In recent years, due to the rapid growth rate of Taiwanese aviation traffic volume and the
air traffic controllers’ (ATCs) unique job characteristics (ATCs is a profession job that
involves heavy stress), leading to a shortage of ATCs. The paper offers an empirical study
about the sources of pressure that make ATCs in Taiwan want to leave their jobs. Besides,
another contribution of this study is to explore the relationships between turnover tendencies
and two important factors, job stress and job satisfaction, among Taiwanese ATCs. We
apply a path technique to analyze the proposed relationship model. The empirical results
show that job satisfaction has a mediating effect on the relationships between the sources
of job stress and turnover tendency. Additionally, the workload of job stressors had the
most effect on turnover tendency, followed by family factors and job satisfaction. Work
environment and role conflict were found to have indirect rather than direct effects on
turnover tendency as mediated by job satisfaction. The results can provide valuable
insights into the management of ATCs.