities have been pointed out as key success factors to turnover [21]. Ensuring that the development programmes and clear career routes are implemented is linked to higher levels of retention [26].

The part that is critical to retention is cultural alignment, the extent to which the values of employees are similar to those of an organisation. High cultural fit leads to reduction in turnover when employees have a high cultural fit [27][28].

Adaptive and people-oriented cultures that shift in line with employee requirements cause reduced attrition and raise the risk of turnover in toxic and misaligned cultures [29]-[31].

In Zambia, when every organisation frequently checks the alignment of the culture with feedback surveys and enhances the involvement of the employees, the retention results are improved [32][33]. It has been suggested that improved communication, team building, and integration efforts based on cultural peculiarities can strengthen and stabilise a working environment at the selected commercial bank [34]. Routes that are implemented are linked to higher levels of retention [26].

2.5.1. Social Exchange Theory (SET)

Suggested by [35] implies that employees consider their commitment depending on perceived rewards against costs. Open communication, recognition, and career development promoted by the organisational culture make the employees feel important, which raises their retention, whereas the opposite reduces their turnover [11][36]. The high turnover at the selected commercial bank can indicate the lack of balance between the perceived benefits and costs of the culture.

2.5.2. Organizational Culture Theory (OCT)

Assumes that common values, beliefs and practices influence employee behaviour [37]. Organisations that promote commitment through positive cultures that value teamwork, inclusiveness and clear communication, and strict hierarchies that deter attrition [13]. It is important to align the selected commercial banks culture with the expectations of the employees particularly in the area of communication and career development to be retained

2.5.3. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Differentiates hygienic factors (salary, job security) and motivators (recognition, career progression) [38]. Motivators improve job satisfaction and minimise turnover. Professional development and structured career growth in the case of the selected commercial bank can be the major motivation to retain the employees [21].

The review exposes a number of gaps in the current knowledge on the organisational culture and employee turnover, especially among the Zambian banking industry. Scarcity of literature exists on how digital transformation and hybrid work models are transforming the concept of communication, engagement and cultural cohesion in African financial institutions. The impact of the employee demographics on cultural fit and turnover is also not analysed extensively since it has been shown that age groups have diverse values toward workplace culture. In addition, the majority of Zambian research is based on cross-sectional research designs, and there are no longitudinal or empirical studies that can monitor long-term outcomes of cultural intervention like leadership development, or feedback systems. Also, there is little of how global HRM models, like Competing Values Framework and Job Embeddedness Theory, are combined with the realities of the local culture, and there is a gap in the knowledge of how these models can be implemented to suit the specific sociocultural setting of Zambian banking staff.

The study is guided by the conceptual framework shown in Figure 1Figure 1, which was developed by the researcher based on the reviewed literature.

Source: Adapted by the researcher (2025).

Figure 1.Conceptual model; adopted by researcher 2025.

This paper followed a pragmatic philosophy, where practical problem-solving and methodological pluralism are the focus [39]. The pragmatism helped incorporate the positivist (quantification of turnover and cultural variables) and interpretivist (person account of employee experience) views. The method enabled the development of a thorough view of organisational culture and turnover through the reconciliation of empirical and evidence-based information with context-sensitive information.

This research was a combination of deductive and inductive methods. Hypotheses that were based on the theories of Schein Organisational Culture Model, and Competing Values Framework were quantitatively tested, deductively. Qualitative interviews were used inductively where perceptions of the employees were examined to reveal context-related cultural factors that influence turnover. This two-fold strategy enabled theory testing as well as the creation of novel information that is pertinent to the selected commercial bank.

The design chosen was cross-sectional, where the perceptions of the employees were taken at one point in time (Q2 2025). The longitudinal studies are useful in giving information about the temporal changes, though the cross-sectional snapshot provides us with timely information on the organisational culture and turnover as a basis on future studies or interventions.

It employed a concurrent mixed-methods design where quantitative and qualitative data were collected at the same time [40]. Patterns and correlations were measured using quantitative surveys, and meanings and experiences were achieved during qualitative interviews. Triangulation helped in having statistically strong and contextual findings.

The survey was conducted to the entire population of 792 the selected commercial bank Zambia PLC regardless of their department of operation such as the Retail Banking, Risk and Compliance, Operations, IT, HR and Corporate Banking.

The study employed both quantitative and qualitative sampling approaches to ensure comprehensive data collection. For the quantitative component, stratified random sampling was used to achieve proportional representation across different departments and seniority levels within the organization. The sample size was determined using Yamane’s formula (1967), ensuring a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error, which provided a statistically reliable number of participants.

The study used stratified random sampling for quantitative data collection.

Sample size was calculated using Yamane’s formula:

where:

N = 792, e = 0.05.

n = 792/(1 + 792) (0.0025).

n = 792/2.98.

n ≈ 266 respondents.

