ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC STAFF TURNOVER IN PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: THE CASE OF WOLKITE UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Massive exits from jobs in higher educational institutions have been observed in many higher educational institutions. Literatures revealed that lack of adequate salaries and allowances, housing and promotion lack of career development for university instructors are among the possible reason for massive exit. This study was aimed at assess staff turnover trend, assess the staff satisfaction about psychographics and socio-demographic factors, and determinants of staff turnover intention in public higher educational institutions in Ethiopia. Both descriptive and econometric methods (probit model) of data analysis were employed. Random sampling method was used to select sample academic staff from their respective college/school of Wolkite University. In general, a total 91 respondents were used for gathering the required data. The study showed that the annual average rate of academic staff turnover has been increasing since 2010 EC. Academic staffs were moderately satisfied with their job, innovative working behavior, co-worker support, carrier management, academic staff happiness, leader’s member exchange, and work life balance with this stated psychographics and socio-demographic factors. The probit model result showed that job satisfaction, carrier management, coworker support, gender, educational qualification and experience are the major factors affecting employer turnover intention positively and negatively in public higher educational institutions. At last, the study forwarded possible mechanisms such as strengthen employee job satisfaction, developing carrier management guideline, supporting social capital among academic staff, offering phD educational scholarship, and better management for senior experienced staff management are required.