Human Resource Management Practices and Turnover Intention in Higher Education: The Moderating Role of Job Opportunities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived HRM practices and faculty members’ turnover intention. Drawing on the social exchange theory, we hypothesised that perceived HRM negatively relates to turnover intention and that perceived job opportunities has a moderating effect on this relationship. The data was collected from 170 Pakistani full-time faculty members that were conveniently available. The hypotheses were tested using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results provided support for the negative relationship between perceived HRM practices and turnover intentions. The findings also revealed that job opportunity moderated the negative relationship between HRM practices and turnover intentions. The cross-sectional nature of the study and the use of a single source for data collection limit the generalizability of the study. This study helps HR professionals in designing strategies that not only reduce faculty turnover but also provide competitive advantages to the organization over its competitors in terms of attracting and retaining employees. The study is the first of its kind that examined the moderating effect of job opportunities on HRM practices-turnover intention relationship. Besides, this is the only study on HRM practices, job opportunities and turnover intention from the perspective of faculty members working in higher education and Pakistan.