Flowin with the Wind: The Influence of Media Reputation on Employee Movements between Organizations

Abstract

In this study, we examine the relationship between media reputation and employee turnover. We specifically shed light on when and why the absolute level of reputation and reputational differences between organizations account for employee flows within a population of organizations. Using comprehensive data from English hospitals, we find that: (1) the level of reputation is negatively related to staff turnover, (2) surprisingly, employees tend to move from more to less reputable organizations, (3) highly skilled employees are the most mobile employee group, and (4) both local as well as national media coverage play an important role in employees’ turnover decisions, but influence the direction of employee flows differently. These findings extend research on social evaluations and collective turnover in important ways.