dc.contributor.advisor | Brooks, Ann (Ann K.), | en |
dc.creator | Kreisman, Barbara Jane | en |
dc.date.accessioned | 2011-04-27T21:40:32Z | en |
dc.date.available | 2011-04-27T21:40:32Z | en |
dc.date.issued | 2002-05 | en |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2152/11027 | en |
dc.description | text | en |
dc.description.abstract | Individuals, managers and organizations today are confronted by an
extremely dynamic and volatile work environment marked by continued
turbulence in the economy. Managers face the difficult challenge of
motivating and retaining employees in an environment of increased
uncertainties Essentially no organization, profession or community has been
unaffected by the continuing series of layoffs, dot com failures and
restructurings. At the same time, jobs are being created at unprecedented
rates: 700,000 new businesses are being established annually and there are
worker shortages in some professions—particularly the medical and services
industries. So how can individuals, managers and organizations make sense
of all this chaos?
This research shows that In the future, successful organizations will be
those which adapt their organizational behavior to the realities of the current
work environment where longevity and success depend upon innovation,
creativity and commitment. For many other high tech firms, “surprise”
employee departures can have a significant effect on the execution of
business plans and may eventually cause a parallel decline in productivity.
The research was conducted as a “case study” conducted within Rambo
Computer Corporation, considered in the 1990s to be one of the nation’s
“most admired and successful organizations”.
The purpose of this study was to examine those factors which
prompted the voluntary attrition of nine high performing employees from
Rambo’s Information Technology (IT) group between the months of
November 1999 and March 2000. The study also sought to investigate the
process by which these individuals conceptualized their decision to leave the
organization. A third objective of this research was to suggest ways in which
managers and Human Resource professionals can influence career decisions
of employees, thus minimizing future turnover of technical talent within their
organizations.
Individuals participating in this study were former technical employees
from Rambo’s Information Technology department. Each was considered a
“high performer” (top l5% of Rambo’s IT employee population) and had at
least six months service with the company prior to resigning. Qualitative
interviews, in the form of two 90-minute conversations, were conducted with
each of the subjects within sixty days of their departure from Rambo.
Discussions were divided into several topic areas focusing on family
background, academic and career influences, work history, and the
participants’ rationale for joining, then resigning from Rambo.
Results indicated that the primary reason most individuals chose to leave the
company was because of lack of respect for poor communication with their
respective manager. Results of the study further revealed that the decision to
leave an organization is most often the accumulation of experiences with
separation triggered by one or more precipitating events. The final decision
frequently is prompted by some interaction (discrete or ongoing) with the
manager that ”pushes the employee over the edge.”
An analysis of the data also indicated that the reasons study
participants initially accepted jobs with Rambo were different than those cited
for departure. Reasons for joining the company included: influence of friends,
geographic location, company’s reputation, and “opportunity” for significant
financial reward.
The importance of doing state-of-the art technical projects was crucial
to these individuals who believed their future job security depended upon
developing new capabilities. Reorganization and cancellation of projects
were cited by the participants as the reason they were unable to accomplish
the tasks for which they originally had been hired. Other factors contributing
to their departure were: the expectation of having to work exceptionally long
hours; the inability to change jobs internally; values misalignment; and a
general malaise stemming from a lack of recognition or vision of the future.
The study has implications for employees, managers, and
organizations and others who are interested in learning more about the
factors associated with employee turnover. | |
dc.format.medium | electronic | en |
dc.language.iso | eng | en |
dc.rights | Copyright is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works. | en |
dc.subject | Professional employees--Job satisfaction--Case studies | en |
dc.subject | Organizational behavior--Case studies | en |
dc.subject | Organizational change--Case studies | en |
dc.title | Identifying the drivers of employee dissatisfaction leading to turnover of information technology professionals | en |
dc.rights.holder | Restricted | en |
dc.description.department | Curriculum and Instruction | en |
thesis.degree.department | Curriculum and Instruction | en |
thesis.degree.discipline | Curriculum and Instruction | en |
thesis.degree.grantor | The University of Texas at Austin | en |
thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | en |
thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy | en |