Retention Issues Research Articles

Unveiling the Keys to Employee Loyalty: Exploring Factors Affecting Employee Retention

The issue of employee retention is a crucial factor especially if a company wants to remain relevant in the market. The research analyzes how compensation and benefits, training and development, working environment, and reward and recognition impact the retention of employees. This study will employ a quantitative research design that will involve administering questionnaires to employees working in companies around Klang Valley conducted within the context of Malaysia. In this study, the concepts of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Alderfer’s ERG Theory will be used in a bid to determine factors affecting employee retention. The sampling technique to be used is non-probability. Therefore, convenience sampling will be used with a view of identifying participants with rich information on their experience and perceptions towards the objectives of the study on employee retention. The study seeks to establish how these independent variables impact employee retention to enhance understanding of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices. Reliability analysis, descriptive analysis, correlational analysis, and regression analysis will be employed as a measure of the strength and direction of these relationships. It will reveal the most critical antecedents to overall employee retention and provide actionable insights that organizations can implement to improve their practices. Therefore, while filling the gap in the literature and targeting the Malaysian industry, this study aims to enhance understanding of the factors influencing employee retention. Finally, its purpose is to help organizations design proper approaches to retain top talents in the company and make them dedicated to work.

Struggling with studying and earning – realities of the UK's cost-of-living crisis on students on social work programmes

ABSTRACT The UK has been experiencing an extended cost-of-living crisis since 2021 and students attending universities have struggled with the impacts of rising prices. This article reports on findings from a study to explore local recruitment and retention issues in adult social care from the perspective of different populations of interest in the South of England. A mixed methods approach was undertaken. One group of participants were students enrolled in social work undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. They completed an online questionnaire (n = 20), with a subsample (n = 11) being interviewed. Comments relating to the wide-ranging effects of cost-of-living issues discussed by the participants were themed together and are described. The findings offer suggestions to evaluate student support mechanisms and reduce the potential impacts of ongoing financial difficulties caused by the need to juggle course, placement and financial demands across this and other applicable undergraduate sectors and their programmes. They also reflect risks to future workforce recruitment alongside the potential of ‘earn and learn’ programmes, such as apprenticeship routes – which may offer a viable alternative to qualification for those at particular risk of financial hardship whilst studying.

Investigating users’ perspectives of using zoom for ELT: A teaching–learning lens

This study investigates the effectiveness, potential, and challenges of utilizing the Zoom platform for online English language instruction, as perceived by EFL university students and their instructors. The research employed a mixed methods approach, integrating quantitative data from 67 student participants and qualitative insights from seven teachers. An ARCS (attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction) model questionnaire was used to assess students’ perceptions, while teachers’ perspectives were obtained through semi-structured interviews. The survey results were analyzed using SPSS v 24.0, and the interview data were thematically scrutinized. The findings indicated that Zoom effectively met students’ learning needs, captured their attention, and provided relevant content. However, sustaining long-term engagement and fostering students’ confidence were the remarkable challenges. From the teachers’ perspective, Zoom’s features, such as breakout rooms and interactive whiteboards, enhanced the learning experience. Notably, discrepancies emerged between student and teacher perceptions, particularly regarding technical difficulties, the absence of non-verbal cues, and attention retention issues. To address these challenges, the study recommends prioritizing technical support, providing orientation sessions, refining engagement approaches, and adopting blended learning to maximize the potential of Zoom. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of addressing technical and engagement barriers to enhance the effectiveness of online platforms used for English language teaching (ELT).

Unraveling attrition and retention: A qualitative study with rehabilitation professionals.

