Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Original Article

Factors Driving Employeesʼ Intention to Stay

Combining Retention Management and Research in Voluntary Turnover

Published Online:October 16, 2019https://doi.org/10.1026/0932-4089/a000313

Abstract

Abstract. This study investigates factors influencing employeesʼ intention to stay. Therefore, we developed and analyzed a retention model relating to the voluntary turnover model (Allen et al., 2010). We assume that the decision processes for retention and turnover might be similar. Differences can be found in the initiating factors (the drivers for leaving and staying). We combine empirically evident retention drivers, which are weighted regarding their implementation in the organization, with process variables from the turnover model. The model is tested with a sample of 881 German employees using structural equation modeling. Results show a significant indirect effect of the retention drivers on the intention to stay. The influence is mediated by the key attitudes job satisfaction and affective commitment. A psychological contract breach influences the relationship between job satisfaction and intention to stay, but not between affective commitment and intention to stay. We integrated research from Human Resource Management (HRM) into the framework of voluntary turnover.


Einflussfaktoren von Mitarbeiterbindung. Verknüpfung von Retention Management und Fluktuationsforschung

Zusammenfassung. Die Studie untersucht Einflussfaktoren im Rahmen eines Prozessmodells zur Mitarbeiterbindung. Dazu wird ein Modell zur Mitarbeiterbindung in Anlehnung an das Modell freiwilliger Fluktuation (Allen et al., 2010) entwickelt und analysiert. Angenommen wird, dass Prozesse zu Fluktuation und Mitarbeiterbindung strukturell ähnlich verlaufen. Unterschiede zeigen sich in den initiierenden Faktoren, den Gründen und Motiven für die Entscheidung über Verlassen bzw. Bleiben. Deshalb werden empirisch ermittelte Verbleibemotive, die in Bezug auf deren Umsetzung im Unternehmen gewichtet werden, mit Prozessvariablen aus dem Fluktuationsmodell kombiniert. Das Modell wird anhand einer Stichprobe von 881 deutschen MitarbeiterInnen mithilfe von Strukturgleichungsmodellen getestet. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen einen indirekten Einfluss der Verbleibemotive in Bezug auf die Bleibeabsicht, der durch Arbeitszufriedenheit und Commitment vermittelt wird. Ein psychologischer Vertragsbruch beeinflusst die Beziehung zwischen Arbeitszufriedenheit und Bleibeabsicht, nicht jedoch zwischen Commitment und Bleibeabsicht. Durch diese Studie wird Forschung zum Human Resource Management mit organisationspsychologischer Fluktuationsforschung zusammengebracht.

