Voluntary and Involuntary Absence: The Influence of Leadership, Work Environment, Affect and Group Size

This study examined a theoretical model that linked leadership, positive and negative workgroup environments, positive and negative affect and workgroup size with group-level voluntary and involuntary absence. Structural equation analyses were conducted on data obtained from 27,327 staff members in 852 schools. Overall, the results demonstrated that voluntary and involuntary absence each had different antecedents. Voluntary absence was predicted by school size and positive affect whereas involuntary absence was primarily predicted by negative aspects of the work environment. These findings have important implications on the way that researchers and practitioners should approach the subject of absenteeism.