For the qualitative component, purposive sampling was applied to select 10 key informants, including HR professionals, managers, and experienced staff with a minimum of three years of service at the bank. These participants were specifically chosen for their in-depth knowledge and experience, enabling rich insights into the study. A total of 10 interviews were conducted, which was considered sufficient to achieve thematic saturation and provide a comprehensive understanding of the research problem, as supported by [41].

The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data for a comprehensive understanding of the research problem. Quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire that captured demographic information and respondents’ perceptions of organizational culture, including communication, leadership, recognition, and teamwork, as well as turnover intention. Organisational culture was defined as the shared values, beliefs, and behavioural norms within the organisation that influence employee attitudes and behaviour, and it was measured using six dimensions: communication (5 items), recognition (5 items), value alignment (5 items), motivation (5 items), fair policies (5 items), teamwork (5 items), and leadership (5 items), all assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Turnover intention was defined as employees’ conscious willingness to leave the organisation and was measured using 5 Likert-scale items capturing intentions to quit and job search behaviour. Composite scores for each construct were created by calculating the mean of all items within each dimension. Higher scores on organisational culture variables indicate more positive perceptions of the workplace environment, while higher turnover intention scores indicate a greater likelihood of employees intending to leave the organisation.

The questionnaire employed a 5-point Likert scale and was pre-tested to ensure clarity and reliability, with data collected through both paper-based and electronic formats to enhance response rates [42]. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 10 key informants, focusing on communication practices, leadership behavior, recognition systems, and cultural alignment; these interviews were conducted with consent, recorded, and transcribed to allow for detailed analysis of recurring patterns and contextual insights [43].

Quantitative data analysis was conducted using SPSS, where descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses, and inferential techniques such as Pearson correlation and multiple regression were applied to examine relationships between organizational culture variables and turnover intention [44]. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha with a threshold of greater than 0.70 [45], and key regression assumptions, including normality, linearity, multicollinearity, and homoscedasticity, were evaluated. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis guided by [46], incorporating open, axial, and selective coding to identify key themes such as communication gaps, lack of recognition, and career stagnation. NVivo software facilitated the coding process and supported the achievement of data saturation. Finally, findings from both quantitative and qualitative analyses were triangulated to provide a more robust and contextually grounded interpretation of the results [43].

Reliability: Assured by using standardised questionnaires, uniform interview guides and the use of systematic coding procedures.

Validity: The validity is achieved by triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data, and expert validation of data collection instruments, and member-checking in the interviews.

Generalizability: Because of being a case study, results are context-specific and offer any transfer to similar banking mergers in the emerging economies, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa (see Table 1).

Table 1. Reliability statistics for study constructs.

The demographics (see Table 2) show that the sample is characterised by 50% and 52.6% of employees in the age category 30 - 39 and 0 - 5 years of the service, respectively, and the recent study has shown that these demographics are more characterised by higher turnover dynamics because they are able to move their careers and have expectations that still fail to be realised [47]. The departmental representation map indicates that Retail Banking (25.6) and Corporate Banking (18.8) were the largest entities, which implies the involvement of client-thinking units, which may be associated with a greater level of knowledge of the culture and turnover indicators [48]. There was a reasonable balance between genders (54.5% male, 45.5% female) and it is similar to the recent research accentuating the importance of gender inclusiveness in the analysis of the wider organisation [49]. The position levels of the sample also show a significant range between frontline (45.1%) and senior management (18.8%), which is why the methodological suggestion of the multi-level perspectives producing better revelations about the organisational culture and turnover intentions can be justified [50].

Table 2.Demographic characteristics.

The descriptive statistics (see Table 3) depict that average scores on such cultural dimensions as Communication (M = 2.96, SD = 1.37), Motivation (M = 2.88, SD = 1.42), and Fair Policies (M = 2.90, SD = 1.39) are moderate. Such moderate scores align with the current research that found out that the mid-range cultural perceptions are mostly associated with organisational ambivalence areas that tied to high turnover intentions [47]. Teamwork was the most popular in terms of the mean (M = 3.12), indicating a fairly greater peer cohesion, which multiple studies attribute to a reduced turnover intention in case of existence [51]. The average moderate Turnover Intention score (M 0.87, SD 0.69) is consistent with the literature that suggests that under moderate positive cultural features, the likelihood of turnover is still quite high [52]. The standard deviation among the variables is relatively high which means that there is variability in the perceptions, which supports the literature that identifies that an unequal cultural experience increases turnover risk [48].

Table 3. Descriptive statistics of organizational culture variables.

Communication Practices and Employee Voice

The scores of open communication (approximately, M = 3.02) and supervisor communication (approximately, M = 2.90) as moderate indicate an intermediate communication climate, as the literature indicates that an intermediate communication climate causes turnover intentions to stay high when communication is neither strongly supportive nor decisively participatory [47].

The fact that qualitative descriptions of a top down communication flow and low upward feedback reflect trends observed in recent organisational studies, in which centralised communication suppresses the voice of the employees and leads to disengagement and turnover intentions [51].

