Social Science

Factors in Faculty Turnover Consideration at Truman Compared to Research Findings on Other Types of Institutions
Angela M. Farabee
Dr. Teresa Heckert, Faculty Mentor

Much of the research on faculty turnover has been done at either research institutions or community colleges. For our study, we were interested in examining potential causes of turnover at institutions of higher education that emphasize teaching. We used the faculty at Truman State University to examine predictors of turnover intentions. The faculty was surveyed in spring 2000 on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intent. One hundred ninety faculty members responded, of which, 41% were female. Current turnover intentions were low. Nonetheless, 31.5% of the variability in turnover intent could be explained by the seven job satisfaction measures. Furthermore, satisfaction with three of the job facets (i.e., pay, work itself, and load) explained the bulk of the predictable variability in current turnover intention. Salary, spousal considerations, and personal issues were important factors in having ever considered leaving. Differences in turnover factors among various types of institutions will be discussed.

Keywords: faculty, job satisfaction, retention, turnover, turnover intent

Topic(s):Psychology

Presentation Type: Oral Paper

Session: 26-3
Location: VH 1000
Time: 10:15

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