Strategies for Reducing Nonprofit Organizations' Employee Turnover

Strategies for Reducing Nonprofit Organizations’ Employee Turnover by Tamara Searight MS, Walden University, 2014 BS, SUNY University at Buffalo, 2008 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University April 2019 Abstract Employee turnover is an inherent challenge encountered by managers at nonprofit organizations. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies some community-based organization managers used to reduce employee turnover in western New York. Five organizational managers were selected who had successfully implemented strategies to reduce employee turnover. Herzberg’s 2-factor theory was the conceptual framework for this doctoral study. Data collection occurred through semistructured interviews and review of organizational documents. Data analysis involved collecting data, organizing the data into codes and themes, and interpreting and revealing information about the themes. Member checking and methodological triangulation increased the validity and reliability of the study. The 3 themes that emerged from the study were building positive relationships to promote communication, offering employee training and advancement, and recognizing that compensation is an important factor but does not influence employee behavior. Recommendations for action include redesigning processes to change organizational culture and implementing strategies to mitigate employee resignations. The findings from this study may contributeEmployee turnover is an inherent challenge encountered by managers at nonprofit organizations. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies some community-based organization managers used to reduce employee turnover in western New York. Five organizational managers were selected who had successfully implemented strategies to reduce employee turnover. Herzberg’s 2-factor theory was the conceptual framework for this doctoral study. Data collection occurred through semistructured interviews and review of organizational documents. Data analysis involved collecting data, organizing the data into codes and themes, and interpreting and revealing information about the themes. Member checking and methodological triangulation increased the validity and reliability of the study. The 3 themes that emerged from the study were building positive relationships to promote communication, offering employee training and advancement, and recognizing that compensation is an important factor but does not influence employee behavior. Recommendations for action include redesigning processes to change organizational culture and implementing strategies to mitigate employee resignations. The findings from this study may contribute to social change, because organizational managers could use the study results to reduce employee turnover, which could lead to increased service quality in communities. Strategies for Reducing Nonprofit Organizations’ Employee Turnover by Tamara Searight MS, Walden University, 2014 BS, SUNY University at Buffalo, 2008 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University April 2019 Dedication To my husband, Maurice, thank you for supporting and believing in me. You took on more responsibilities so that I could concentrate on completing my study, and I appreciate you for that. I am grateful you are my life partner. To my children, Malaya and Malik, I am truly blessed to have you in my life. During my doctoral process, you have been my motivational forces to overcome obstacles. I cannot imagine making it through this challenging journey without you. I will love you all forever. Acknowledgments First and foremost, I want to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for getting me through the DBA process. I give him the praise as HE truly gave me the knowledge and determination to strive to overcome obstacles. Although I had to make sacrifices, HE knew what was best for me to endure the challenges of this program. I also would like to thank Dr. Janie Hall, my study chair, for her guidance and motivation. At times I was discouraged, but you gave me the academic push I needed to complete my study. Your emails inspired me to overcome disappointments and let me know you believed in me. I would like to thank Dr. Janet Booker, my second committee member, and Dr. Lisa Cave, University Research Reviewer, for improving my study with your great feedback. A thanks also goes to Dr. Linda Searight for mentoring me through this doctoral journey. You have also encouraged me and given me hope that I can successfully complete this challenging program. The guidance you provided me was truly remarkable. Additionally, I would like to thank the scholarly peers I have met in virtual classrooms and at residencies. All of you enlightened me and gave me many different perspectives on various topics. Thank you for broadening my vision to understand aspects I was not knowledgeable about. All of you have played major roles in my doctoral completion, and I could not have successfully completed this DBA process without you.