research-article

A necessary clarification of the unfolding model of voluntary turnover

Author:

Gaetan MourmantAuthors Info & Claims

SIGMIS CPR '09: Proceedings of the special interest group on management information system's 47th annual conference on Computer personnel research

Pages 143 - 152

https://doi.org/10.1145/1542130.1542159

Published: 28 May 2009 Publication History

Abstract

The unfolding model of voluntary turnover, as tested by Niederman et al. [1], surprisingly appears to only capture 12% of the job leavers in IT, whereas when applied to other occupational groups, such as accountant or nurses, this ratio is much higher (respectively 92% and 77%). To address this issue, we take a closer look at the classification rules of the original model and we clarify them, highlighting the discrepancy between figure 1 of Lee et al. [2] and their written explanations, [3], [2]. Acknowledging a lack of clarity of those rules, we clarify the meaning of the logical impossibility of the joint existence of an engaged script with a search/evaluation of alternatives. In addition, we discuss the path-switching approach, [3]. Considering this clarification of the classification rules, we recalculate the results of two previous studies ([1] [4]) and we compare and assess those results with the other replications of the model. Those results suggest that a more parsimonious model (i.e. only path 1, 3 and 4b, with engaged script only present in path 1) may be sufficient to capture the majority of those leaving jobs in IT (74% and above).

References

[1]

Niederman, F., Sumner, M., and Maertz, C. 2007. Testing and extending the unfolding model of voluntary turnover to it professionals. Human Resource Management Journal, 46(3): p. 331--347.

[2]

Lee, T.W., Mitchell, T.R., Holtom, B.C., McDaniel, L.S., and Hill, J.W. 1999.The unfolding model of voluntary turnover: a replication and extension. Academy of Management Journal, 42(4): p. 450--462.

[3]

Lee, T.W., Mitchell, T.R., Wise, L., and Fireman, S. 1996. An unfolding model of voluntary employee turnover. Academy of Management Journal, 39(1): p. 5--36.

[4]

Holt, D.T., Rehg, M.T., Lin, J.H., and Miller, J. 2007. An application of the unfolding model to explain turnover in a sample of military officers. Human Resource Management, 46(1): p. 35.

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Lee, T.W. and Mitchell, T.R. 1994. An alternative approach: the unfolding model of voluntary employee turnover. The Academy of Management Review, 19(1): p. 51--89.

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Joseph, D., Kok-Yee, N., Koh, C., and Soon, A. 2007.Turnover of information technology professionals: a narrative review, meta-analytic structural equation modeling, and model development. MIS Quarterly, 31(3): p. 547--577.

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Lee, T.W. and Maurer, S.D. 1997.The retention of knowledge workers with the unfolding model of voluntary turnover. Human Resource Management Review, 7(3): p. 247.

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Mourmant, G. and Gallivan, M. How personality type influences decision paths in the unfolding model of voluntary job turnover: an application to IS professionals. In 2007 ACM SIGMIS CPR conference on 2007 computer personnel doctoral consortium and research conference: The global Information Technology Workforce 2007. St. Louis, Missouri, USA ACM Press.

Digital Library

[9]

Morrell, K., Loan-Clarke, J., and Wilkinson, A. 2004. The role of shocks in employee turnover. British Journal of Management, 15(4): p. 335--349.

[10]

Holtom, B.C., Mitchell, T.R., Lee, T.W., and Inderrieden, E.J. 2005. Shocks as causes of turnover: what they are and how organizations can manage them. Human Resource Management, 44(3): p. 337.

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Morrell, K. 2004. Enhancing effective careers thinking: scripts and Socrates. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 32(4): p. 547--558.

[12]

Maertz, C.P. and Campion, M.A. 2004. Profiles in quitting: integrating process and content turnover theory. Academy of Management journal, 47(4): p. 566.

[13]

Tae Heon, L.E.E., Gerhart, B., Weller, I., and Trevor, C.O. 2008. Understanding voluntary turnover: path-specific job satisfaction effects and the importance of unsolicited job offers. Academy of Management Journal, 51(4): p. 651--671.

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Kammeyer-Mueller, J.D., Wanberg, C.R., Glomb, T.M., and Ahlburg, D. 2005. The role of temporal shifts in turnover processes: it's about time. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(4): p. 644--658.

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Morrell, K., Loan-Clarke, J., Arnold, J., and Wilkinson, A. 2008. Mapping the decision to quit: a refinement and test of the unfolding model of voluntary turnover. Applied Psychology, 57(1): p. 128--150.

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Davis, J.B. 2008 The impact of natural disasters on employee turnover: the shocks and after-shocks of hurricane Katrina on it professionals. Doctoral Thesis. Louisiana State University

[17]

Donnelly, D.P. and Quirin, J.J. 2006. An extension of Lee and Mitchell's unfolding model of voluntary turnover. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(1): p. 59--77.

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Farber, H.S., Are Lifetime Jobs Disappearing? Job Duration in the United States: 1973--1993., in Labor Statistics Measurement Issues. 1998, Cambridge, MA : National Bureau of Economic Research.

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Cited By

Ng VHuang EYoung M(2019)Should I stay or should I go? understanding employees’ decisions to leave after mergers in Hong Kong’s banking industryAsia Pacific Journal of Management10.1007/s10490-018-9610-zOnline publication date: 17-Jun-2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-018-9610-z
MacCrory FChoudhary VPinsonneault A(2016)Research Note—Designing Promotion Ladders to Mitigate Turnover of IT ProfessionalsInformation Systems Research10.1287/isre.2016.065227:3(648-660)Online publication date: Sep-2016
https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2016.0652

Index Terms

A necessary clarification of the unfolding model of voluntary turnover
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing profession
      1. Computing occupations

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cover image ACM Conferences

SIGMIS CPR '09: Proceedings of the special interest group on management information system's 47th annual conference on Computer personnel research

May 2009

242 pages

ISBN:9781605584270

DOI:10.1145/1542130

General Chairs:
Norah Power
University of Limerick, Ireland
,
Kate Kaiser
Marquette University, USA
,
Program Chairs:
Jack Downey
University of Limerick, Ireland
,
Damien Joseph
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Copyright © 2009 ACM.

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Published: 28 May 2009

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SIGMIS-CPR '09: 2009 Computer Personnel Research Conference

May 28 - 30, 2009

Limerick, Ireland

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Cited By

Ng VHuang EYoung M(2019)Should I stay or should I go? understanding employees’ decisions to leave after mergers in Hong Kong’s banking industryAsia Pacific Journal of Management10.1007/s10490-018-9610-zOnline publication date: 17-Jun-2019
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-018-9610-z
MacCrory FChoudhary VPinsonneault A(2016)Research Note—Designing Promotion Ladders to Mitigate Turnover of IT ProfessionalsInformation Systems Research10.1287/isre.2016.065227:3(648-660)Online publication date: Sep-2016
https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2016.0652

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