Should i stay or should i go? the role of risk in employee turnover decisions
Abstract
The decision to leave a job has long been infused with risk for the worker deciding whether or not to leave the organization. However, the role of risk in employee turnover decisions has been largely unexplored in the turnover literature. This article integrates concepts from the turnover and risk literatures to better understand the decision processes of workers contemplating the decision to leave a job. The article offers two studies that investigate the impact of risk perceptions and turnover risk propensity on that decision. Study 1, a field study based on a sample of 155 US service workers in the gaming industry, shows that risk perceptions and propensity for risk moderate the relationship between turnover intentions and turnover behavior. Study 2, a laboratory experiment based on a sample of 222 working students, explores the role of framing and social influences on perceptions of risk and individual tendencies for risk-taking in a turnover context. Findings from Study 2 suggest that positive framing impacts on an individual's propensity for risk-taking when considering leaving a job, but does not impact on individual perceptions of risk, thus supporting the predictions of prospect theory in a turnover context. Taken in concert, these studies provide insight into how risk influences the decision processes of workers considering whether to sever an employment relationship. The implications and limitations of the research are discussed, and the relevance for future research is highlighted. © 2008 The Tavistock Institute ® SAGE Publications Los Angeles.
Publication Title
Human Relations
Recommended Citation
Vardaman, J., Allen, D., Renn, R., & Moffitt, K. (2008). Should i stay or should i go? the role of risk in employee turnover decisions. Human Relations, 61 (11), 1531-1563. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726708096637
