Global versus facet predictors of intention to quit: differences in a sample of male and female Singaporean managers and non-managers

Abstract

Prior research on gender and turnover has produced inconsistent findings. Some investigators have argued that the use of more highly focused job, work and organization facets can reveal patterns not captured by more global measures, and thus resolve some of these contradictory results. Using a sample of almost 1200 Singaporeans, the current study first examined the relationship between quit intentions and global measures of job satisfaction and organizational commitment, within each of four groups (male non-managers, male managers, female non-managers and female managers). As hypothesized, the global measures were highly and similarly correlated to an individual’s intention to quit in all four groups, suggesting no gender/job-level effects. However, when we substituted a set of eleven specific facet measures in place of the two global measures, a unique facet pattern for each group emerged, as hypothesized. Discussion centred on some cautions in interpreting the research and the need for fully developed theoretical models to guide facet research.