Factors Affecting Employee's Retention in Automobile Service Workshops of Assam An Empirical Study

FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE’S RETENTION IN AUTOMOBILE SERVICE WORKSHOPS OF ASSAM: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
Abstract
It has become increasingly more difficult for organizations to hire and retain qualified staff. In
order to satisfy this need and meet the competition for talented staff, organizations will be required
to develop effective employee attraction and retention strategies. The ability to compete for and
retain talented staff will depend in part on the organizations ability to identify this need and
successfully develop and implement a plan. Further intensifying this talent acquisition need is the
current workforce demographics comprising a large number of baby boomers that are eligible to
retire and will be leaving the workforce in the immediate future. Demand for talent will
dramatically change the demographics of the workforce. This study identified and examined
factors that positively influence the attraction and retention of quality staff for organizations. These
factors include employee commitment, trust, communication, and support programs. Additionally,
this study examined the practices of the Office of Personnel Management that provides guidance
Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

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Email: conceptsbookspublication@gmail.com
Web: https://researchitout.blogspot.com/
to the federal government agencies on talent acquisition and retention programs to determine the
strategies they use to manage this staffing need crisis. This study identifies talent attraction and
retention strategies organizations can develop to manage this talent sustainability issue. The
findings of this study apply across organizations both public and private.
Keywords: Talented Staff Acquisition, Employee Retention, Employee Commitment, Talent
Sustainability, and Employee Turnover.

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CONTENT
CHAPTER 1 PAGE NO.

INTRODUCTION 001 - 016
1) ATTRACTION AND RETENTION
2) TALENT ACQUISITION
3) RETENTION
4) EMPLOYEE TURNOVER: A PREDICTIVE PICTURE
5) THE NEED FOR AND SHORTAGE OF TALENTED STAFF
6) THE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM): INFLUENCE AND
CONTRIBUTION
7) OPM TALENT ACQUISITION AND EMPLOYEE RETENTION MISSION
8) EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT AND OTHER FACTORS
9) TALENT SUSTAINABILITY
10) STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
11) SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM
12) PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
13) RESEARCH QUESTIONS
14) DEFINITION OF TERMS
15) ORGANIZATION OF THE DISSERTATION
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW 017 - 052
1) SIGNIFICANT ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES AFFECTING THE ATTRACTING AND
RETAINING OF STAFF
3) TALENT SUSTAINABILITY
4) REDUCING EMPLOYEE TURNOVER AND INCREASING RETENTION
CHAPTER 3 053 - 075

FACTORS AFFECTING THE ATTRACTION AND RETENTION OF STAFF
1) EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT
2) COMMUNICATION
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3) TRUST
4) EMPLOYEE SUPPORT PROGRAMS
5) ATTRACTING AND RETAINING EMPLOYEES
6) UNIQUE EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGE 7
7) EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
8) ACCESSING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT AT OPM
9) MEASURING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT AT OPM
10) COMPONENTS/FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE TALENT ACQUISITION AND
EMPLOYEE RETENTION
CHAPTER 4 076 - 093
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
1) INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
2) RESTATEMENT OF PROBLEM
3) THE MESSAGE IN THE LITERATURE REVIEW
5) COMMUNICATION
6) TRUST
7) EMPLOYEE PERCEPTION AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS
8) EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT
9) EMPLOYEE RETENTION
10) THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
11) COMPONENT 1: THE PROBLEM
12) COMPONENT 2: THE PROCESS
13) COMPONENT 3: THE RESULTS
14) CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK COMPONENTS
CHAPTER 5 094 - 108

METHODOLOGY
1) INTRODUCTION TO METHODOLOGY
2) DISCUSSION OF EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY
3) DISCUSSION OF RELEVANT SCHOLARLY EVIDENCE
4) PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE EXPERT PANEL
5) THE EXPERT PANEL MEMBERS
6) COMMENTS FROM THE EXPERT PANEL
7) IMPACT OF EXPERT PANEL COMMENTS ON DISSERTATION

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CHAPTER 6 109 - 139

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
1) STUDY REVIEW
2) PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS
3) RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND FINDINGS
4) TALENT ACQUISITION AND RETENTION STRATEGIES
5) COMMUNICATION
6) COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
7) TRUST STRATEGIES
8) EMPLOYEE SUPPORT STRATEGIES
CHAPTER 7 140 - 141

CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE
STUDY
1) AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
2) SUMMARY
CHAPTER 8 142 - 143
FUTURE ENONCEMENTS
1) JOB SATISFACTION
2) PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT
REFERENCES 144 - 151

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Attraction and Retention
An organization’s ability to attract and retain talent is an essential component of talent
sustainability. When organizations experience employee turnover, organizational knowledge is
lost (Cotton & Tuttle, 1986; Lowe & Barnes, 2002). Employee retention affects an organization’s
overall performance. In the coming years, organizations including the federal government will
experience an increase in attrition due in part to retirements. Annually, organizations spend billions
of dollars replacing the talented employees who have left their employ (Mathis, 2006a). In
addition, organizations will need to replace employees that are eligible to retire. Baby boomers are
defined as people born between 1945 and the early 1960’s (Business Dictionary, 2013). The
retirement of baby boomers will decrease the supply of talent in the next five years. As the need
for talent increases, the acquisition of talent becomes more competitive as organization pull from
the same pool of candidates.

