Employee Turnover Intention in the U.S. Fast Food Industry

Employee Turnover Intention in the U.S. Fast Food Industry by Imelda A. Bebe MS, Kaplan University, 2011 BSBA, Philippine School of Business Administration, 1995 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University January 2016 Abstract Employee turnover in the U.S. fast food industry has been high, averaging rate 150% per annum. The purpose of the correlational design study was to examine the relationships between job satisfaction factors, job dissatisfaction factors, and employee turnover intentions among fast food employees to determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists between these variables. The population for the study consisted of 144 fast food restaurant employees working in the East Coast in the United States. The theoretical framework was Herzberg’s 2-factor motivation-hygiene needs theory, which describes job satisfaction factors and job dissatisfaction factors. Internet survey data of 144 participants were analyzed using Pearson-product correlation coefficients and multiple linear regressions analysis. The study findings revealed statistically significant relationships between job satisfaction factors and employee turnover intentions (p < .01), and job dissatisfaction factors and employee turnover intentions (p < .01). Among the job satisfaction factors, responsibility had a stronger relationship with employee turnover intentions (-.52) compared with other factors. Under job dissatisfaction factors, company policy had a stronger relationship with employee turnover intentions (-.52) compared with other factors. In addition, criterion variance of employee turnover intentions associated with combined job satisfaction factors was stronger (35%) than were the combined job dissatisfaction factors (31%). The study findings are designed to inform fast food restaurant managers in taking actions to reduce employee turnover, resulting in improved business financial sustainability and long-term growth.Employee turnover in the U.S. fast food industry has been high, averaging rate 150% per annum. The purpose of the correlational design study was to examine the relationships between job satisfaction factors, job dissatisfaction factors, and employee turnover intentions among fast food employees to determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists between these variables. The population for the study consisted of 144 fast food restaurant employees working in the East Coast in the United States. The theoretical framework was Herzberg’s 2-factor motivation-hygiene needs theory, which describes job satisfaction factors and job dissatisfaction factors. Internet survey data of 144 participants were analyzed using Pearson-product correlation coefficients and multiple linear regressions analysis. The study findings revealed statistically significant relationships between job satisfaction factors and employee turnover intentions (p < .01), and job dissatisfaction factors and employee turnover intentions (p < .01). Among the job satisfaction factors, responsibility had a stronger relationship with employee turnover intentions (-.52) compared with other factors. Under job dissatisfaction factors, company policy had a stronger relationship with employee turnover intentions (-.52) compared with other factors. In addition, criterion variance of employee turnover intentions associated with combined job satisfaction factors was stronger (35%) than were the combined job dissatisfaction factors (31%). The study findings are designed to inform fast food restaurant managers in taking actions to reduce employee turnover, resulting in improved business financial sustainability and long-term growth. Employee Turnover Intention in the U.S. Fast Food Industry by Imelda A. Bebe MS, Kaplan University, 2011 BSBA, Philippine School of Business Administration, 1995 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University January 2016 Dedication Praise to the Lord for this great opportunity entrusted me. I thank God for his guidance and help throughout this journey. Once again, God showed me that nothing is impossible in the world that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This achievement is greatly dedicated to my beloved father and mother who instilled in me the importance of education. I always remembered what my father said, “Education is the greatest treasure that you can have in this world that no one can take away from you;” he was definitely right! I dedicate this achievement also my husband, Fred Jr., our kids (Christina, Danika, Fred III, and Nenita), brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends who gave me the reasons to aim high and kept me going despite of many challenges. Completing this journey was challenging yet rewarding in the end. This achievement is so remarkable that I cannot compare. I hope this great achievement will inspire Christina, Danika, Fred III, and Nenita to obtain their doctoral degrees in the future! Acknowledgments Thank God for this wonderful achievement I have accomplished in life and for all the blessings given to me and to my family. I extend my immense gratitude to my faculty members, Dr. Charles Needham and Dr. Kenneth Gossett for their endless support, help, guidance, and understanding throughout this journey. I cannot thank you enough for helping me in many ways. Without your guidance and assistance, I would have not able to accomplish this task. To my URR, Dr. Matthew Gonzalez, thank you for your great support. Dr. Reginald Taylor, thank you for sharing your knowledge that helped me understand the whole research study process. Thanks to Dr. Jet Mboga and Dr. Trenessa Williams for your moral and spiritual support; you both inspired me to keep going, be strong, and persevere throughout this journey. To all my Kaplan and Walden University former professors, Dr. Carmen Castro, Dr. Wanda Curlee, Dr. Sherry Giddings, Dr. John Yelvington, Dr. Ray Kalinski, Dr. Steve Roussas, and Dr. George Spark, thank you for all your advices and prayers. Your successful achievements in life have also inspired me to finish this challenging journey. Thanks to all the participants who willingly helped me complete the collection of data. I thank Walden University staff for their endless support and abundant resources to support this challenging journey. Thank you, also, to the IRB members for your great feedback to meet the IRB requirements.