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Prior studies have shown various mediating and moderating mechanisms regarding the effect of employees' perceived overqualification on intention to leave (ITL). Nonetheless, only a few empirical studies have shed light on the negative underlying processes that explain this relationship. Furthermore, less is known about the role of high-performance work systems (HPWSs) in the overqualification literature. Drawing upon relative deprivation theory (RDT), this research attempts to fill these gaps by examining the mediating role of work-related boredom and the moderating role of perceived HPWSs in the association between perceived overqualification and ITL.

Data from a sample of 188 employees working in a Greek manufacturing company were analyzed using the PROCESS macros for SPSS.

The results indicated that work-related boredom mediates the association between perceived overqualification and ITL. Moreover, HPWSs attenuated the relationship of perceived overqualification with both work-related boredom and ITL, such that their association was positive only when employees' perceptions of HPWSs were low.

This study adds to the existing literature regarding why and how perceived overqualification affects ITL. Even more, this is one of the first studies that examine the role of HPWSs in the literature of overqualification. Theoretical and practical implications were also considered.