The relationship between perceived training and development and employee retention: the mediating role of work attitudes This paper considers how utilizing a model of job-related affect can be used to explain the processes through which perceived training and development influence employee retention. We applied Russell's model of core affect to categorize four different forms of work attitude, and positioned these as mediators of the relationship between perceived training and development and intention to stay.Using data from 1,191 employees across seven organizations, multilevel analyses found that job satisfaction, employee engagement, and change-related anxiety were significantly associated with intention to stay, and were mediators of the relationship between perceived training and development and intention to stay.Contrary to our hypotheses, emotional exhaustion was not significantly associated with intention to stay nor acted as a mediator when the other attitudes were included. These findings show the usefulness of Russell's model of core affect in explaining the link between training and development and employee retention.Moreover, it suggests that studies examining employee retention should include a wider range of work attitudes that highlight pleasant forms of affect that induce motivational rather than impairment prevention effects.Keywords: employee retention, perceived training and development, job-related affect, multilevel analysis, work attitudes IntroductionTraining and development (T&D) is a systematic approach to developing and enhancing employee skills, abilities and knowledge for the purpose of increasing organizational effectiveness (Aguinus and Kraiger, 2009). As an overarching HR practice it is often considered, and evidenced, to be a broad collection of activities that refer to continual learning and development of general job-and career-related skills (e.g. Boon, den Hartog, Boselie, and Paauwe, 2011). Previous research demonstrates that perceived T&D is associated with higher levels of retention 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 More recently, researchers have become interested in understanding the exact mechanisms that underlie this relationship (e.g. Koster, de Grip and Fourage, 2011). For example, Koster et al (2011) demonstrated that job satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between perceived support in employee development and intention to quit.In contrast, Dysvik and Kuvaas (2008) showed that intrinsic motivation partially mediated the relationship between perceived T&D and turnover intention.While these studies have enhanced our understanding of how T&D is related to retention, exploring mediators individually is problematic for two reasons. Firstly, it encourages researchers to add potential mediators into the literature with little consideration of how they are differentia...

BackgroundRecent studies have suggested engagement is linked with beneficial outcomes for individuals and organisations. Despite growing demand for resources and advice on engagement within the NHS, there has been no systematic evaluation of how engagement strategies can be developed and operationalised within the NHS.Objectives and research questionsTo evaluate evidence and theories of employee engagement within the NHS and the general workforce to inform policy and practice. Four research questions focused on definitions and models of engagement; the evidence of links between engagement and staff morale and performance; approaches and interventions that have the greatest potential to create and embed high levels of engagement within the NHS; and the most useful tools and resources for NHS managers in order to improve engagement.Review methodsEvidence was evaluated using a narrative synthesis approach involving a structured search of relevant academic databases and grey literature. The search yielded a final data set of 217 items, comprising 172 empirical papers, 38 theoretical articles, four meta-analyses and three books. From the grey literature, only 14 items were used in the analysis.Main findingsThere is no one agreed definition or measure of engagement. Existing approaches were grouped under three headings: a psychological state; a composite attitudinal and behavioural construct; and employment relations practice. Most fell under the first category, with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale being the most prevalent. Most theorising around engagement used the job demands–resources framework. Thirty-five studies considered engagement and morale, and the most consistent finding was a positive link between engagement and life satisfaction, and a negative link between engagement and burnout. Some studies suggested that engagement was positively associated with organisational commitment and job satisfaction and negatively linked to turnover intentions. Of 42 studies that looked at performance and engagement, the strongest support was found for a link between engagement and individual in-role performance and a negative link between engagement and counterproductive performance outcomes. A link between engagement and higher-level performance outcomes was also found. Of 155 studies that explored approaches and interventions that promote engagement, the strongest support was found for the following: positive psychological states including resilience; job-related resources and job design features; positive leadership; perceived organisational support; team-level engagement; training and development. Only a small proportion of studies were based in health-care settings, making the application of evidence to wider contexts limited. Studies identified in the grey literature suggested that the focus of practitioner material was more on wider managerial issues than on psychological factors.ConclusionsThe synthesis highlights the complex nature of the engagement evidence base. The quality of evidence was mixed. Most studies were cross-sectional, self-report surveys, although the minority of studies that used more complex methods such as longitudinal study designs or multiple respondents were able to lend more weight to inferences of causality. The evidence from the health-care sector was relatively sparse. Only a few studies used complex methods and just two had taken place in the UK. The evidence synthesis suggests that employers might consider several factors in efforts to raise levels of engagement including development and coaching to raise levels of employee resilience, the provision of adequate job resources, and fostering positive and supportive leadership styles.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research (HSDR) programme.

Like any successful HR initiative, employee engagement programs must have commitment from line managers. Find out how O2 revisited its employee engagement efforts and why demonstrating a robust business case is essential to getting and maintaining buy‐in from leaders and managers.

Results Over 90% of students considered the modules relevant to their career. Nearly 90% of students felt that they could put their learning into practice, although the actual rate of implementation of changes during the pilot period was much lower. The barriers to implementation most commonly cited were blocks presented by existing staff, lack of time and lack of status of students within the workforce. Conclusion This pilot demonstrates that short educational interventions focused on service improvement are valued by students and that those completing them feel ready to contribute. Nevertheless, the rate of translation into practice is low. While this may reflect the status of students in the health service, further research is needed to understand how this might be enhanced. BACKGROUND

PurposeThis paper draws on research undertaken by the Institute for Employment Studies exploring what human capital measurement means to organizations and how HR can use it as a means to raise its profile as a strategic business partner within its organization.Design/methodology/approachDuring 2007/2008, 14 organizations participated in action learning workshops, to help them devise a set of relevant people measures for use within their organizations.FindingsInvolvement in measuring people appears to raise HR's status, but only if certain conditions are met. In particular, the information must be genuinely useful to managers and there needs to be a clear link between measures and performance.Originality/valueMeasuring the value people bring to a business can be tricky but is vital to monitoring the health of an organization. Early discussions reveal that the term “human capital measurement” is not in common use and there is confusion around how this type of measurement is best approached.