Health human resources are scarce worldwide. In occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology (S-LP), attrition and retention issues amplify this situation and contribute to the precarity of health systems. To investigate the phenomena of attrition and retention with OTs, PTs and S-LPs who stayed in, or left their profession. Cultural-historical activity theory provided the theoretical scaffolding for this interpretive description study. We used purposeful sampling (maximum variation approach) to recruit OTs, PTs, and S-LPs from Quebec, Canada. Individual interviews were conducted with 51 OTs, PTs, and S-LPs from Quebec, Canada, in English or French (2019-2020). Inductive and deductive approaches, and constant comparative techniques were used for data analysis. Six themes were developed: 1) characteristics of work that made it meaningful; 2) aspects of work that practitioners appreciate; 3) factors of daily work that weigh on a practitioner; 4) factors that contribute to managing work; 5) relationships with different stakeholders that shape daily work; and 6) perceptions of the profession. Meaningfulness was tied to participants' sense that their values were reflected in their work. Factors outside work shaped participants' work experiences. Recurrent negative experiences led some to leave their profession. Findings underscore a critical need to address contributing factors to attrition and retention which are essential to ensuring the availability of OTs, PTs and SLPs for present and future rehabilitation needs.

Perceived stakeholder benefits of continuously training general practitioners in the same rural or remote practice: interviews exploring the Remote Vocational Training Scheme.

Explore stakeholder perspectives of the benefits of continuously training general practitioners in the same rural or remote practice in distributed locations via the Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS). Online one-hour semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 RVTS staff, participants and supervisors from all states and territories between 16 October and 24 November 2023. Data were deductively and inductively coded by stakeholder type and the range of benefits, and the findings were informed by insights from a project reference group and a stakeholder advisory group. Questions explored the benefits of the RVTS - a program which supports doctors already working in rural, remote and First Nations communities to train towards general practice or rural generalist fellowship while remaining in the same practice. Perspectives on the nature and spread of benefits. Broad benefits were perceived to flow to four system-level stakeholders: communities, health services, participants and policy makers. Perceived participant and community benefits were doctors staying longer in distributed locations with tailored place-based supports and training, doctors building relationships with patients, and doctors learning through longitudinal care. Health service benefits included reduced reliance on locums, improved continuity of accessible and appropriate services in areas otherwise facing major recruitment and retention issues, and the doctors having more time to contribute to improving service quality and upskilling local staff. Policy-maker benefits were sustaining safe and high quality services for distributed populations with high needs. The RVTS model was perceived to offer diverse benefits for different system stakeholders which could improve quality of learning, service delivery and community care. It also aligned with key policy directions for a distributed and sustainable generalist workforce under the goals of the National Medical Workforce Strategy 2021-2031 and the directions set by the independent review of overseas health practitioner regulatory settings led by Robyn Kruk. However, models like the RVTS largely rely on distribution levers to recruit more doctors to the locations it supports.

Unlocking Potential: The Transformative Role of Gaming in Rural Higher Learning Institutions of South Africa - A Systematic Exploration

The aim of this study resonated with the pursuit of achieving enhanced engagement in teaching and learning that informs critical thinking, and knowledge retention among students. Despite the growing trend of technological integration in teaching and learning, however, there exists a lack of empirical evidence and comprehensive studies that investigate the effectiveness of gaming in promoting educational objectives within rural institution of higher learning in South Africa. To investigate this gap, a systematic review method was employed, which provides a comprehensive and logical analysis of existing literature on the significance of gaming in teaching and learning within rural institutions of higher education. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used in the study to enhance the rigor and transparency of the research process, by providing a solid foundation for synthesizing and interpreting existing literature relevant to the study. The systematic review findings revealed that the significance of gamification in teaching and learning in rural higher education lies in its ability to overcome accessibility challenges, provide personalized learning experiences, address motivation and retention issues, and enhance digital literacy. It was recommended that by incorporating gamified approaches, rural higher educational institutions can create a more inclusive, engaging, and effective learning environment for students within the rural institutions of higher learning in South Africa.

Advocacy in Practice: Who Advocates for the Advocates?

