Actual voluntary turnover: A study of job embeddedness, pay satisfaction, and perceived alternative job opportunities

Past literature supports negative links between job embeddedness, pay satisfaction and actual voluntary turnover (AVT), several meta-analytical studies have reported weaker links between these constructs. As a result, calls for further research has been suggested, particularly on the interactive process through which both job embeddedness and pay satisfaction are likely to influence AVT. The purpose of this study was also to explore the likely interactive effect of perceived alternative job opportunities on job embeddedness, pay satisfaction, and AVT. A mixed-method approach was used. Data were obtained from a survey sample of 216 and nine interviewed former faculty members of public universities in Nigeria. Using partial
least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the quantitative results indicated that both organizational embeddedness and pay satisfaction were significantly and negatively related to AVT. On the contrary, community embeddedness demonstrated no significant effect on AVT. The results further showed that perceived alternative job opportunities moderated the relationship
between organizational embeddedness and AVT, as well as between pay satisfaction and AVT. But, no significant interaction effect was found between perceived alternative job opportunities and community embeddedness. In addition to the
survey, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results of the interviews showed that the dysfunctional nature of the university’s work environment and longer commute time were important contributors to their reason for leaving. The
qualitative result also revealed that the disparity in pay between public and private universities played a critical role in the participants’ decisions to actually leave. Additionally, unsolicited job offer was also identified as another reason that influenced their turnover decisions. Overall, the qualitative results complemented the survey findings in that they were able to further clarify and elaborate the latter.
Implications of the results for future research and practice, as well as the limitations of the study are highlighted.