Turnover Intentions of IT Repatriates in India: Exploring the Role of Organizational Commitment

Abstract

The turnover intention of repatriates in the IT sector requires immediate attention due to the rapid rise of India as a global market. To survive in an environment of cut-throat competition, organizations are required to have a proper understanding of the reasons for repatriate turnover in the IT sector and of the solutions to overcome this problem. Factors such as repatriate adjustment, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment are the key to understand the intentions for repatriate turnover. The primary objective of this study was to compare the role of organizational commitment as a mediator and as an independent variable for explaining the intent to leave. Feedback from IT repatriates in Indian organizations were generated. The items of the questionnaires were adapted from various previous studies to generate the relevant data. Data was generated from a sample of 273 respondents. Appropriate tools were employed for the purpose of refining and analysis of data. Study findings supported that organizational commitment role as a mediator is more important than as an independent variable in explaining the intentions of repatriate regarding the turnover. The study will provide useful insights to the practitioners and policymakers in understanding the process of repatriate adjustment and, hence, can assist in reducing the turnover intentions among the repatriates. Indian IT sector faces considerable high attrition. It has been observed that employees after returning from their foreign assignments find it difficult to readjust and thereafter eventually quit the organization. The turnover intention of repatriation in the IT sector requires immediate attention to arrest this kind of attrition. There is a paucity of studies focusing on turnover intention of repatriates in the Indian context. This study aims to fill that gap.