Advocacy has been defined as promoting social inclusion, equality and social justice to empower people - principles closely associated with social work’s professional values. However, in-depth literature on advocacy and the current challenges it faces is sparse. Little is known about the day-to-day realities faced by advocates and the pressures they currently experience. This raises the question of who might advocate for the advocates themselves? This article reports on findings from a larger study to explore local recruitment and retention issues in adult social care from the perspective of different populations of interest in the South of England. A mixed methods approach was undertaken. One group of participants were advocates drawn from LA contracted services (n = 7) who participated in a focus group. Comments relating to the challenges facing advocacy and knock-on impacts on advocates from the recruitment and retention issues currently being experienced in adult social care were themed together and are described. The findings highlight a number of challenges currently facing advocacy and advocates alongside an urgent need for more research to take place within this area. The authors also offer suggestions for consideration to help improve this picture.

The Impact of Agriculture on the Consumption of Natural Resources (An analytical study)

This research delves into the multifaceted relationship between agriculture and the consumption of natural resources, highlighting the significant impact of agricultural practices on natural resource depletion. Various studies have explored this dynamic, revealing how technological advancements, government policies, and market access in developed countries have contributed to the increased consumption of natural resources in agriculture. The expansion of palm oil plantations in Indonesia, for instance, has raised concerns about land scarcity and environmental degradation due to soil compaction and water retention issues. Conversely, research in the U.S. suggests that the availability of natural resources, except in cases of major energy supply interruptions, does not significantly constrain agricultural output. The study also examines the role of energy consumption in agriculture, with findings indicating that an increase in gas consumption boosts GDP, whereas higher electricity consumption may hinder growth. Additionally, the research addresses the effects of natural disasters on agriculture, food security, and natural resources, with typhoons notably impacting rice production and household food security in the Philippines. Through a critical and analytical lens, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how agricultural practices influence the depletion of natural resources and explore potential strategies for mitigating these effects. Given the study's outcomes, several policy recommendations emerge as follow: Governments should create incentives for the adoption of renewable energy technologies in agriculture to reduce reliance on non-renewable resources, There is a need for comprehensive water management policies that ensure more sustainable water use in agriculture.

The Relationship Career Adaptability on Employee Turnover and Mediation Role of Perceived Overqualification at PT. Kimia Farma Diagnostika

The goal of this study was to identify the effect of career adaptability on turnover intention and to analyze the mediation role of perceived overqualification on employees of PT. Kimia Farma Diagnostika. This study involved 80 respondents with a quantitative approach and SEM-PLS multivariate analysis method for data analysis. This research found that career adaptability showed a positive and significant effect on turnover intention. In addition, it was also found that perceived overqualification partially mediated the relationship between career adaptability and turnover intention. The practical implications of this study are to provide insight to the management of PT. Kimia Farma Diagnostika to design more effective employee retention strategies. Further research is recommended to expand the scope of analysis at the organizational level, consider additional moderating variables, and address existing limitations. Thus, this study makes an important contribution to understanding and addressing employee retention issues in these companies.

The Self-Perpetuating Turnover Cycle: Frontline Supervisors and Direct Support Professionals Reflect on Its Causes and Impacts

Abstract Direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs) have critical roles in home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Recruitment and retention issues have plagued the workforce in long-term supports and services and were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the fourth Direct Support Workforce COVID-19 Survey provided national DSP and FLS perspectives on factors contributing to turnover and retention challenges and their effects on the workforce and people supported. Participants identified obstacles with recruitment and retention, workplace outcomes related to turnover, and negative impacts on the supports and services people with IDD rely on to live and work in their communities. Policy and practice recommendations to address the workforce crisis are provided.

