Client-driven: Extending Turnover Models to Include the Role of Clients in Provider Retention

Abstract

The turnover literature to date is teeming with process models that assume only organisational and personal factors contribute to employees’ intentions to leave and stay. However, with the average percentage variance explained still only around 50%, it is clear that other factors play a substantial role in these decision-making processes. One possible explanation is to explore the unique role that clients and industry events play in employees’ intentions to stay or leave. This paper extends the conceptualisation of the role that clients and industry related events play on employee’s intentions to stay and leave their roles, particularly within service industries such as health care. In particular, this paper presents the results of two studies that provide some further insight into employees’ decision-making process for turnover and retention intentions. The first study explores the factors influencing employees’ intentions to stay and leave the Australian aged care sector and the second study explores prison health care nurses in the United States. Both studies present the qualitative response provided by respondents in open-ended questions. Using varied approaches, the results of both studies reveal that client- related factors affect the choice to stay within a job and, in some cases, are the favoured aspect of the role. Implications for further study are suggested pertaining to expanding the current turnover models to include such factors like client-driven motivations.