Intra-urban location of stores and labour turnover in retail

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse labour turnover in retail firms with stores in different city locations. This case study of a Swedish mid-sized city uses comprehensive longitudinal register data on individuals. In a first step, an unconditional descriptive analysis shows that labour turnover in retail is higher in out-of-town locations, compared to more central locations in the city. In a second step, a generalized linear model (GLM) analysis is conducted where labour turnover in downtown and out-of-town locations are compared. Firm internal and industry factors, as well as employee characteristics, and location-specific factors are controlled for. The results indicate that commuting costs and intra-urban location have no statistically significant effect on labour turnover in retail firms. Instead, firm internal factors, such as human resource management, has a major influence on labour turnover rates. The findings indicate that in particular firms with multiple locations may need to pay extra attention to work conditions across stores in different places in a city, in order to avoid diverging levels of labour mobility. This paper complements previous survey-based studies on labour turnover by using a comprehensive micro-level dataset to analyse revealed rather than stated preferences concerning job-to-job mobility. An elaborated measure of labour turnover is used to analyse differences between shopping areas in different locations within the city. The particular research design used in this paper makes it possible to isolate the effect of intra-organizational conditions by analysing mobility within firms with workplaces in both downtown and out-of-town locations. This is the first comprehensive study of labour turnover and mobility with an intra-urban perspective in the retail sector.

Differences in Commuting Modes and Residential Locations as Factors of Turnover Intention of Healthcare Workers of Ambulatory Clinics

“…The mean differences in Table 2 suggest that participants who live on the mainland expressed a higher TI but the difference was not enough to spur significant TI compared to other residential locations. This result is consistent with Han et al (2019) findings. However, in terms of mean values, this result is in agreement with the studies of Zhang and Feinzig (2016) where it was reiterated that people who lived in locations far from their workplaces and hence spend longer commute time reported higher TI.…”

Fit to Last? Investigating How Person-Job Fit and Person-Organization Fit Affect Turnover Intention in the Retail Context

“…The high turnover rates and costs in the supermarket industry result in lower profits and customer dissatisfaction (Frank, 2000). Labor turnover is of special interest in retail, as customer service is highly dependent on the skills of the employees in interaction with customers and suppliers (Han et al, 2019). Job satisfaction is a critical antecedent of turnover in retail management (Lucas et al, 1990).…”

When and why signaling frontline employee inexperience can prove to be an asset: Effects on consumer forgiveness for service failure

“…However, employee turnover is very high in the retail sector (Han et al, 2019; Rutherford et al, 2011), leading to immediate efficiency disruptions for customers (e.g., increase in wait time; Michele Kacmar et al, 2006). The loss of firm‐specific human capital (Han et al, 2019) is liable to hamper effective customer service (Sunder et al, 2017). Furthermore, when employee turnover is high, new recruits also need to be trained (Rutherford et al, 2011).…”