Interest in science and mathematics teaching among non-science/mathematics initial teacher education candidates

ABSTRACT Many countries are experiencing teacher shortages, with particularly long-standing issues in attraction and retention in secondary science and mathematics. Policy initiatives often focus on science and mathematics undergraduates, with the aim of encouraging them to consider teaching by offering scholarships into teacher education or fast-tracking into employment permanency. However, those who have already chosen to teach in non-science and mathematics teaching specialisations have already shown their interest in teaching and form a pool of candidates that may potentially be recruited into science and mathematics teaching pathways. While these non-science and mathematics teacher candidates could have the capacity to address in part longstanding science and mathematics teacher shortages, there is a lack of research examining their motivations from the perspective of initiatives that may attract them into science and mathematics teaching, and little that examines their science and mathematics backgrounds. We sought to address these gaps by surveying 349 initial teacher education (ITE) students from four Australian universities, examining their career motivations, interest in science and mathematics teaching, and science and mathematics backgrounds. We explored perceived barriers to secondary science and mathematics teaching, and responses to potential policy initiatives. We found that 61% of non-science/mathematics ITE candidates indicated high interest in secondary science or mathematics pathways. Policy options such as support for science and mathematics retraining after several years of teaching in their current subject area or level, were selected as likely to support this choice. Our results suggest considerable capacity for policymakers and tertiary institutions to design initiatives that may attract non-science/mathematics ITE candidates into science and mathematics teaching.

“If I bring my whole self to school, I am opening myself up to hurt”: A case study and (re)humanizing counterstory of an early career, multiply-marginalized multiracial teacher with justice commitments

ABSTRACT This study conceptualizes the teaching profession as a dehumanizing institutional space for teachers of Color, embodying the oppressive ideologies that explain, justify, and normalize the perpetuation of white supremacy and racism. Although research on teachers of Color has examined issues of recruitment and retention, and impactful social conditions, less is known about their experiences through a humanizing lens that attends to their emotional health and well-being. Drawing on humanizing frameworks, this qualitative case study and counterstory illustrates the inner conflicts and tensions of an early-career, multiply marginalized multiracial teacher with justice commitments that emerge from her own humanizing efforts, commitments, and identities being frequently at odds with the external dehumanizing forces and racist ideologies that undergird the teaching profession. Findings revealed three major tensions, whether to: (1) be present as her authentic self, (2) take risks or make safer choices, and (3) act on personal or institutional values.

Supporting the Primary Care Workforce Through Training in Advanced Generalist Practice: An Evaluation of the Catalyst Program.

As a workforce crisis is causing recruitment and retention issues for new to practice GPs, we designed Catalyst, a one-year pilot career development program aiming to help new to practice GPs develop the skills of advanced generalist practice and build capacity for the complex work of primary care. In this paper, we report the findings of our evaluation of Catalyst. We used normalization process theory to investigate how Catalyst was contributing to the participants' understanding and implementation of generalist practice. We conducted 36 interviews and six focus groups investigating the participants' clinical practice and experience with the program and analyzed data using framework analysis. Establishing a shared language and reframing professional identity helped GPs develop an understanding of their role through generalist lenses. Generalist practice was legitimized by access to scientific evidence and facilitated interactive learning. Integration of scientific, applied knowledge and quality improvement work fostered the enactment of such practice. Structured reflection and research-informed quality improvement projects contributed to the participants' awareness of the primary care context. Knowledge creation activities observed through interactive learning and the integration of different types of knowledge facilitated the implementation of advanced generalist practice. The participants valued the community of practice gained through the program and would come to rely on programs designed to encourage networking and enable peer support. Finally, research-informed quality improvement projects built to analyze problems and monitor solutions are crucial for an early career physician to develop a sense of agency that shapes their primary care practice.

Amplifying Their Voice: Inclusive Healthcare Provider Perspectives to Improve Advancement, Resilience, and Retention.

