High performance work practices and turnover intentions: A case of call Centre employees

Abstract

Staff turnover is a major problem in call centers due to various factors leading to unfavorable outcomes including operational problems, poor customer service, higher training costs, and lack of competitiveness. In the present study, we investigated this issue by using the High-Performance Work System (HPWS) as a theoretical lens. We hypothesized that the extent of HPWS can negatively influence the staff turnover intention which we used as a proxy measure for actual turnover. The data is collected from selected call center employees (n=159). The results indicate that participants perceive a moderate level of HPWS components. Furthermore, the component of HPWS exerts a negative and significant influence on staff turnover intentions including recruitment and selection (β=-.412, P<.05); training and development (β=-.552, P<.05); job security (β=-.418, P<.05); and autonomy (β=-.306, P<.05); whereas, results for promotion (β=.051, P>.05); and communication (β=.107, P>.05) turned out to be insignificant. The result shows that HPWS is a significant predictor of employee turnover intention in the particular context of the call center, thus implying that the management of the call center should give attention to the employee management-related issues.