Antecedents, Consequences and Managerial Retention Strategies of Employee Turnover: A Case of Zimbabwe State Universities

Abstract

This paper analyzes the antecedents, consequences and retention strategies on employee turnover in State Universities. The study purposely sampled 30 employees from five state universities in Zimbabwe. The data were collected through the use of focus group interviews and each group consisted of six employees. Thematic analysis was employed to generate recurring themes from the interviews. The findings of the study show that the causes of employee exit were necessitated by several issues, such as poor career progression, lack of promotion, poor leadership strategies, location and poor working conditions. It was also revealed that staff exit causes work overload and high costs necessitated by recruitment and selection, and training of new employees. However, it was revealed that to mitigate against high employee turnover, top management must consider employing local people first if they qualify for the position. The study significantly contributes to academic researchers, HR practitioners and management because it highlights strategies that mitigate high employee turnover. Further to that, there is a dearth of research that explores strategies that reduce employee turnover in higher learning institutions, particularly in developing countries.