Turnover intention and its antecedents: The mediating role of work–life balance and the moderating role of job opportunity

Due to the higher attrition rate in higher education institutions (HEIs), the attraction and retention of top talents in higher education have become a challenge for human resource (HR) professionals. The primary area of discussion among business executives and HR professionals is how top talent can be retained and maintained. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of human resource management practises (HRMPs), oraganisational reputation (OGR), occupational prestige (OPP) and work–life balance (WLB) on turnover intention (TOI) of the academics working in HEIs. The study also aims to examine WLB as a mediator and job opportunity (JBO) as a moderator of the relationships mentioned above. Data collected through an online survey from 466 respondents were analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling. The findings of the study showed that OGR, OPP and WLB were negatively related to TOI. However, the impact of HRMPs on TOI was not direct; instead, it was mediated by WLB. The findings also demonstrated that WLB significantly mediated the relationship between OGR and OPP. Furthermore, the results also confirmed that JBO significantly moderated the relationship between WLB and TOI. The findings of the study provide guidelines for a comprehensive retention strategy and a holistic model of academics TOI that can assist HR professionals, policymakers and management in developing an effective strategic recruitment and retention plan.

Development programs, household income and economic vulnerability

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve the socio-economic condition of low-income households in Malaysia, many products and services are available, including access to working capital and enterprise development training programs. This study examined the impact of access to working capital and micro-enterprise development training programs on household income and economic vulnerability among participants of development initiatives in the eKasih (national poverty data bank) in Peninsular Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting a cross-sectional design, the authors collected data randomly from the selected 300 micro-entrepreneurs from the list of development organizations available in the eKasih (national poverty data bank) located in four states of Peninsular Malaysia. Quantitative data were collected through structured interviews with the respondents from October to November 2017.

Findings

Both the length of participation and total amount of economic loan were found to increase the household income. However, there was no positive and significant impact of total number of training hours on household income. Interestingly, length of participation was found to reduce the level of economic vulnerability, except total amount of economic loan, and total number of training hours.

Originality/value

Despite the overwhelming empirical evidence, the findings indicated that the impact of enterprise development training programs was inconclusive. The effect of total amount of loan on economic vulnerability was also inconclusive. Hence, both policy makers and development organizations should understand how their programs benefit the poor households that can be improved through new implementation strategies.