Research Article
Open Access
Organizational Justice and Turnover Intention in Logistics Employees: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective with the Mediating Role of Burnout
1
Business Administration, Kuala Lumpur University of Science and Technology, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
* Corresponding Author:
Qian Li,
[email protected]
Volume 3, Issue 3
2026
Received: 19 February 2026
Revised: 21 March 2026
Accepted: 23 March 2026
Published: 12 August 2026
Article Information
Published in
Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis
Volume/Issue
Volume 3, Issue 3, 2026
Pages
132-142
Abstract
Employee turnover remains a critical challenge in labor-intensive service industries such as logistics. Drawing on social exchange theory and the job demands–resources (JD–R) model, this study examines the relationship between organizational justice and turnover intention, with occupational burnout as a mediating mechanism. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 428 logistics employees in China, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping techniques. The results indicate that organizational justice is negatively associated with both occupational burnout and turnover intention, while burnout is positively related to turnover intention. Furthermore, burnout partially mediates the relationship between organizational justice and turnover intention. This study contributes to the literature by clarifying the psychological mechanism linking fairness perceptions to employee withdrawal in high-demand service contexts. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing organizational justice and reducing burnout to improve employee retention in logistics enterprises.
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
organizational justice
occupational burnout
turnover intention
social exchange theory
JD–R model
logistics enterprises
Data Availability Statement
Data will be made available on request.
Funding
This work was supported without any funding.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
AI Use Statement
The authors declare that no generative AI was used in the preparation of this manuscript.
Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate
This study was conducted in accordance with ethical principles governing research involving human participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of Kuala Lumpur University of Science and Technology. All participants were informed of the purpose of the study prior to participation. Completion and return of the questionnaire was considered as implied consent to participate. Participation was voluntary, and all responses were treated as anonymous and confidential.
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APA Style
Li, Q., & Li, P. (2026). Organizational Justice and Turnover Intention in Logistics Employees: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective with the Mediating Role of Burnout. Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis, 3(3), 132-142. https://doi.org/10.62762/JSSPA.2026.906178
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TY - JOUR AU - Li, Qian AU - Li, Peilin PY - 2026 DA - 2026/08/12 TI - Organizational Justice and Turnover Intention in Logistics Employees: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective with the Mediating Role of Burnout JO - Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis T2 - Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis JF - Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis VL - 3 IS - 3 SP - 132 EP - 142 DO - 10.62762/JSSPA.2026.906178 UR - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JSSPA.2026.906178 KW - organizational justice KW - occupational burnout KW - turnover intention KW - social exchange theory KW - JD–R model KW - logistics enterprises AB - Employee turnover remains a critical challenge in labor-intensive service industries such as logistics. Drawing on social exchange theory and the job demands–resources (JD–R) model, this study examines the relationship between organizational justice and turnover intention, with occupational burnout as a mediating mechanism. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 428 logistics employees in China, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping techniques. The results indicate that organizational justice is negatively associated with both occupational burnout and turnover intention, while burnout is positively related to turnover intention. Furthermore, burnout partially mediates the relationship between organizational justice and turnover intention. This study contributes to the literature by clarifying the psychological mechanism linking fairness perceptions to employee withdrawal in high-demand service contexts. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing organizational justice and reducing burnout to improve employee retention in logistics enterprises. SN - 3068-5540 PB - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge LA - English ER -
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@article{Li2026Organizati,
author = {Qian Li and Peilin Li},
title = {Organizational Justice and Turnover Intention in Logistics Employees: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective with the Mediating Role of Burnout},
journal = {Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis},
year = {2026},
volume = {3},
number = {3},
pages = {132-142},
doi = {10.62762/JSSPA.2026.906178},
url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JSSPA.2026.906178},
abstract = {Employee turnover remains a critical challenge in labor-intensive service industries such as logistics. Drawing on social exchange theory and the job demands–resources (JD–R) model, this study examines the relationship between organizational justice and turnover intention, with occupational burnout as a mediating mechanism. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 428 logistics employees in China, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping techniques. The results indicate that organizational justice is negatively associated with both occupational burnout and turnover intention, while burnout is positively related to turnover intention. Furthermore, burnout partially mediates the relationship between organizational justice and turnover intention. This study contributes to the literature by clarifying the psychological mechanism linking fairness perceptions to employee withdrawal in high-demand service contexts. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing organizational justice and reducing burnout to improve employee retention in logistics enterprises.},
keywords = {organizational justice, occupational burnout, turnover intention, social exchange theory, JD–R model, logistics enterprises},
issn = {3068-5540},
publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}
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