Antecedents of employee retention in the Thai information technology industry

Abstract

The information and communication technology industry is an industry that requires advanced knowledge and skills because of the intense competition. As a result, pressure and stress can create high employee turnover rate, leading to higher competition and higher costs. Therefore, the emphasis should be placed on retaining talented employees to continue working with the organization. The objectives of this research were to study: 1) levels of happiness at work, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and employee retention in the information technology industry in Thailand; 2)examine influences of happiness at work, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment on employee retention in the information technology industry in Thailand; and 3)develop a model for employee retention in the information technology industry in Thailand. This research employed a mixed research methodology combining quantitative and qualitative methods. For the quantitative research part, the research sample consisted of 180 employees and executives in the information technology industry in Thailand. The sample size was determined based on the criterion of 20 times the observed variables. They were selected via stratified sampling. Data were analyzed with a structural equation model.