Voluntary job mobility within the Water Services Corporation : analysing motivating factors across employee groups

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which several factors influence voluntary job mobility within the Water Services Corporation (WSC). The list of variables includes situations and conditions at work, wage, training opportunities and career development, and family situations. The study also aims to determine any significant statistical differences (p ˂ 0.05) across distinct groups based on their individual characteristics. The basis of these individual characteristics includes age, gender, level of education, job tenure, current occupation, and whether employees are responsible for children below the age of 18. The study also intends to determine whether those employees who were still interested in changing their job at the time of the research had the intention of seeking a job outside the corporation. The study adopts “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” motivators embedded within the framework of several “process” and “content” theories of motivation, which help to understand better the motives behind voluntary job mobility within the WSC. A quantitative research design through the use of a questionnaire was used as the research method. The questionnaire was self-administered and used to measure on a five-point Likert scale the degree to which employees had tried to change their job. The study adopted a total population sample that comprised employees who during 2014-2015 had applied for a promotion or expressions of interest, as well as those who had formally requested a transfer to another section within the same period. The total population eligible for this study amounted to 253 employees, out of which 160 employees gave their feedback through the questionnaire. The main three factors behind why employees decided to change their job were identified via descriptive statistics. Statistical tests such as the Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallace test and the Spearman Correlation Coefficient were conducted to determine whether statistical differences could be observed across groups based on their individual characteristics. The main three reasons that appear to influence employees to change their job include a better salary, better career prospects, and the search for a job that better suited their work experience. The study proceeds to provide management with a set of recommendations based on intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to minimise voluntary job mobility and employee turnover.