Job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention of staff in a higher education institution: An exploratory study

Abstract

Orientation: The world economy is becoming increasingly knowledge driven, and intellectual capital is now considered as a human resource that affords organisations a competitive advantage. A high turnover rate in higher education and the importance of retaining staff are concerns that have resulted in increased interest in psychological variables, such as job embeddedness and work engagement that may influence employee retention.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention of staff in a higher education institution.Motivation for the study: Research on how employees’ job embeddedness and work engagement influence their turnover intention is important in the light of organisational concerns about retaining knowledgeable staff in the current higher education environment.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted on a non-probability purposive sample (N = 153) of academic and non-academic staff in a South African higher education institution.Main findings: Correlational analyses revealed significant relationships between job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention. Multiple regression analyses showed that organisational links and dedication significantly and negatively predict turnover intention.Practical/managerial implications: When designing retention strategies, management and human resource practitioners need to recognise how job embeddedness and work engagement influence the turnover intention of higher education staff.Contribution: These findings contribute valuable new knowledge that can be applied in the retention of staff in the higher education environment.

The influence of organisational rewards on workplace trust and work engagement

“…From an organisational perspective, work motivation is concerned with those aspects and forces that drive certain behaviours such as performing well (Omollo & Oloko, 2015;Takawira, Coetzee & Schreuder, 2014).…”

Exploring employee retention and intention to leave within a call centre

“…Employee retention is considered to be one of the biggest challenges affecting organisations (Das, Nandialath & Mohan, 2013). Turnover is a concern in organisations worldwide (Amah 2009) which reduces the operating costs of organisations, leaving significant implications with regard to the loss of human capital and interruptions in organisational activities (Takawiara, Coetzee & Schreuder, 2014).…”

Perception of Frontline Employees Towards Career Growth Opportunities: Implications on Turnover Intention

“…Ismail (2015) defined turnover intention as a subjective estimation of an employee, that has to do with the likelihood of his or her leaving the current employer very soon. According to Takawira et al (2014), turnover intention is an ideal of an employee leaving the current organisation and seeking employment in another organisation. Turnover intention is the employee's thoughts or plans of leaving a job (Simon et al 2010).…”