Employee Turnover in the Long-Term Care Industry using Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory

Abstract

Employee turnover costs long-term care facilities billions of dollars on an annual basis. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationships between employee turnover intention of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in the long-term care industry and employee compensation, engagement, job satisfaction, motivation, and work environment. The predictor variables were employee compensation, engagement, job satisfaction, motivation, and work environment. The criterion variable was employee turnover intention. The population of interest consisted of CNAs who were residents of Florida, over the age of 18 years, and employed in the long-term care industry. The theoretical framework that grounded this study was the motivational-hygiene theory. For this study, a sample of 157 participants completed an electronic survey. Multiple linear regression analyses predicted the dependent variables, R² = .34, F(5, 151) = 15.22, p < .0001. The multiple regression model with 4 of the 5 predictors accounted for significantly more variance in turnover intention than would be expected by chance. Correlation tests resulted in statistically significant inverse relationships between employee turnover intention and employee compensation, engagement, job satisfaction, and work environment. The negative correlation observed between motivation and turnover intention was not statistically significant. The findings in this study may contribute to positive social change by reducing turnover intention while improving the quality of care and reducing costs of care that affect the lives of the long-term care residents, concerned family members, and significant others.