Abstract

This study was out to analyse the effect of job satisfaction on employee’s intention to quit to carry out this work, some specific objectives were set which include to examine the effect of job satisfaction with supervision on employee intention to quit their job, to evaluate the significant of job satisfaction with working environment on employees intention to quit,

To assess the significant effect of job satisfaction with pay on employee intention to quit, to examine the significant effect of job satisfaction with training on employee’s intention to quit. Data for this study was collected through questionnaires which were administered to some of the staffs of the CDC Tiko MHSD.

This data was analyzed using the OLS regression tools. Based on the finding, the study concludes that satisfaction with pay, satisfaction with training have strong relationship with job satisfaction of CDC. But, satisfaction with supervision does not greatly affects the employee’s intention to quit in CDC. Satisfaction with pay has a strong negative relationship with employees intention to quit but not significantly reliable.

The recommendation for this study was that CDC should check their satisfaction policy and practices. By this they would reduce loss on non- performing workers which raises their expenses and consequent reduction in the employee’s intention to quit.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Of The Study

Human Resource (HR) was the basis for organizational existence and development. Human Resource Professionals and organizational executives implement different mechanisms to retain their employees. Depending on the mechanism(s) organisations are implementing, they are able to retain their employees or reduce employees’ intention to quit the organization for which they work (turnover intention).

Employees who are loyal and are work-focused are usually the most productive, thus, assuring organisational growth. Employees who tend to be very committed (intrinsically motivated) towards achieving the goal of the organisation must be given great attention (extrinsic motivation) from different areas of need such that they remain contented with their job, else turnover intention may crop given any sensation of limited attention. An organization stands to gain a major competitive advantage if employees (with intrinsic job motivation) are extrinsically satisfied with their job.

Turnover intention (TI) was defined as the intention of workers to leave their job. TI may affect organization in achieving its objectives, which in turn lead to a reduction in the overall level of innovation, quality of customer service and a negative psychological effect on the employees that remain in the organization (Ayinde and Adegoroye, 2012). TI seems to be reasonable prediction for actual turnover (Cho and Lewis, 2012).

Turnover intention was one of the most focused areas by scholars, researchers, and Human Resource Managers. There are three major reasons accountable for this, namely: it has significant cost implications on the organisation for new recruits; it negatively affects overall organizational performance; it has the potency of becoming difficult to control, resulting to talent crisis whereby it becomes hard to find equivalent skills to replace the vacancies created from turnover.

Turnover intention usually results from job satisfaction issues. The term job satisfactions refers to the attitude and feelings people have about their work. Positive andFavorable attitudes towards the job indicate job satisfaction. Negative and unfavorable attitudes towards the job indicate job dissatisfaction (Armstrong, 2006). Job satisfaction was the collection of feelings and beliefs that people have about their current job.

People’s levels of degrees of job satisfaction can range from extreme satisfaction to extreme dissatisfaction. In addition to having attitudes about their jobs as a whole. People also can have attitudes about various aspects of their jobs such as the kind of work they do, their coworkers, supervisors or subordinates and their pay (George et al., 2008).

The increasing trend of turnover resulting from job satisfaction issues enhances cost and reduces the productivity and efficiency of the organisation. In this modern age, humans are considered the most precious assets that have impact on the performance of an organisation (Kabene et al, 2006).

Many organisations are working on designing retention strategies for their employees so that the talent in the organisation can be utilized in the best possible way. There are various costs associated with employees whether directly or indirectly. Some of these costs include; recruitment and selection costs, training and development cost, and performance appraisal cost.

The various costs can be recruitment, selection, and training in order to maximize the return to investment done on employees, it was very important to focus on reducing employees’ turnover intentions (ETI). This was because in the case of turnover, left over employees directly or indirectly become discouraged leading to low production tendencies.

Turnover can be categorized as voluntary turnover and involuntary turnover. When employees decide to leave the organisation on their own choice it was referred to as voluntary turnover while when an organisation expels an employee it was called involuntary turnover (Price and Miller, 1981). Historically, it has been investigated that involuntary turnover was generally good for the organisational interest (Mc Shane and Williams, 1993) but voluntary turnover was considered to be very detrimental for organizations.

Turnover intention was the probability that an individual will change his or her job within a certain time period and thus it leads to actual turnover. TI has been acknowledged as the best predictor of actual turnover. Actual turnover was expected to increase as the intention increases.

It was found out that following variables apart from demographic variables such as satisfaction with pay and supervision, organisational commitment and procedural justice are associated with turnover intentions (Khatri et al. 2001). Organisations have to take strategic steps to reduce the turnover intention intentions of the employees in order to have a competitive edge over the other competitors.

