Salient predictors of intention to quit among sales employees within the south african financial services industry
Van der Merwe, Bahia (2016-12)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Today’s organisations are consistently faced with radical change within an extremely volatile environment. A review of the literature revealed that the demanding and often challenging nature of work increases employees’ turnover intention. This trend is especially evident within the South African financial services industry.
Employees are the most important and valuable assets of an organisation. Without the support and contribution of employees it is impossible to realise organisational success. It is therefore important for organisations to retain their employees.
The primary objective of this research study was to explore and empirically test a theoretical model that identifies the most salient predictors of turnover intention among sales employees employed by financial organisations operating in the South African financial service industry. The study investigated the role of job resources, like opportunities to advance and grow, supervisor support, and pay satisfaction, and job demands, like time spent on futile tasks and emotional labour. The study further investigated whether a personal resource, such as psychological capital, plays a role in employee engagement and ultimately turnover intention.
In this research study, an ex post facto correlational design was used to test the formulated hypotheses. Quantitative data was collected from 102 employees employed by financial firms operating in the South African financial services industry. The data was collected specifically for the purpose of this research study. Participation was voluntary. A self-administered web-based questionnaire was distributed electronically to the participants. The data collected was strictly confidential and anonymous. The questionnaire comprised eight sections. In addition, the questionnaire included a cover letter, the consent form and biographic information. Subsequent sections measured specific latent variables using valid and reliable measuring instruments. These instruments include the adapted version of the Survey of Perceived Organisational Support (Judd, 2004); the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (Heneman & Schwab, 1985); the Surface acting and Deep acting dimensions of the Emotional Labour Scale (Brotheridge & Lee, 2003); the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (Luthans, Avolio & Avey, 20072007); the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) (Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova , 2006), the Intention to Quit Scale (Oehley, 2007), the Career Growth and Advancement Opportunity Sub-Scale (Jackson & Rothmann, 2005), and the Bern Illegitimate Tasks Scale (Semmer, Jacobshagen, Meier, Elfering, Beehr, Kälin & Tschan, 2015). The data was subjected to a range of statistical analyses, which included item analysis, intercorrelation analysis, partial least squares analyses, the Sobel test for mediation, and the F-to-remove test for moderation.
The findings identified the most salient predictors of turnover intention among sales employees employed by financial firms operating in the South African financial services industry. It provides South African industrial psychologists and/or managers with much needed insight into the presenting problem. The discussion of the managerial implications of the research findings and the recommended interventions will empower industrial psychologists and/or managers to ensure the retention of sales employees.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vandag se organisasies is voortdurend gekonfronteer met radikale verandering waar die omgewing uiters wisselvallig is. ’n Oorsig van die literatuur het getoon dat werknemers se voorneme om van werkplek te verander al hoe meer toeneem weens die veeleisende en dikwels uitdagende aard van die werk wat hulle doen. Hierdie voorneme is veral in die Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële diensbedryf sigbaar.
Werknemers is die belangrikste en waardevolste bates van 'n organisasie. Sonder die ondersteuning en bydrae van werknemers is dit onmoontlik om organisatoriese sukses te bereik. Dit is dus belangrik vir organisasies om hul werknemers te bewaar.
Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om ’n teoreties model te verken en empiries te toets wat die mees opvallende voorspellers van variansie in die voorneme om van werkplek te verander onder werknemers in diens van finansiele firmas in die Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële diensbedryf identifiseer. Die studie het die rol van werkshulpbronne, soos geleenthede om te bevorder en groei, toesighouer ondersteuning, en tevredenheid met salaris, en werkseise, soos tyd spandeer op vergeefse take en emotionele arbeid, ondersoek. Die studie het verder ondersoek of ‘n persoonlike hulpbron, soos sielkundige kapitaal, ‘n rol speel in werknemerbegeestering en uiteindelik voorneme om van werkplek te verander.
In die studie, is ‘n ex post facto korrelasie-ontwerp gebruik om die geformuleerde voorgestelde verhoudings te toets. Kwantitatiewe data is by 102 werknemers in diens van finansiele firmas in die Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële diensbedryf ingesamel. Die data is spesifiek vir hierdie studie ingesamel. Deelname was vrywillig. ’n Selftoegepaste webgebaseerde opname is elektronies onder die deelnemers versprei. Die dataversameling was streng vertroulik en anoniem. Die opname het uit agt afdelings bestaan. Daarbenewens het die opname ‘n dekbrief, toestemmingsvorm en biografiese inligting van die deelnemer ingesluit. Die daaropvolgende afdelings het spesifieke latente veranderlikes met behulp van geldige en betroubare instrumente gemeet. Hierdie instrumente was die aangepaste weergawe van die Survey of Perceived Organisational Support (Judd, 2004); die Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (Heneman & Schwab, 1985); Surface acting and Deep acting dimensies van die Emotional Labour Scale (Brotheridge & Lee, 2003); die Psychological Capital Questionnaire (Luthans, Avolio & Avey, 20072007); die Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) (Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova , 2006), die Intention to Quit Scale (Oehley, 2007), die Career Growth and Advancement Opportunity Sub-Scale (Jackson & Rothmann, 2005), en die Bern Illegitimate Tasks Scale (Semmer, Jacobshagen, Meier, Elfering, Beehr, Kälin & Tschan, 2015). Die data is aan ’n reeks statistiese ontledings onderwerp wat itemontleding, interkorrelasie-ontledings, parsiële kleinstekwadratemetode, die Sobel-toets vir mediasie, en die F-om-te-verwyder- toets vir moderering insluit.
Die bevindinge het die mees opvallende voorspellers van variansie in die voorneme om van werkplek te verander onder werknemers in diens van finansiele firmas in die Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële diensbedryf identifiseer. Dit bied aan Suid-Afrikaanse bedryfsielkundiges en/of bestuurders belangrike insig in die tersaaklike probleem. Bedryfsielkundiges en/of bestuurders sal bemagtig word, met verwysing na die aangeduide bestuursimplikasies van die bevindinge en aanbevelings van hierdie studie, om die behoud van werknemers te verseker.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/100330