An Investigation of the Factors Influencing Employees' Willingness to Accept Mobility Opportunities

This study investigated the influence of 1,076 state employees' career stage, family characteristics, job tenure and specialization, and perceptions of job favorability, movement, and career development opportunities on willingness to accept upward, lateral, and downward mobility opportunities. Results indicated that employees in early career stages with little community tenure who perceived a lack of congruence between their current jobs and their “ideal” jobs and expressed little desire to remain in their current jobs were more willing to accept mobility opportunities. Few differences were noted in regression models across different mobility opportunities. Implications for future research regarding employee mobility are discussed.