Publication Date
2026
Abstract
This study examines how ethical leadership, ethical climate, quota difficulty, distributive quota fairness, and person–organization (P–O) fit jointly shape salespeople’s turnover intentions and actual turnover. Survey data from 203 salespeople in a national computer-industry firm were paired with organizational turnover records collected one year later. Ethical leadership strengthened ethical climate, distributive quota fairness, and P–O fit, while ethical climate further enhanced fairness and value alignment. Quota difficulty strongly reduced fairness. Fairness also contributed to P–O fit, indicating that justice experiences tied to quota allocation shape value congruence in meaningful ways. Both fairness and P–O fit predicted lower turnover intentions, and fairness also directly predicted actual turnover. These findings underscore the interconnected nature of ethical leadership, ethical climate, and quota systems and provide rare behavioral evidence that fairness judgments tied to performance standards shape who ultimately stays and who leaves.