Effect of risky decision-making and job satisfaction on turnover intention and turnover behavior among information technology employees

Abstract

PurposeTurnover in high-tech companies has long been a concern for managers and executives. Recent meta-analyses from the general turnover literature consistently show that job satisfaction is a major attitudinal antecedent to turnover intention and turnover behavior. Additionally, the available research on information technology (IT) employees focuses primarily on turnover intentions and not on a risky decision-making perspective and actual turnover (turnover behavior). The paper aim is to focus on that.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses hierarchical ordinary least squares, process (Preacher and Hayes, 2004) and logistic regression.FindingsThe main predictor of actual turnover is risky decision-making, whereas job satisfaction is the main predictor of turnover intention.Originality/valueThe joint effects of risk and job satisfaction on turnover intention and behavior have not been studied in the IT domain. Hence, this study extends our understanding of turnover in general and particularly among IT employees by studying the combined effect of risk and job satisfaction on turnover intentions and turnover behavior. The study’s theoretical and practical implications are likewise discussed.