Testing a model of turnover intention: Lecturers at the University of Namibia

Abstract

Orientation: Institutions of higher learning lose talented academics to other educational institutions or organisations within Namibia and other countries. In order for higher educational institutions to achieve academic excellence, they need competent and satisfied lecturers.Research purpose: This study investigates the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction, organisational commitment, job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention of lecturing staff.Motivation for the study: Academic institutions neglect to facilitate changes with the needed support, impacting negatively lecturers’ work-related attitudes and their intention to stay.Research approach/design and method: A questionnaire was used to collect the data, and estimates of reliability, confirmatory factor analyses, goodness-of-fit statistics, Pearson’s product–moment correlation and structural equation modelling (SEM) were applied to analyse the data (n = 242).Main findings: Using SEM, four different paths were found in the model, which explained how the variables collectively impact turnover intention.Practical/managerial implications: Lecturers should be included in decision-making, should work in a pleasant working environment and be given training opportunities to develop. In order to ensure that institutions reach their goals, job satisfaction needs to be assessed regularly to ensure that lecturers are satisfied, committed and willing to contribute to the success of the organisation.Contribution/value-add: This study will add to the knowledge within Industrial/Organisational Psychology and guide interventions to retain lecturing staff at Namibian institutions of higher learning.

Brain Drain in Higher Education. The Impact of Job Stress and Workload on Turnover Intention and the Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction at Universities

“…High turnover and brain drain have been identified as some of the main problems facing especially universities, including in Malaysia. Qualified and competent academic staff are leaving higher education institutions to work outside their country of birth and Africa [1]- [3]. However, the resignation of employees negatively affects the effectiveness and performance of the organization.…”

Fostering organisational commitment: a resilience framework for private-sector organisations in South Africa

“…Normative commitment stems from a sense of duty to stay, influenced by socialisation experiences and beliefs in the organisation’s deserving loyalty. Overall, these three components influence an employee’s decision to stay with the organisation, with affective commitment linked to a strong emotional bond with the organisation ( Pieters et al, 2020 ; Schaap and Olckers, 2020 ; Els et al, 2021 ). In addition, committed employees tend to share the organisation’s objectives and values, resulting in increased dedication and extra effort invested in their work.…”

A talent management, organisational commitment and employee turnover intention framework for a government department in South Africa

“…Implementing TM strategies is an ongoing concern for executives, because failure to do it properly may have a negative impact on the effective operation of the business. Ngirande (2021) and Pieters, Van Zyl and Nel (2020) opined that in the 21st century successful organisations rely on the ability to manage human capital so that employees are committed to assisting their organisations to achieve their objectives. Employees' organisational commitment is characterised by a strong sense of acceptance of their role in supporting the organisation's goals, values and objectives and the desire to remain members of the organisations where they are employed.…”

“…Employees' emotional attachment to the organisation is influenced by several dimensions, such as the employees' positive work experiences, loyalty and working environment. Pieters et al (2020) posited that employees with a high level of AC and NC are satisfied with their organisations because they reflect a high degree of intention to stay with the organisation; however, employees with a high level of CC look for new jobs and score high on anxiety and depression.…”

“…According to Govender and Grobler (2017) and Pieters et al (2020), CC refers to the employees' awareness of the financial costs associated with leaving the organisation. The level of commitment determines the extent to which the employee may choose to remain with the organisation.…”