Retention factors and employee organisational commitment at a higher education institution in South Africa

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.