The regression model showed that Turnover Intention had a moderate level of variance (R² = 0.305), which is in line with the modern turnover literature [47]. The best predictor was motivation (−0.176, p = 0.010), which is consistent with recent findings that motivational cultural factors are some of the strongest negative turnover intention predictors, in their presence (see Table 4). The lower turnover intentions were also significantly predicted by recognition (−0.133, p = 0.047) and value alignment (−0.120, p = 0.039); the same results are also demonstrated by the studies that indicate that, when employees believe in the obvious organisational values and recognition practises, their retention intentions become stronger [49]. The negative relationship between teamwork (β = −0.115, p = 0.035) confirms the study that has found a negative correlation between collaborative culture and turnover intention [51]. Not significant were the communication (−0.068, p > 0.05) and fair policies (−0.072, p > 0.05) which is also in line with the literature indicating that both factors might affect turnover intention via mediating variables such as job satisfaction, and not directly [47]. The weak impact of leadership (β = −0.089, p = 0.072) may indicate that the effects of leadership are determined by the wider cultural contexts, which can be observed in recent research of the organisations [52].

Table 4.Regression coefficients predicting turnover intention.

The qualitative findings from the study reveal several key strategies that organizations can adopt to align their organizational culture in ways that reduce employee turnover intention. These strategies emerged consistently from participant responses and are supported by recent scholarly literature.

First, participative leadership was identified as a critical factor. Participants emphasized that involving employees in decision-making processes fosters a sense of voice and empowerment within the organization. This inclusive approach enhances psychological ownership, making employees feel valued and integral to organizational success. Consistent with recent findings, such involvement is associated with reduced turnover intentions [50].

Second, the study highlights the importance of standardised recognition programmes. Respondents noted that structured and consistent systems for acknowledging employee contributions significantly improve job satisfaction. When employees feel recognized in a fair and predictable manner, their commitment to the organization strengthens, ultimately lowering their likelihood of leaving. This aligns with [49], who found a strong link between recognition practices and reduced turnover intentions.

Third, mentoring and formalised onboarding processes emerged as essential, particularly for new employees. Given that a substantial proportion of the sample (52.6%) consisted of individuals in early tenure, participants stressed the importance of structured support systems during the initial stages of employment. Mentorship facilitates smoother adjustment, enhances organizational commitment, and reduces uncertainty, all of which contribute to lower turnover intentions [48].

Lastly, fair promotion practices were identified as a significant determinant of employee retention. Participants expressed the need for transparent, unbiased, and merit-based career advancement opportunities. Such practices strengthen perceptions of organizational justice, which is negatively correlated with turnover intention. This finding is supported by [47], who highlight the role of equitable promotion systems in enhancing employee retention.

The findings show that motivation, recognition, value alignment, and teamwork significantly predict turnover intention, while communication, fair policies, and leadership were not statistically significant, and this pattern can be comprehensively explained through the integration of Social Exchange Theory, Organisational Culture Theory, and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory [35]-[38]. From the perspective of Social Exchange Theory, employees evaluate their intention to remain in the organisation based on perceived reciprocal benefits [35][36]; thus, motivation, recognition, value alignment, and teamwork represent immediate and emotionally salient exchanges that reinforce employee–organisation reciprocity, strengthening retention, whereas communication, leadership, and fair policies may be perceived as more indirect or inconsistently experienced exchanges, weakening their direct predictive power on turnover intention. Organisational Culture Theory [37] further explains that the significant variables reflect deeper and more embedded cultural assumptions that shape daily employee experience, particularly recognition and motivation as visible artefacts signalling employee worth, value alignment as shared underlying beliefs that enhance identification with the organisation, and teamwork as a manifestation of basic assumptions of collaboration and social cohesion. In contrast, communication and leadership may vary across units and managerial levels, reducing their consistency and statistical significance at the aggregate level, as also reflected in previous findings [47][51], which emphasise that organisational ambivalence in communication structures often weakens direct effects on turnover outcomes. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory [38] further clarifies that motivation, recognition, and value alignment function as intrinsic motivators that generate satisfaction and reduce turnover intentions when present, while teamwork enhances psychological fulfilment through belongingness, whereas communication and fair policies operate more as hygiene factors whose absence creates dissatisfaction but whose presence does not necessarily generate strong retention effects, which explains their non-significant statistical influence. Leadership may also exert an indirect or context-dependent influence mediated through broader cultural systems rather than directly predicting turnover intention [52]. These quantitative interpretations are reinforced by qualitative evidence, where participants consistently emphasised experiential factors over formal systems, with one respondent stating, “When you are appreciated and given chances to grow, you don’t even think of leaving, even if the workload is high,” while another noted, “We rarely feel part of decisions; it’s more about teamwork and recognition that keeps people here, not communication from top management,” thereby confirming that retention is primarily driven by relational, value-based, and motivational cultural elements rather than procedural or structural organisational mechanisms.