Literatur

  • Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In J. KuhJ. Beckmann (Eds.), Action-control: From cognition to behavior (pp. 11 – 39). Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Allen, D. G., Bryant, P. C., & Vardaman, J. M. (2010). Retaining talent: Replacing misconceptions with evidence-based strategies. Academy of Management Perspectives, 24 (2), 48 – 64. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1990). The measurement and antecedents of affective, continuance and normative commitment. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 63, 1 – 18. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51 (6), 1173 – 1182. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bauer, H. H., & Jensen, S. (2001). Determinanten der Mitarbeiterbindung. Überlegungen zur Verallgemeinerung der Kundenbindungstheorie. Forschungsbericht des Instituts für marktorientierte Unternehmensführung [Determinants of employee retention. Considerations for a generalization of the customer loyalty theory. Research report of the Institute for Market-Oriented Management]. Universität Mannheim. Retrieved from https://ub-madoc.bib.uni-mannheim.de/9424/1/W051_Determinanten%20der%20Mitarbeiterbindung.pdf First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Becker, F. G. (2010). Mitarbeiterbindung: Einblick in ein schwieriges Objekt und den Status quo der Diskussion [Employee retention: Insight into a difficult object and the status quo of the discussion]. In M. BruhB. Strauss (Eds.), Serviceorientierung im Unternehmen [Service orientation in the organization] (pp. 229 – 252). Wiesbaden, Germany: Gabler. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Bertrand, M. H. (2004). Best-Practice-Personalbindungsstrategien in Großunternehmen [Best practice personnel retention strategies in large enterprises]. In R. BröckermanW. Pepels (Eds.), Personalbindung. Wettbewerbsvorteile durch strategisches Human Resource Management [Personnel retention. Competitive advantages through strategic human resource management] (pp. 265 – 286). Berlin, Germany: Schmidt. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Bills, M. A. (1925). Social status of the clerical worker and his permanence on the job. Journal of Applied Psychology, 9 (4), 424 – 427. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cardy, R. L., & Lengnick-Hall, M. L. (2011). Will they stay or will they go? Exploring a customer-oriented approach to employee retention. Journal of Business and Psychology, 26, 213 – 217. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Chan, D. (2009). So why ask me? Are self-report data really that bad? In C. E. LancR. J. Vandenberg (Eds.), Statistical and methodological myths and urban legends: Doctrine, verity and fable in the organizational and social sciences (pp. 311 – 338). New York, NY: Routledge. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Conway, J. M., & Lance, C. E. (2010). What reviewers should expect from authors regarding common method bias in organizational research. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25, 325 – 334. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • DeVos, A., & Meganck, A. (2008). What HR managers do versus what employees value. Personnel Review, 38 (1), 45 – 60. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • DIHK, Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag e. V. (2017). Fachkräftesicherung gewinnt weiter an Bedeutung [Keeping skilled workers continues to gain in importance]. DIHK-Arbeitsmarktreport 2017. Retrieved from https://www.dihk.de/ressourcen/downloads/dihk-arbeitsmarktsreport-2017. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Faullant, R., Matzler, K., & Füller, J. (2008). The impact of satisfaction and image on loyalty: The case of Alpine ski resorts. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 18, 163 – 178. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Felfe, J. (2008). Mitarbeiterbindung [Employee retention]. Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • George, C. (2015). Retaining professional workers: What makes them stay? Employee relations. Emerald Insight, 37 (1), 102 – 121. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Griffeth, R. W., Hom, P. W., & Gaertner, S. (2000). A meta-analysis of antecedents and correlates of employee turnover: Update, moderator tests, and research implications for the next millennium. Journal of Management, 26, 463 – 488. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hausknecht, J. P., Rodda, J., & Howard, M. J. (2009). Targeted employee retention: Performance-based and job-related differences in reported reasons for staying. Human Resource Management, 48, 269 – 288. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Herscovitch, L., & Meyer, J. P. (2002). Commitment to organizational change: Extension of a three-component model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 474 – 487. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hom, P. W, Shaw, J. D., Lee, T. W., & Hausknecht, J. P. (2017). One hundred years of employee turnover theory and research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102, 530 – 545. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Holtom, B. C., & Inderrieden, E. J. (2006). Integrating the unfolding model and job embeddedness model to better understand voluntary turnover. Journal of Managerial Issues, 18, 435 – 452. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Horwitz, F. M., Heng, C. T., & Quazi, H. A. (2003). Finders, keepers? Attracting, motivating and retaining knowledge workers. Human Resource Management Journal, 13, 23 – 44. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kossivi, B., Xu, M., & Kalgora, B. (2016). Study on determining factors of employee retention. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 4, 261 – 268. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Krill, M. Z. (2011). Mitarbeiterbindung als Umkehrung von Fluktuation: Implikationen der Fluktuationsdeterminantenforschung [Employee retention as a reversal of fluctuation: Implications of research on fluctuation determinants]. Zeitschrift für Management, 6, 401 – 425. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kyndt, E., Dochy, F., Michielsen, M., & Moeyaert, B. (2009). Employee retention: Organisational and personal perspectives. Vocations and Learning, 2, 195 – 215. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lee, T. W., & Mitchell, T. R. (1994). An alternative approach: The unfolding model of voluntary employee turnover. Academy of Management Review, 19, 51 – 89. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Little, T. D., Card, N. A., Bovaird, J. A., Preacher, K. J., & Crandall, C. S. (2007). Structural equation modeling of mediation and moderation with contextual factors. In T. D. LittlJ. A. BovairN. A. Card (Eds.), Modeling contextual effects in longitudinal studies (pp. 207 – 230). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Locke, E. A. (1969). What is job satisfaction? Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 4, 309 – 336. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of Industrial psychology (pp. 1297 – 1343). Chicago, IL: Rand McNally. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • MacKinnon, D. P, Fairchild, A. J., & Fritz, M. S. (2007). Mediation analysis. Annual Review of Psychology. 58, 593 – 614. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Maertz, C. P., & Campion, M. A. (2004). Profiles in quitting: Integrating process and content turnover theory. Academy of Management Journal, 47, 566 – 582. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Maertz, C. P., & Griffeth, R. W. (2004). Eight motivational forces and voluntary turnover: A theoretical synthesis with implications for research. Journal of Management, 30, 667 – 683. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mathieu, J. E., & Zajac, D. M. (1990). A review and meta-analysis of the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of organizational commitment. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 171 – 194. