an examination of the causes and effects of employee turnover: a case of the University of Botswana

Abstract

This research used relevant literature and recent primary data to investigate the causes and effects of employee turnover at the University of Botswana and to make recommendations to the University management and other stakeholders of what could be done to minimize those causes. This research is aimed at addressing the following questions: What are the causes of employee turnover at the University of Botswana? How does employee turnover affect service delivery in the University stakeholders? Are the university employees satisfied with their work environment? What are the effects of employee turnover in University of Botswana? Does employee turnover affect service delivery to stakeholders? To establish the factors causing employee turnover and their effects, primary data was collected from a sample of 100 employees drawn from the University of Botswana population using stratified random sampling. The research instrument used to collect data was a questionnaire which composed of closed and open ended questions, that is, a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The study found out that among the major factors causing employee turnover at the University included: lack of motivation, low salaries, poor communication, lack of staff recognition, lack of employment security, and poor supervision. The study further identified the effects of employee turnover at the University to include: turnover was costly to the university, high replacement costs for departed staff, negative impact on customer service, increased overtime expenses, loss of production when employees quit, and the succession plan was affected when employees quit. The researcher recommended that the management should invest on some strategies to minimize employee turnover for better results and good reputation.