Job Satisfaction

The term job satisfaction or ‘work satisfaction’ have been given different connotations since their inception, several of which are acceptable. Some of these definitions as given by different authors are given below:

According to Vroom (1964) job satisfaction was the ‘affective orientation of individuals towards work roles that they are presently occupying.

Job satisfaction refers to the pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences’ (Locke, 1976)

Helliegel and Slocum (1976) define job satisfaction as ‘the feelings about various aspects of the workers’ work setting’

According to Middlemist And Hitt(1981), job satisfaction refers to ‘the feelings-good or bad-that one has about the work environment’

From the view of Locke (1976), job satisfaction involves employee’s opinion and assessment of the job and opinion was affected by the employee’s exclusive situation such as values, requirements and anticipations.

When employees have high level of satisfaction during work, a pleasant emotional state (Bartolo and Furlong, 1999) and optimistic response to the company (Fienstein and Vondresek 2002, Oshagbemi, 2000) can be generated. Fitzenz (1990) acknowledged that there are a lot of factors which will influence whether the employee’s will be retain in the organization. Those factors include salary, supervision, career development and nature of work.

Job satisfaction and Intention to leave

Shortages can be a symptom of low job satisfaction, poor management and lack of organisational support (zum et al., 2005). Shortages are resulting in heavy workload, which was an indicator to job stress and burnout, which have also been linked to low job satisfaction.

Nurses’ job, satisfaction was an elusive concept, which was defined within its extrinsic and intrinsic values (Crown,2002). Extrinsic values encompopass the tangible aspects of the job including wages, benefits and bonuses, whereas intrinsic values include status recognition, personal and professional development opportunities, and other similar factors (Cowin 2002).

Reasons for nurse dissatisfaction have been well documented in the nursing literature. Such reasons include lack of involvement in decision-making, poor relationship with management, low salaries and poor benefits, lack of job security, poor recognition and lack of flexibility in scheduling (Albaught, 2003)

1.2. Problem statement

Job satisfaction and employee turnover intention are interrelated concepts that Human Resource Management of every goal-oriented organisation must take careful attention about. According to Armstrong (2006), there are a number of factors which promote the employees’ to leave the organisation, those factors are associated with the job dissatisfaction of the employees, these are dissatisfaction caused by unfair pay system, unrewarding job and lacking skill variety, lack of performance standards and feedback; dissatisfaction caused by lack career prospect, unfair supervision, and bad relationships with supervisors and co-workers. Employees turnover intention will tend to be high provided the factors of job dissatisfaction mentioned above are not well handled by the management of any organization.

The Cameroon Development Cooperation inTiko (CDC)in the Medical and Health Service Department under the Human Resource Department where this project was focused was one of the national organizations in Cameroon faced with high degree of employees’ turnover intentions and it was resulting to high degree of employee’s turnover. Some factors responsible for such tendencies include; low wages/salaries, inadequate career prospects, unfair supervision, limited health facilities, and non-respect of payment deadlines as well as political instability. There was therefore need to suggest ways of reducing employee’s intentions to quit their jobs by way of improving on their job designs, and job satisfaction tools. Therefore, the study seeks to provide answer to the question.

1.3 Main Research question

What was the effect of job satisfaction on employee’s intention to quit?

Specific research question

1. What was the effect of supervision on employees’ turnover intention?
2. How does working environment affect employee’s turnover intention?
3. What significant effect does pay have on employee’s intention to quit?
4. How does training have an effect on employee’s intention to quit?

1.4. Research objective

The main objective of this work was to analyse the effect of job satisfaction on employee’s intention to quit.

Specific objectives

1. To examine the effect of job satisfaction with supervision on employee intention to quit their job.
2. To evaluate the significant of job satisfaction with working environment on employees intention to quit.
3. To assess the significant effect of job satisfaction with pay on employee intention to quit.
4. To examine the significant effect of job satisfaction with training on employee’s intention to quit.

1.5 Research Hypothesis

Supervision and employees’ intention to quit.

H1.  Supervision has a significant positive impact on employee’s intention to quit.

H0. Supervision has no impact on employee’s intention to quit.

Working environment and employee’s intention to quit.

H1. Working environment has a significant positive impact on employee’s intention to quit.

H0. Working environment has no impact on employee’s intention to quit

Pay and employees intention to quit

H2. Pay has a positive significant impact on employee’s intention to quit.

H02. Pay has no impact on employee’s intention to quit.

Training and employee’s intention to quit.

H3. Training has a positive significant effect on employee’s intention to quit.

H03. Training has no significant effect on employee’s intention to quit.