The Effect Of Retention Factors On Organisational Commitment: An Investigation Of High Technology Employees

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to investigate specific retention factors that induced the organisational commitment of high technology employees. A sample of 94 professional technicians from a South African owned telecommunications company based in the Gauteng province participated. The Organisational Commitment Scale and a retention factor measurement scale were administered. The most relevant explanatory factors were compensation, job characteristics, supervisor support, and work/life policies, which appeared to have a statistically significant influence on the development of organisational commitment in high technology employees. The implications of the findings are discussed

Exploring employee retention and intention to leave within a call centre

“…Career advancement refers to an organisation's adherence to career-oriented practices and job security which leads to employee commitment (Döckel et al, 2006). Shoaib, Noor, Tirmizi and Bashi (2009) described career advancement as an organised and formalised system with planned efforts to the success of both individual career needs and organisational objectives in order for the organisation to gain and maintain a competitive advantage.…”

“…Supervisory support refers to behaviour of the supervisor that upholds the continuous high performance of employees, such as reward, recognition and feedback (Döckel et al, 2006). Proper and frequent feedback is important to retain employees because perceived organisational support increases the affective commitment of employees in the long term.…”

“…It has been noted that organisational work-life balance policies positively influence employees' psychological attachment to their organisations as they perceive that the organisation cares for them. Döckel et al (2006) emphasised the importance of work-life balance policy by indicating that a flexible work scheduling is necessary, with policies allowing periods away from work for employees to take care of their family matters. Coetzee and Harry (2015) noted that high levels of hardiness and career adaptability are significant aspects that call centre agents can use to balance their lives and their demanding work life.…”

“…It has a positive psychological effect to employees because they might perceive that the organisation value them and in turn they will remain committed to the organisation. Döckel, Basson and Coetzee (2006) stated that employees will stay in the organisation that provides an opportunity to grow by training and developing them and thus applying their acquired skills and knowledge. Furthermore, companies that provide training and development opportunities to their employees may have a psychological influence on them.…”

“…This scale was developed by Döckel et al (2006) and measured retention factors and intention to leave. The scale consisted of 35 items.…”