Employee perceptions and voluntary turnover: a case study
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2008
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine how employees' perceptions influence turnover decisions, during a period when critical intra-organizational conditions (i.e., corporate uncertainty and restructuring) and external economic conditions (i.e., commodity boom) are present. Exploration, in the present investigation, attempts to achieve a comprehensive understanding of turnover by observing and identifying how distinct perceptions combine to influence this construct. The evidence found in this particular case study will be compared with the relevant turnover literature from three theoretical bodies of knowledge to determine how effective these existing literatures are at explaining turnover decisions.
The exploratory work conducted in this study offers a unique opportunity to examine first-hand how perceptions of workplace justice, the state of the organization, external opportunities, as well as elements of job satisfaction all combine to influence employees' turnover decisions.
The study is founded upon exit interviews of employees leaving a Canadian resource company, dubbed here as "ResourceCo". All departing ResourceCo employees were leaving of their own volition following a prolonged period of corporate uncertainty and organizational change. This exodus took place during an especially positive period of economic expansion for the resource sector. Through the exit interview process, departing employees were provided with a forum to comment on a wide variety of aspects of their work experience. Prior to data collection, the researcher achieved insider status within the study's setting. The researcher had an intimate knowledge of the company, its history, its departments, and its employees.
The data suggests that employees' perceptions around autonomy, voice, and decision-making were especially significant to the turnover determinations. Other perceptions that appeared to influence turnover included thoughts on: the time it took the ResourceCo to fill vacant positions following attrition (and the resultant impact on workload); mentorship; retention efforts; compensation; external career opportunities; and interactional justice ( e.g., fair treatment, recognition, etc.).
Some implications of the study's findings around such issues as turnover avoidance measures, turnover anticipation, retention and recruitment, mentorship, and demographics and turnover are briefly considered for improved corporate policy, heightened employee understanding, and future research endeavours.
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Bibliography: p. 350-366
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Silverberg, S. M. (2008). Employee perceptions and voluntary turnover: a case study (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/2305