Toward a Theoretical Model of Employee Turnover: A Human Resource Development Perspective

Abstract

This article sets forth the Organizational Model of Employee Persistence, influenced by traditional turnover models and a student attrition model. The model was developed to clarify the impact of organizational practices on employee turnover from a human resource development (HRD) perspective and provide a theoretical foundation for research on that topic. What is unique about this unified longitudinal model in which organizational factors that impact human resources are the focal point is that these organizational factors are hypothesized to be symbiotically and reciprocally linked to key individual variables—intention, goals, commitment, and satisfaction. Implications include evaluating HRD practices on the basis of reduced costs of turnover, thus enhancing the strategic role of HRD in organizations.