Abstract:
This study sought to determine the influence of retention factors on employee organisational
commitment at a higher education institution in South Africa. The study follows a quantitative
methodology in which self- administered questionnaires were used to collect data from a
stratified random sample of 274 participants. The strata were grouped as academic and nonacademic
staff. Participants were then randomly selected from each stratum. Using Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, both descriptive and inferential statistics
including correlation and regression analyses were conducted to determine relationships
between retention factors and employee organisational commitment variables. The Retention
Factor Scale was used to collect data on retention factors and Organisational Commitment
Questionnaire was used to collect data on employee organisational commitment. The findings
indicated that job characteristics, supervisor support, career development and work-life balance
are significantly related to employee organisational commitment. Furthermore, the results
revealed that of the six retention factors, career development was the most significant factor
which had an impact on employee organisational commitment. The study concludes that
retention factors and their impact may differ based on different institutions, therefore, it is
recommended that every institution should figure out the retention factors which have the most
impact on their employees and find ways to improve employee organisational commitment.
