Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1981

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Major Professor

John M. Larsen

Abstract

The study of employee turnover has for many years been an area much discussed and researched by applied psychologists. Early investigations were able to demonstrate relationships between biographical data attitudinal variables and turnover. This early work which was characteristically bivariate in both design and analyses, has led reviewers to assemble long lists of turnover correlates which take on varying degrees of importance across different studies. Contradictory findings have often occurred, the part of researchers about what characteristics of individual predictive of turnover. Reviewers of the turnover literature have in The result has been some confusion on s are recent years begun to call for theoretical models and multivariate approaches to the study of turnover. Just such a model was proposed by Mobley in 1977.

The purposes of this study were fourfold. First, there was an attempt to evaluate the predictability of a moderated regression model within a retail sales organization. Second, the utility of adding an organizational commitment component to the Mobley model was assessed. Third, the moderating effect of employee's employability-mobility was assessed. Finally, an attempt was made to explain the lack of relationship between turnover behavior and other forms of organizational withdrawal.

The results of this investigation suggest it is appropriate to use the moderated model to predict retail sales employee turnover. Statistical significance was demonstrated below the .001 level. In addition, it was demonstrated that organizational commitment should be included in a model of employee turnover. Positioning of the organizational commitment component was suggested to follow job satisfaction, but precede an individual's thoughts of quitting. Other results presented indicate that an individual's employability-mobility significantly moderated the relationship between intention to remain and actual turnover behavior. The moderating effect was demonstrated for a continuous moderating variable as well as when it was dichotomized.

Hypothesized explanations of the lack of relationship between turnover behavior and other forms of withdrawal failed to be supported by the data presented, recommendations for future research were presented.

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