Turnover Intention of Technology Professionals: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective

Retaining skilled professionals is a critical concern for organizations because employee turnover can affect the quality of service provided by the organization and create considerable expense. Using a framework of social exchange theory, this study develops a model to investigate the interrelationships between turnover intentions, organizational commitment, and constructs of particular importance to information technology (IT) professionals. Field survey data from a large US federal agency empirically test these associations. The results confirm that IT professionals’ perceptions of their skill obsolescence, work overload, and the fairness of the rewards they receive directly influence their organizational commitment. Furthermore, their organizational commitment, perceived work overload, and fairness of rewards significantly affect turnover intention. Employees’ commitment toward the organization is an essential mediator between the perception that their skills are becoming obsolete and intention to leave the organization. Implications of these results for literature and practice are discussed.