Abstract
Purpose The objective of our research is to extend the literature that focuses on understanding the Trump effect on Black employees' turnover intentions. We rely on signaling theory to propose and test a model that clarifies how Trump-supporting supervisors increase Black employees' turnover intentions.Design/methodology/approach Our study relies on survey responses from 325 Black employees.Findings We find supervisors perceived as Trump-supporting, compared to supervisors perceived as Trump-opposing, are more likely to engage in a higher level of authoritarian management toward Black employees. This authoritarian management sends a signal of subjugation to Black employees, triggering increased turnover intentions, particularly for Black employees with relatively high levels of conscientiousness.Practical implications Organizations should be aware that certain types of supervisors can adversely impact Black employees' turnover intentions.Originality/value Our study enhances understanding of how and when Trump-supporting supervisors adversely impact Black employees' turnover intentions.