The existential crisis and job-hopping behavior among young employees in Vietnam
Published: July 26, 2026
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between existential crisis and job turnover intention among young workers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with a focus on the mediating roles of psychological state and job satisfaction. The research employed a survey methodology using a structured questionnaire developed from validated models and scales, complemented by in-depth interviews with seven experts. Data were collected from 660 workers. The analysis revealed that existential crisis accounted for 12.3% of the variation in understanding of work outcomes and 23.4% of the variation in the perceived meaning of work. Workers' psychological state explained 52% of the variation in job satisfaction, which, in turn, influenced job turnover intention by 12.4%. Based on the findings, the study proposes several solutions aimed at enhancing job satisfaction and reducing turnover intention among young employees.
Anphabe (2022). Dành cho nhà quản lý: Hiểu để làm việc hiệu quả với nhân viên Gen Z.
2.
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469.
3.
Bashir, Ahmad, Muhammad, Shahid, Zill-e-Huma, & Sajjad, Haider (2012). Turnover intention: An HRM Issue in textile sector. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3(12).
4.
Boles, J., Madupalli, R., Rutherford, B., & Wood, J. A. (2007). The relationship of facets of salesperson job satisfaction with affective organizational commitment. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 22(5), 311-321.
5.
Brunetto, Y., Teo, S. T., Shacklock, K., & Farr-Wharton, R. (2012). Emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, well-being and engagement: Explaining organisational commitment and turnover intentions in policing. Human Resource Management Journal, 22(4), 428-441.
6.
Caplan, G. (1964). Principles of Preventive Psychiatry. New York: Basic Books Inc.
7.
Chen, X., Al Mamun, A., Hussain, W. M. H. W., Jingzu, G., Yang, Q., & Shami, S. S. A. A. (2023). Envisaging the job satisfaction and turnover intention among the young workforce: Evidence from an emerging economy. PLOS ONE, 18(6), e0287284.
8.
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: Norton.
9.
Gallup, Inc. (2025). State of the Global Workplace Report.
10.
Hackman, J. R., & Lawler, E. E. (1971). Employee reactions to job characteristics. Journal of Applied Psychology, 55(3), 259-286.
11.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1975). Development of the Job Diagnostic Survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60(2), 159-170.
12.
Levinson, D. J. (1996). The Seasons of a Woman’s Life. Ballantine Books.
13.
Loher, B. T., Noe, R. A., Moeller, N. L., & Fitzgerald, M. P. (1985). A meta-analysis of the relation of job characteristics to job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70(2), 280.
14.
May, D. R., Gilson, R. L., & Harter, L. M. (2004). The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(1), 11-37.
15.
Mobley, W. H. (1977). Intermediate linkages in the relationship between job satisfaction and employee turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62(2), 237-240.
16.
Petrov, N., Robinson, O. C., & Arnett, J. J. (2022). The Developmental Crisis Questionnaire (DCQ-12): Psychometric development and validation. Journal of Adult Development, 29(4), 265-278.
17.
Roessler, W. (2012). ECP03-01-Practical strategies to managing stress. European Psychiatry, 27, 1.