Testing a model of turnover intention: Lecturers at the University of Namibia

Wesley R Pieters,Ebben Van Zyl,Petrus Nel

doi:10.4102/sajhrm.v18i0.1450

Abstract

Orientation: Institutions of higher learning lose talented academics to other educational institutions or organisations within Namibia and other countries. In order for higher educational institutions to achieve academic excellence, they need competent and satisfied lecturers.Research purpose: This study investigates the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction, organisational commitment, job embeddedness, work engagement and turnover intention of lecturing staff.Motivation for the study: Academic institutions neglect to facilitate changes with the needed support, impacting negatively lecturers’ work-related attitudes and their intention to stay.Research approach/design and method: A questionnaire was used to collect the data, and estimates of reliability, confirmatory factor analyses, goodness-of-fit statistics, Pearson’s product–moment correlation and structural equation modelling (SEM) were applied to analyse the data (n = 242).Main findings: Using SEM, four different paths were found in the model, which explained how the variables collectively impact turnover intention.Practical/managerial implications: Lecturers should be included in decision-making, should work in a pleasant working environment and be given training opportunities to develop. In order to ensure that institutions reach their goals, job satisfaction needs to be assessed regularly to ensure that lecturers are satisfied, committed and willing to contribute to the success of the organisation.Contribution/value-add: This study will add to the knowledge within Industrial/Organisational Psychology and guide interventions to retain lecturing staff at Namibian institutions of higher learning.

Highlights

In order to maintain core institutional goals with regard to education, research and administration, careful human resource management is required to maintain successful academic leadership (Barkhuizen & Rothmann, 2006)
This study aims to determine by means of a non-experimental research design whether basic psychological need satisfaction, organisational commitment, job embeddedness and work engagement have an effect on the turnover intention of lecturing staff at University of Namibia (UNAM)
Most of the variables are positively related with each other

Summary

Introduction

In order to maintain core institutional goals with regard to education, research and administration, careful human resource management is required to maintain successful academic leadership (Barkhuizen & Rothmann, 2006). It is important to understand the workforce and find ways to strategically manage these significant human resources. Understanding what influences satisfaction and creates discontent amongst academics is critical when trying to cultivate and sustain these scarce resources. No academic institution can function without academics, which include lecturers, senior lecturers or professors (Wai, Dandar, Rodesevich, Brubaker, & Kuo, 2014). Considering how some disciplines need specialists or academics with vast experience, it is vital to develop academics and ensure that they will be able to effectively reach the goals of their tertiary institutions (Wai et al, 2014).

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