Addressing the issues of workplace advancement, resilience, and retention within medicine is crucial for creating a culture of equity, respect, and inclusivity especially towards women and nonbinary (WNB) providers including advanced practice providers (APPs), most notably those from marginalized groups. This also directly impacts healthcare quality, patient outcomes, and overall patient and employee satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to amplify the voices on challenges faced by WNB providers within a pediatric academic healthcare organization,to rank workplace interventions addressing advancement, resilience, and retention highlighting urgency towards addressing these issues, and, lastly, to provide suggestions on how to improve inclusivity. Participants were self-identified WNB providers employed by a pediatric healthcare organization and its affiliated medical university. An eligibility screener was completed by 150 qualified respondents, and 40 WNBs actually participated in study interviews. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to rank interventions targeted at improving equity, with time allotted for interviewees to discuss their personal lives and how individual circumstances impacted their professional experiences. WNB providers called for efficient workflows and reducing uncompensated job demands. Support for family responsibilities, flexible financial/compensation models, and improved job resources all were endorsed similarly. Participants ranked direct supervisor and leader support substantially lower than other interventions. Conclusions:Career mentorship and academic support for WNB individuals are recognized interventions for advancement and retention but were not ranked as top priorities. Respondents focused on personal supports as they relate to family, job resources, and flexible compensation models. Future studies should focus on implementing realistic expectations and structures that support whole lives including professional ambitions, time with family, personal pursuits, and self-care.

Research on airport baggage anomaly retention detection technology based on machine vision, edge computing, and blockchain

AbstractAirport checked luggage entails specific requirements for speed, stability, and reliability. The issue of abnormal retention of checked luggage presents a significant challenge to aviation safety and transportation efficiency. Traditional luggage monitoring systems exhibit limitations in terms of accuracy and timeliness. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a real‐time detection and alerting of luggage anomaly retention based on the YOLOv5 object detection model, leveraging visual algorithms. By eliminating cloud servers and deploying multiple edge servers to establish a private chain, images of anomalously retained luggage are encrypted and stored on the chain. Data users can verify the authenticity of accessed images through anti‐tampering algorithms, ensuring the security of data transmission and storage. The deployment of edge computing servers can significantly reduce algorithm latency and enhance real‐time performance. This solution employs computer vision technology and an edge computing framework to address the speed and stability of checked luggage transportation. Furthermore, blockchain technology greatly enhances system security during operation. A model trained on a sample set of 4600 images achieved a luggage recognition rate of 96.9% and an anomaly detection rate of 95.8% in simulated test videos.

CFIFusion: Dual‐Branch Complementary Feature Injection Network for Medical Image Fusion

ABSTRACTThe goal of fusing medical images is to integrate the diverse information that multimodal medical images hold. However, the challenges lie in the limitations of imaging sensors and the issue of incomplete modal information retention, which make it difficult to produce images encompassing both functional and anatomical information. To overcome these obstacles, several medical image fusion techniques based on CNN or transformer architectures have been presented. Nevertheless, CNN technique struggles to establish extensive dependencies between the fused and source images, and transformer architecture often overlooks shallow complementary features. To augment both the feature extraction capacity and the stability of the model, we introduce a framework, called dual‐branch complementary feature injection fusion (CFIFusion) technique, a for multimodal medical image fusion framework that combines unsupervised models of CNN model and transformer techniques. Specifically, in our framework, the entire source image and segmented source image are input into an adaptive backbone network to learn global and local features, respectively. To further retain the source images' complementary information, we design a multi‐scale complementary feature extraction framework as an auxiliary module, focusing on calculating feature differences at each level to capture the shallow complementary information. Then, we design a shallow information preservation module tailored for sliced image characteristics. Experimental results on the Harvard whole brain atlas dataset demonstrate that CFIFusion shows greater benefits than recent state‐of‐the‐art algorithms in terms of both subjective and objective evaluations.

