Abstract
This paper examines selected employee turnover issues using data derived from a survey of graduates from a Midwestern women's college over a ten year period. As hypothesized, organizational commitment was positively related to job commitment, and employee commitment, defined as being composed of organizational and job commitment foci, was positively related to job satisfaction, supervisory support, and organizational career support. In general, the results show women were fairly similar to men in terms of why they change employment or in terms of what companies could have done to retain them.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1990). The measurements and antecedents of affective, continuance and normative commitment to the organization. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 63, 1–18.
Aryee, S., Chay, Y. W., & Chew, J. (1994). An investigation of the predictors and outcomes of career commitment in three career stages. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 44, 1–16.
Aryee, S., Tan, K. (1992). Antecedents and outcomes of career commitment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 40, 288–305.
Bateman, T. S., & Strasser, S. (1984). A longitudinal analysis of the antecedents of organizational commitment. Academy of Management Journal, 27, 95–112.
Becker, T. E., Billings, R. S., Eveleth, D. M., & Gilbert, N. L. (1996). Foci and bases of employee commitment: Implications for job performance. Academy of Management Journal, 39, 464–482.
Betz, N. E., & Fitzgerald, L. F. (1987). The career psychology of women. New York: Academic Press.
Blau, G. J. (1985). The measurement and prediction of career commitment. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 58, 277–288.
Blau, G. J., & Boal, K. (1989). Using job involvement and organizational commitment interactively to predict turnover. Journal of Management, 15, 115–127.
Blum, T. C., Fields, D. L., & Goodman, J. S. (1994). Organization-level determinants of women in management. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 241–268.
Cascio, W. (1991). Costing human resources: The financial impact of behavior in organizations (3rd ed.). Boston: PWS-Kent.
Ciabattari, J. (1996, October 20). He said, she said: Women executives and the gender gap. Parade: The Sunday Newspaper Magazine, 20.
Clegg, C. W. (1983). Psychology of employee lateness, absence, and turnover: A methodological critique and an empirical study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, 88–101.
Cohen, A. (1993). Organizational commitment and turnover: A meta-analysis. Academy of Management Journal, 36, 1140–1157.
Cohen, A., & Gattiker, U. E. (1994). Rewards and organizational commitment across structural characteristics: A meta-analysis. Journal of Business and Psychology, 9, 137–157.
Colarelli, S. M., & Bishop, R. C. (1990). Career commitment: Functions, correlates, and management. Group & Organization Studies, 15, 158–176.
Cotton, J. L., & Tuttle, J. M. (1986). Employee turnover: A meta-analysis and review with implications for research. Academy of Management Review, 11, 55–70.
Cox, T. H., & Harquail, C. V. (1991). Career paths and career success in the early stages of male and female MBAs. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 39, 54–75.
Darden, W., Hampton, R., & Howell, R. (1989). Career versus organizational commitment: Antecedents and consequences of retail salespersons commitment. Journal of Retailing, 65, 80–106.
Diamond, E. E. (1987). Theories of career development and the reality of women at work. In B. A. Gutek & L. Larwood (Eds.), Women's career development (pp. 15–27). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Dipboye, R. L. (1987). Problems and progress of women in management. In K. S. Koziara, N. H. Moskow, & L. D. Turner (Eds.), Working women: Past, present, future (pp. 118–153). Washington, DC: Bureau of National Affairs.
Fagenson, E. A. (1990). At the heart of women in management research: Theoretical and methodological approaches and their biases. Journal of Business Ethics, 9, 267–274.
Gallos, J. V. (1989). Exploring women's development: Implications for career theory, practice and research. In M. B. Arthur, D. T. Hall, & B. S. Lawrence (Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 110–132). Boston: Cambridge University Press.
Gutek, B. A., & Larwood, L. (1987). Introduction: Women's careers are important and different. In B. A. Gutek & L. Larwood (Eds.), Women's career development (pp. 7–14). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1980). Work redesign. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Lee, T. W., & Mitchell, T. R. (1994). An alternative approach: The unfolding model of voluntary employee turnover. Academy of Management Review, 19, 51–89.
Mathieu, J. E., & Zajac, D. M. (1990). A review and meta-analysis of the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of organizational commitment. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 171–194.
Meglino, B. M., Denisi, A. S., & Ravlin, E. C. (1993). Effects of previous job exposure and subsequent job status on the functioning of a realistic job preview. Personnel psychology, 46, 803–822.
Morrison, A. M., White, R. P., & Von Velsor, E. (1987). Breaking the glass ceiling: Can women reach the top of America's largest corporations? Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Morrow, P. C. (1983). Concept redundancy in organizational research: The case for work commitment. Academy of Management Review, 8, 486–500.
Morrow, P. C., & Wirth, R. E. (1989). Work commitment among salaried professionals. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 34, 40–56.
Mowday, R. T., Porter, L. W., & Steers, R. M. (1982). Employee-organization linkages: The psychology of commitment, absenteeism, and turnover. New York: Academic Press.
Mowday, R. T., Steers, R. M., & Porter, L. W. (1979). The measurement of organizational commitment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 14, 224–247.
Morrison, A. M., & Von Glinow, M. A. (1990). Women and minorities in management. American Psychologist, 45, 200–208.
Noe, R., Noe, A. W., & Bachhuber, J. A. (1990). An investigation of the correlates of career motivation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 37, 340–356.
O'Reilly, C. A., & Chatman, J. (1986). Organizational commitment and psychological attachment: The effects of compliance, identification, and internalization on prosocial behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 492–499.
Ohlott, P. J., Ruderman, M. N., & McCauley, C. D. (1994). Gender differences in managers' developmental job experiences. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 46–67.
Ornstein, S., & Isabella, L. (1990). Age vs. stage models of career attitudes of women: A partial replication and extension. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 36, 1–19.
Pazy, A. (1987). Sex differences in responsiveness to organizational career management. Human Resources Management, Summer, 243–256.
Popovich, P., & Wanous, J. P. (1982). The realistic job preview as a persuasive communication. Academy of Management Review, 7, 570–578.
Powell, G. N. (1990). One more time: Do female and male managers differ? Academy of Management Executive, 4(3), 68–75.
Powell, G. N., & Mainero, L. A. (1992). Cross-currents in the river of time: Conceptualizing the complexities of women's careers. Journal of Management, 18, 215–237.
Price, J. L., & Meuller, C. W. (1986). Handbook of organizational measurement. Marshfield, MA: Pitman.
Ragins, B. R., & Scandura, T. A. (1994). Gender differences in expected outcomes of mentoring relationships. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 957–971.
Reichers, A. E. (1985). A review and reconceptualization of organizational commitment. Academy of Management Review, 10, 465–476.
Schwartz, F. N. (1989). Management women and the new facts of life. Harvard Business Review, January–February, 65–76.
Steers, R. M., & Rhodes, S. R. (1978). Major influences on employee attendance: A process model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 63, 391–407.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Allen, W.R., Drevs, R.A. & Ruhe, J.A. Reasons Why College-Educated Women Change Employment. Journal of Business and Psychology 14, 77–93 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022958417765
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022958417765