Why South African engineers choose to leave companies : a replication in the developing world

Abstract

Despite extensive research spanning almost a century, no theory has yet been developed to adequately explain and predict voluntary turnover. This study replicated a relatively new approach to turnover theory, namely the unfolding model. Responses from 123 South African engineers, who had voluntarily left an organisation, to an electronic survey were used to test the validity of the model and its component parts, or decision paths. The data was also applied to the impact of sudden events, as well as relationships between the work-relatedness and negativity of these events, and the work-relatedness of the event and the resultant decision to quit. The model proved unsuccessful in describing the voluntary turnover of the respondents, and only one of the five component paths was successful in describing a proportional group of the respondents. Sudden events, when present, were found to play a significant role in the decision to quit, but no relationship was found between either of the workrelatedness and negativity of these events, or the work-relatedness of the events and the avoidability of the resultant decision to quit. Improvements to the model were suggested, and some suggestions were made as to possible actions companies might take to mitigate voluntary turnover and its effects.