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Meier, K. J., & Hicklin, A. (2008). Employee turnover and organizational performance: Testing a hypothesis from classical public administration. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18, 573 – 590. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Meifert, M. T. (2005). Mitarbeiterbindung: Eine empirische Analyse betrieblicher Weiterbildner in deutschen Großunternehmen [Employee retention: An empirical analysis of in-company trainers in large German enterprises]. München, Germany: Rainer Hampp. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Meifert, M. T. (2013). Retention management. In M.T. Meifert (Ed.), Strategic human resource development. Management for professionals (pp. 217 – 232). Berlin, Germany: Springer. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1984). Testing the “side-bet theory” of organizational commitment: Some methodological considerations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 69, 372 – 378. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1 (1), 61 – 89. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Meyer, J. P., & Herscovitch, L. (2001). Commitment in the workplace: Toward a general model. Human Resource Management Review, 11, 299 – 326. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mitchell, T. R., Holtom, B. C., & Lee, T. W. (2001). How to keep your best employees: Developing an effective retention policy, Academy of Management Executive, 15, 96 – 108. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Mobley, W. H. (1977). Intermediate linkages in the relationship between job satisfaction and employee turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 237 – 240. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Moosbrugger, H., & Schermelleh-Engel, K. (2008). Exploratorische (EFA) und Konfirmatorische Faktorenanalyse (CFA) [Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)]. In H. MoosbruggeA. Kelava (Eds.), Testtheorie und Fragebogenkonstruktion [Test theory and test construction] (pp. 307 – 324). Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Morrison, E. W., & Robinson, S. L. (1997). When employees feel betrayed: A model of how psychological contract violation develops. Academy of Management Review, 22 (1), 226 – 256. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mowday, R. T., Porter, L. W., & Steers, M. W. (1982). Employee-organization linkages: The psychology of commitment, absenteeism and turnover. New York, NY: Academic Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Nancarrow, S., Bradbury, J., Pit, S. W., & Ariss, S. (2014). Intention to stay and intention to leave: Are they two sides of the same coin? A cross-sectional structural equation modelling study among health and social care workers. Journal of Occupational Health, 56, 292 – 300. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Nerdinger, F. W. (2001). Motivierung. [Motivation]. In H. Schuler (Ed.), Lehrbuch der Personalpsychologie [Handbook of personnel psychology] (pp. 349 – 371). Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Neuberger, O., & Allerbeck, M. (1978). Messung und Analyse von Arbeitszufriedenheit: Erfahrungen mit dem Arbeitsbeschreibungsbogen (ABB) [Measurement and analysis of job satisfaction: Experiences with the job description sheet (ABB)]. Bern, Switzerland: Huber. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Pitts, D., Marvel, J., & Fernandez, S. (2011). So hard to say goodbye? Turnover intention among US federal employees. Public Administration Review, 71, 751 – 760. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Porter, L. W., & Steers, R. M. (1973). Organizational, work, and personal factors in employee turnover and absenteeism. Psychological Bulletin, 80, 151 – 176. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Porter, L. W., Steers, R. M., Mowday, R. T., & Boulian, P. V. (1974). Organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover among psychiatric technicians. Journal of Applied Psychology, 59, 603 – 609. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879 – 891. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Pundt, A., Fröhlich, R., & Nerdinger, F. W. (2017). Humor makes them want to stay. Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, 61, 105 – 122. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Ramlall, S. (2003). Managing employee retention as a strategy for increasing organizational competitiveness. Applied H.R.M. Research, 8 (2), 63 – 72. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Reitz, O., & Anderson, M. A. (2011). An overview of job embeddedness. Journal of Professional Nursing, 27, 320 – 327. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Remdisch, S., Roidl, E., Uhe, M., & Cramer, I. (2012). Retention Management im Mittelstand: Weiterbildung als Instrument für die Mitarbeiterbindung [Retention management in medium-sized companies: Training as an instrument for employee retention]. Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. Retrieved from https://www.leuphana.de/fileadmin/user_upload/…/ipm/…/retention_management.pdf First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Robinson, S. L., & Morrison, E. W. (2000). The development of psychological contract breach and violation: A longitudinal study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21, 525 – 546. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rousseau, D. M. (1995). Psychological contracts in organizations: Understanding written and unwritten agreements. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rubenstein, A. L., Eberly, M. B., Lee, T. W., & Mitchell, T. R. (2017). Surveying the forest: A meta‐analysis, moderator investigation, and future‐oriented discussion of the antecedents of voluntary employee turnover. Personnel Psychology, 71 (1), 23 – 65. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rump, J., Eilers, S., Schabel, F., & Möckel, K. (2012). HR-Report 2012/2013 Schwerpunkt Mitarbeiterbindung [HR-Report 2012/2013 focus employee retention]. Retrieved from http://www.ibe-ludwigshafen.de/download/arbeitsschwerpunkte-downloads/trends-der-arbeitswelt-downloads/HR-Report-2012-2013_Mitarbeiterbindung_2.pdf First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Semmer, N. K., Elfering, A., Baillod, J., Berset, M., & Beehr, T. A. (2014). Push and pull motivations for quitting. A three-wave investigation of predictors and consequences of turnover. Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, 58, 173 – 185. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Shaw, J. D., Gupta, N., & Delery, J. E. (2005). Alternative conceptualizations of the relationship between voluntary turnover and organizational performance. The Academy of Management Journal, 48 (1), 50 – 68. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Spector, P. (1997). Job Satisfaction: Application, Assessment, Causes and Consequences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Steel, R. P., Griffeth, R. W., & Hom, P. W. (2002). Practical retention policy for the practical manager. Academy of Management Executive, 18, 149 – 169. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Szebel-Habig, A. (2004). Mitarbeiterbindung: Auslaufmodell Loyalität? Mitarbeiter als strategischer Erfolgsfaktor [Employee retention: Obsolete aspect loyalty? Employees as strategic factor for success]. Weinheim, Germany: Beltz. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Trevor, C. O. (2001). Interactions among actual ease of movement determinants and job satisfaction in the prediction of voluntary turnover. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 621 – 638. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Yalabik, Z. Y., Swart, J., Kinnie, N., & van Rossenberg, Y. (2017). Multiple foci of commitment and intention to quit in knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs): What makes professionals leave? The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28, 417 – 447. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar