A Study on Determinants of Employee Turnover in the Workplace Environment

Abstract

Employee turnover remains a persistent concern across workplace environments, impacting organizational productivity, employee morale, and overall institutional performance. This review explores a wide range of factors that contribute to employee turnover, encompassing both traditional and evolving workplace determinants. The Key aspects include job satisfaction, compensation, work-life balance, organizational culture, and opportunities for growth. In addition, emerging variables such as digital exhaustion, lack of autonomy and misalignment with organizational purpose, are examined. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of turnover drivers and offer practical insights for management and HR professionals to foster a more stable and engaged workforce.

Introduction

Employee turnover remains a pressing issue across sectors—academic, corporate, and public service. While traditional causes like salary and job satisfaction are well-known, recent shifts such as hybrid work, digital fatigue, and AI integration demand updated retention strategies. This study aims to explore both traditional and emerging factors that influence why employees leave or stay, with a special focus on higher education.

II. Literature Review Highlights

1. Digital Transformation & AI (Ravi Kumar et al., 2024)

   • Remote work & AI tools cause stress without proper training → higher turnover.

2. Leadership Style (Priya Singh & Ravi Verma, 2023)

   • Transformational leadership improves retention; transactional increases turnover.

3. Job Satisfaction (Aditi Sharma et al., 2023)

   • Career growth & transparent communication reduce turnover in public sector.

4. Organizational Culture (Anil Joshi & Deepak Gupta, 2022)

   • Innovation & collaboration lead to lower turnover.

5. Work-Life Balance (Meera R. & Nivedita S., 2022)

   • Flexible hours/work-from-home options reduce faculty turnover.

6. Psychological Contracts (Vijay Prakash et al., 2024)

   • Broken promotion/appraisal promises increase turnover intentions.

7. Digital Fatigue (Neelam Sharma et al., 2023)

   • Burnout from tech overuse prompts higher turnover in IT.

8. Employee Engagement (Pooja Joshi & Gaurav Sharma, 2022)

   • Meaningful work aligns with lower turnover.

9. Compensation & Career Growth (Kiran B. & Shweta Singh, 2022)

   • Lack of advancement more critical than salary alone in academia.

10. Hybrid Work Models (Rashmi Desai et al., 2023)

• Flexible models improve satisfaction and retention.

III. Objectives

• Examine key turnover factors in higher education.

• Assess the impact of career growth, compensation, and flexibility.

• Explore organizational communication and digital wellness.

• Recommend actionable HR strategies to reduce turnover.

IV. Traditional Determinants of Turnover

1. Job Satisfaction – Contentment with tasks, roles, and relationships; highly influences engagement and loyalty.

2. Compensation & Benefits – Fair, competitive pay is crucial for retention.

3. Career Development – Growth opportunities reduce stagnation and exits.

4. Leadership Style – Supportive leadership builds trust and reduces turnover.

5. Work-Life Balance – Flexibility reduces stress and boosts retention.

6. Job Security – Stable roles enhance loyalty; instability triggers exits.

7. Organizational Culture – Positive, inclusive environments promote retention.

8. Interpersonal Relationships – Trusting and collaborative teams reduce churn.

9. Workload & Demands – Manageable workloads prevent burnout and exits.

10. Recognition & Rewards – Acknowledgment boosts morale and loyalty.

V. Emerging Determinants of Turnover

1. Time Autonomy & Chronotype Flexibility

   • Custom work hours aligned to individual productivity improve retention, especially in research roles.

2. Organizational Sense-Making

   • When employees understand and emotionally process organizational change, they are more likely to stay.

3. Sentiment Analysis in Communication

   • Using AI/NLP to detect morale issues early from internal communications helps prevent turnover.

4. Digital Exhaustion & Technostress

   • Over-reliance on digital tools without support causes burnout. Digital wellness programs are essential.

5. Engagement with External Ecosystems

   • While professional networks can enrich faculty experiences, they can also increase mobility and poaching risks.

VI. Research Methodology

• Study Context: Conducted at Arts & Science and Engineering Colleges in Coimbatore.

• Sample: 20 faculty members, selected via convenience sampling.

• Data Collection: Primary data from questionnaires, using a 5-point Likert scale.

• Focus: Measured perceptions on turnover-related variables including traditional and emerging factors.

Conclusion

The study shows that while employees appreciate growth opportunities and digital support, there are concerns about salary, communication, and work-life balance. By improving pay, promoting a supportive culture, and enhancing flexibility, organizations can reduce employee turnover and create a more engaging workplace. These small but focused efforts will help retain skilled employees and build long-term success.

References

[1] Ravi Kumar et al., \"Digital Transformation and Employee Turnover in Tech-Based Companies: A Study on Remote Work Challenges\", International Journal of Human Resource Management, Volume 57, No. 3, March 2024, pp. 45-56. [2] Priya Singh and Ravi Verma, \"Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Turnover in Indian Corporate Sector\", Journal of Organizational Behavior, Volume 41, No. 2, February 2023, pp. 115-125. [3] Aditi Sharma et al., \"Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intentions in Public Sector Institutions in India\", Journal of Public Sector Management, Volume 30, No. 4, December 2023, pp. 98-108. [4] Anil Joshi and Deepak Gupta, \"The Role of Organizational Culture in Employee Retention\", Indian Journal of Human Resource Development, Volume 36, No. 5, November 2022, pp. 221-234. [5] Meera R. and Nivedita S., \"Work-Life Balance and Employee Retention in Educational Institutions: A Case Study\", Journal of Educational Management, Volume 47, No. 6, October 2022, pp. 67-76. [6] Vijay Prakash et al., \"Psychological Contract Breach and Employee Turnover in Indian Manufacturing Firms\", Industrial Relations and Organizational Behavior Review, Volume 55, No. 8, August 2024, pp. 142-155. [7] Neelam Sharma et al., \"Digital Fatigue and Technostress: Impact on Employee Retention in IT Firms\", Journal of Organizational Health and Well-being, Volume 22, No. 7, July 2023, pp. 234-246. [8] Pooja Joshi and Gaurav Sharma, \"Employee Engagement and Turnover: Evidence from Indian Retail Companies\", Indian Journal of Retail Management, Volume 29, No. 3, September 2022, pp. 45-58. [9] Kiran B. and Shweta Singh, \"Compensation and Career Development as Factors for Employee Retention in Indian Universities\", Journal of Higher Education and Professional Development, Volume 40, No. 2, June 2022, pp. 120-132. [10] Rashmi Desai et al., \"Hybrid Work Models and Employee Turnover in Indian Startups\", International Journal of Organizational Dynamics, Volume 51, No. 10, October 2023, pp. 78-90.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 S. Saira Banu, Dr. Khalid Wahid, H. Dhauth Khan. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.