Retention vs. turnover: Opposite sides of the same coin? Comparing employees' motivation to stay to their turnover intentions

The importance of employee retention has been recognized as the demand for good employees outstrips their supply. To understand the retention process, researchers have turned to the literature on turnover. However, the current research questions the assumption that retention and turnover are analogous and describes the development of a new construct, namely, employee “motivation to stay” (MTS). The case is made that the study of turnover intentions can indicate employees' plans to leave, but will not be informative about whether employees who remain feel truly motivated to stay. To this end, a four-factor model of MTS was tested in two studies. Specifically, in accordance with motivation theory, it was hypothesized that employee MTS could be assessed by examining four facets—whether employees (a) were choosing to stay with the organization (MTS-choice), (b) felt good about staying (MTS-affect), (c) would exert extra effort to ensure a future with the organization (MTS-effort), and (d) would persevere in staying through organizationally challenging times (MTS-persistence).

Study 1 describes the development and validation of an MTS scale. Based on data from full-time employees from various industries (n = 463), results provided support for the hypothesized four-factor model of MTS that was distinct from turnover intentions and organizational commitment.

The four-factor structure of MTS and its divergence from turnover intentions was replicated in Study 2, using two independent samples of high-performing tenured and non-tenured academics (Study 2a n = 326; Study 2b n = 165). Study 2 also examined the antecedents and outcomes related to MTS and compared these to turnover intentions. A model, based on the literature on high performance work practices (HPWS) and social exchange theory, was proposed. The results suggested that the more favorable high-performing employees' perceptions of three HPWS practices, namely perceptions of supervisory support, pay for performance practices, and work schedule flexibility, the more motivated they were to stay. This process was mediated by perceptions of organizational support. Furthermore, the results were informative about citizenship and job search behaviors as outcomes associated with MTS. Finally, the results indicated there were sufficient differences between the outcomes of MTS and turnover intentions to demonstrate the value of considering MTS as a unique construct that can make a strong contribution to future research beyond contributions made by turnover intentions. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings, limitations of the studies, and future research directions are also discussed.