Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of loneliness and alienation in the workplace on the intention of leaving employment and whether emotional exhaustion has a mediating role in this effect. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses generated within the framework of the study model were evaluated by using the data set obtained from 402 survey participants working at nine shopping malls in the Central and Eastern Black Sea regions of Turkey and statistical analysis programs. In this context, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to determine the validity of the scale and the structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the research hypotheses. Findings The study reveals that loneliness and alienation in the workplace have an effect on the intention of leaving employment and that this effect is fully mediated by emotional exhaustion. Whether this full mediating role determined by the SEM is meaningful or not was evaluated by Bootstrap analysis and the results revealed that the effect is meaningful. Practical implications Developing effective communication channels that will prevent the employee from feeling isolated at work and eliminating the pressure and inadequate physical working conditions created by unrealistic sales targets are recommended. In addition, it is thought that if employees are included in decision-making processes and have sufficient autonomy related to the job, work alienation can be prevented. Originality/value This research is important in terms of evaluating shopping centers, which are accepted as the symbol of consumption today, not only with their economic aspects but also with their employees. In this context, the research has revealed that shopping mall employees want to leave their jobs due to emotional exhaustion caused by loneliness and alienation at work.
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