Comparison of factors affecting turnover intention by job field in biopharmaceutical industry in Korea: A questionnaire-based study

Abstract

Background Excessive turnover in the biopharmaceutical industry can negatively impact public health and corporate management. This study aims to determine the difference in turnover intention by job field and compare the factors affecting it. Methods An online self-report survey was administered to employees working in the production, sales/marketing, and clinical/regulatory affairs fields of biopharmaceutical companies in Korea from September 1 to October 31, 2020. The questionnaire addressed sociodemographic, constructs but also job, organization, and personal-related factors, as well as turnover intention. The difference in turnover intention by job field was confirmed by using the analysis of variance test. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify the factors affecting turnover intention by job field. Results A total of 529 employees responded to the questionnaire, and 500 cases were analyzed after discarding 29 cases with missing data. Turnover intention differed according to job field (p < 0.001), and production was the highest. In the production field, the higher both the satisfaction with the supervisor (β = -0.326, p-value = 0.005), the lower the turnover intention. Greater satisfaction with the work scope (β = -0.181, p-value = 0.01), salary (β = -0.169, p-value = 0.005) and corporate culture (β = -0.314, p < 0.001) factors showed low turnover intention for sales/marketing field, and the higher the satisfaction with the work scope (β = -0.350, p-value = 0.035), the lower the turnover intention for clinical/regulatory affairs field. Conclusions To reduce the turnover rate in the biopharmaceutical industry, it is necessary to develop policies that align with the unique needs of each job field. Companies should focus on increasing satisfaction with their supervisor for production field, and work scope for sales/marketing and clinical/regulatory affairs fields. Additionally, salary and corporate culture are important factors for sales/marketing field.