While an abundance of research has addressed the issue of employee turnover, this work has

been largely conducted in the full-time employment context. There is a great need to increase

research attention toward the study of part-time workers, given that entire industries rely on

part-time labour as a major source of employment, as well as the continuing increase in

employment opportunities in the part-time labour sector (see Feldman, 1990; Nardone, 1993).

Consistent with Tansky et al.s (1997) observation, little research has focused on differences

among part-time workers, and this research has been largely inconsistent and non-theoretical

(e.g. Lee and Johnson, 1991; McGinnis and Morrow, 1990). Specifically, there is a need to

develop a fuller understanding of the nature of the part-time workforce itself and those factors

that influence behaviour among this portion of the workforce. One such area is that of turnover

behaviour.

Regardless of the model employed, much of the research has drawn attention to the following

categories of influence on turnover:

Push or work-related factors

The aspects which may push an individual into voluntarily leaving his/her organisation are

associated with the nature of organisational life itself and include such important factors as

job satisfaction. The negative relationship between job satisfaction and turnover has been

empirically validated by many studies of turnover (e.g. Arnold and Feldman, 1982). The

rationale for this view is that a dissatisfied worker will escape from an unfavourable work

situation. The higher the satisfaction with pay/financial rewards received the lower the

expected level of turnover behaviour (Dalton and Todor, 1979, 1982; Porter and Steers, 1973).

However, these findings need to be assessed in the part-time work context. In addition,

performance-reward contingencies have a significant and negative association with turnover,

according to the research conducted among full-time employees.

External or pull factors

Influences which could pull an individual out of his/her present employment (i.e. cause

turnover) are: personal and household income levels, wage earner status in the household,

family commitments, as well as acceptable job alternatives (Mobley et al., 1979a).

With regard to income levels, the research in the full-time employment context has suggested

that main household wage earners will be less likely to exhibit turnover behaviour than those

individuals who are not the main wage earners for their households. The rationale for this

view is that main household wage earners possess relatively greater responsibility for the

financial viability of their households than do secondary wage earners. For this reason, it is

expected that main wage earners will have less freedom and flexibility to explore job

alternatives (i.e. lower turnover), without incurring substantial penalties (loss of primary

income) for their household units. It is of interest to consider whether this relationship holds

in the part-time employment context.

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Individual characteristics

A large number of research studies have identified the importance of individual or

demographic factors as predictors of job turnover (e.g. Arnold and Feldman, 1982; Cotton

and Tuttle, 1986; Lee and Mowday, 1987). First, the research has largely supported the

argument that education is positively related to employee turnover (e.g. Arnold and Feldman,

1982; Brief and Aldag, 1980). Tansky et al. (1997) suggested that while this might also hold

true for part-time workers, the reverse relationship might also apply. Second, the research

evidence that has been generated suggests that older workers are typically more satisfied than

younger workers, in the part-time context (e.g. Greenberger and Steinberg, 1996). The

research has also suggested that younger part-timers are more likely to have higher rates of

absenteeism and turnover (e.g. Kahne, 1985).Third, there are numerous research studies

which suggest that a negative relationship exists between tenure and turnover (e.g. Steers,

1977). The research has indicated that relatively high turnover occurs among new employees

(e.g. Mobley, 1982a, 1982b). Finally, a number of research studies have suggested that

married employees are less likely to quit an organization than are unmarried employees (e.g.

Cotton and Tuttle, 1986; Youngblood et al., 1983). Again, this relationship needs to be more

fully assessed in the part-time employment context.

Source: McBey and Karakowsky (2000) "Examining sources of influence on employee turnover in the part-time

work context", Leadersh. Organization Dev. J. 21 (3):136-144.

Based on the above paragraph answer the following questions:

a) Would you classify this study as a basic or applied type of research? Why?

b) What is the research problem in this situation?

c) Construct the theoretical framework for the study.

d) Develop TWO (2) hypotheses for this study.

e) Provide TWO (2) possible research objectives.

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