Model of the Preschool Teachers’ Professional Well-Being

Introduction. Managing the lifelong learning environment requires a certain understanding of the educational needs and demands of learners of different categories. However, there is not The professional well-being of preschool teachers is sufficiently understudied, and operational models of professional well-being have not yet been built. The aim of the study is to develop a model of professional well-being of preschool teachers and to assess the quality of this model through empirical testing. Materials and Methods. The study involved 818 teachers aged 19‒74 with work experience ranging from 3 months to 50 years. The data was collected with the Russian version of PERMA-Profiler (O. M. Isaeva, A. Yu. Akimova, E. N. Volkova, 2022), Questionnaire of Basic Needs in Work (E. N. Osin, D. D. Suchkov, T. O. Gordeeva, T. Yu. Ivanova, 2015), Questionnaire of Professional Motivation (E. N. Osin, et al., 2017), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (D. A. Kutuzova, 2006), a short version of the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (A. A. Pankratova, D. S. Kornienko, D. V. Lyusin, 2022), and a short version of the Big Five (M. S. Egorova, O. V. Parshikova, 2016). The empirical data were collected online. Results. The three-component composition of the model of preschool teachers’ professional well-being was identified with structural equation modeling. The model includes general well-being, activity and personal components. High professional well-being is associated with high level of basic PERMA characteristics, subjective feeling of good health; satisfaction of basic needs for autonomy, competence, relatedness; autonomous types of motivation; job satisfaction; the energy and efficiency of the teacher; high agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to new experiences, extraversion and low neuroticism. The characteristics of a teacherʼs emotional intelligence were not included in the model. Discussion and Conclusion. The presented study contributes to the understanding of the structure and components of professional well-being of preschool teachers. The model of professional well-being can be used by the management of preschool educational institutions to develop and implement individual professional development programs, as well as to address issues of teacher retention in the organization.

Proactively Addressing New Teacher Retention and Attrition During the Senior Year: A Comprehensive Course Redesign

After being named a 2022-2023 Georgia Governor’s Teaching Fellow, the author was asked to identify a course or a project that would be the focal point of his work during the year-long series of monthly symposia that constituted the program. The program enabled the author to conduct a comprehensive redesign of a relatively outdated course. The course, entitled EDEX 4334: Teachers as Leaders, was transformed into a relevant, real-world educational experience designed to address the issues of teacher attrition, retention, and burnout using activities designed to enhance the experience of undergraduate Special Education majors at Georgia College & State University. The result was a reimagined course that incorporated components addressing key issues facing new teachers such as navigating the hiring process, resume preparation, rehearsing the interview processes, handling Special Education IEPs and caseloads, managing paraprofessionals, supervisors, and colleagues, honing time management skills, and addressing self-care in order to prevent new teacher attrition and burnout.

Recruitment and Retention Issues in a Technology-Based Intervention Among Korean American Midlife Women With Depressive Symptoms.

The number of health technology-based intervention studies has grown significantly. However, issues in the recruitment and retention for such studies, especially of Asian Americans, have rarely been discussed. The purpose of this paper was to discuss issues in the recruitment and retention of a specific group of Asian Americans-Korean American midlife women with depressive symptoms-into a technology-based intervention study using computers and mobile devices with a measurement device and to provide directions for future participant recruitment and retention in technology-based intervention studies. The written memos of research team members and the written records of research team meetings were analyzed using a content analysis. The issues in the recruitment and retention process included (1) low recruitment and retention rates; (2) the perceived long intervention period; (3) strict inclusion/exclusion criteria; (4) concerns related to the use of a measurement device; and (5) the perceived adequacy of monetary incentives. Based on the issues identified in the study, several suggestions are made for future recruitment and retention of racial/ethnic minorities in technology-based intervention studies (eg, appropriate intervention period, innovative and creative motivation strategies, acceptable measurement scales and devices, and adequate monetary reimbursement).

Factors associated with intent to stay in the profession: an exploratory cluster analysis across healthcare professions in Switzerland.

Retention issues are widespread within the health workforce. This cross-sectional study used data collected from 1707 healthcare professionals in 2022-23 to identify with k-means clustering groups of individuals sharing similar working experiences. These profiles were linked with varying levels of turnover intentions and a range of healthcare professions. While occupational therapists and paramedics reported in average better working conditions, registered nurses and intermediate caregivers reported the poorest experiences. In other clusters, salaries were high where work-life balance was low, and inversely. By learning from similarities and differences in the working conditions of diverse healthcare professionals, shared initiatives aimed at improving retention across professions can be facilitated.