Determinants of Employee Turnover Intentions Among Teaching Staff at the University of Nairobi

Abstract

University of Nairobi is the oldest and best performing University in Kenya. University of Nairobi and other universities in Kenya in general have been facing issues to do with staff turnover intentions. The Public Universities Inspection Board determined that each year the most competent academic personnel from public universities leave abroad. Because of the financial constraints facing the universities, it is quite difficult for them to replace departing staffs. In most cases, universities have observed that graduates sent overseas for training prefer to stay abroad or enter the private sector or leave soon after their return. The objective of this research was to establish the factors influencing employee turnover intentions among teaching staff at the University of Nairobi. The study was based on Herzberg two factor theory and social exchange theory. The research design that was applied in this research was descriptive research design. In this research, the 2220 UON teaching staff formed the population of the research. In this study stratified random sampling was used. The sample size for this research was determined via the formulae suggested by Yamane to give 339 respondents that was used as the sample size for the current study. Primary data was needed and therefore a questionnaire was utilized in collecting the data from the respondent. The questionnaire was composed of close ended questions. Data analysis was achieved through use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software Version 24. The regression coefficients result showed that employee compensation relates negatively and statistically significant with employee turnover intentions (β=0.131 p=0.000); career development relates negatively and statistically significant with employee turnover intentions (β=-0.088 p=0.003); achievement relates negatively and statistically significant with employee turnover intentions (β=-0.126 p=0.001); job responsibility relates negatively and statistically significant with employee turnover intentions (β=-0.123 p=0.000) and recognition relates negatively and statistically significant with employee turnover intentions (β=-0.113 p=0.007). The research recommends that human resource managers at the University of Nairobi, and by extension human resource managers of other organizations, can employ these factors in trying to minimize employee turnover intention. They should incorporate the study findings in formulation of policies and further on how to implement their strategies successfully and on how they could plan to reduce challenges facing it to enable evaluation of the outcomes in a meaningful way.