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1.2 Talent Acquisition
Organizations need talent to operate and an effective way to affect employee retention is to ensure
the staffing process permits for the acquisition of the best talent the first time (Naqvi, 2009). It is
important to select the right person for the job because this “increases the likelihood that the
individual will stay with the organization” (Naqvi, 2009, p. 89). An emphasis has been placed on
talent that can adapt to changes and embrace challenges. By selecting talent correctly the first time,
resources for staff development are available for employees who stay with the organization
(Simon, 2005). The selection of talent that is agile is important to the organization as these
individuals tend to choose to stay with the organization. Therefore, funds used towards talent
acquisition can be used for employee professional development (Frank, Finnegan, & Taylor,
2004).

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1.3 Retention
An employee’s decision to stay or leave can have a profound effect on the financial bottom-line of
an organization an increased employee turnover rate (Finnegan, 2010). The costs that are
associated with employee turnover include advertising, recruiting, training, loss of productivity,
severance, and benefits continuation. The cost of hiring and training a new employee can vary
(Mathis, 2006a) “from 25% to 200% of annual compensation” (Mathis, 2006a, p.1). An
organization’s goal is to keep turnover at the lowest possible rate so that a return on investment
for professional development and engagement program goals are achieved. A pattern of employee
turnover can point to organizational problems (Cotton & Tuttle, 1986; Pearlstein & Narisetti,
2010). Organizational communication with employees is a key factor in reducing employee
turnover and sustaining staff.

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1.4 Employee Turnover: A Predictive Picture
Employee turnover rate is a clue of increased restlessness in the employee population. Jenkins
(2009) argued that there is a potential crisis brewing due to massive departures within the
workforce. The departure of retirees can leave behind thousands of other personnel who are not
prepared or are not willing to step into new roles as the result of vacancies (Bovbjerg, 2009).
Employees decide to continue their employment based on their commitment. When employees
leave an organization, critical tasks, such as follow up or analysis of task are not performed (Amos
& Weathington, 2008). The decision to leave is "a clear and deliberate choice by the employee to
make a job change that they perceive will presumably provide a greater level of fulfillment and
satisfaction” (Smith & Hitt, 2005, p. 183). Organizations are increasing their talent acquisition
efforts in order to capitalize on the retention of qualified talent (Baum, 1994).

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1.5 The Need For and Shortage of Talented Staff
The shortage of staff will affect the organization’s ability to fill open positions. According to
Bhatnagar (2007), the shortage of qualified talent has put retention in the forefront of issues faced
by organizations globally (Meister& Willyerd, 2010). It is imperative to the survival of any
business to understand the impact available qualified personnel will have on the business.
Bhatnagar (2007), argues that an additional “26 million United States workers are needed to fill
the gaps in demand by the year 2030” (World Economic Forum, 2010, p. 2). The growing need
for attracting and retaining employees is imperative in order for organizations to survive.
The problem of a shortage of talent coupled with shifting demographics will place a significant
burden on organizations. According to Hyek, foresight report (2010) there will be an increase in
demand for labor through 2030. To meet the need for qualified talent and address this skill gap,
organizations are analyzing their current workforce. The social dynamic of shifting demographics
will affect each organization’s ability to compete for talent and their capability to attract and retain
new talent. While the overall population of the world has grown, the number of workers who are
eligible for retirement has also increased. This convergence of the shift of demographics coupled
with more employees that are eligible for retirement results in a shortage of qualified staff.

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1.6 The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): Influence and Contribution
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is responsible for assisting and providing leadership
to Federal agencies in meeting their hiring and retention goals (Breaugh, 2010). OPM was selected
to be part of this research study as an example of how large and significant organizations address
the challenge of attracting and retaining employees. The success of OPM’s plan to compete will
depend on its ability to increase and attract new talent. Annually, organizations spend billions of
dollars replacing the talented employees who have left their employ (Cascio, 1991). The number
of potential retirements will have an enormous effect on the Federal government (Shoop, 2005).
The need to add talent to the workforce demands organizational attention to attract and retain
talent. This paper will identify strategies that organizations, especially federal agencies, can
develop to increase the probability of increased employee commitment and utilize this
commitment to attract and retain additional staff. OPM has developed programs to enhance
retention efforts as well as to attract new staff and retain talent that may be applicable to other
organizations.

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1.7 OPM Talent Acquisition and Employee Retention Mission
OPM hiring and retention objectives align with the mission of the agency and the federal
government as a whole. For that reason, OPM was identified as an example in this study. An
organization has a need to attract and retain employees in large numbers to be successful, in order
to be successful along with a clear mission, and strategically aligned objectives. The Partnership
for Public Service report revealed “that while overall attrition remained low, nearly 25% of new
federal employees leave within two years, with the rate as high as 30% in certain departments”
(Light, 2011, p. 38). The number of qualified talent entering the workplace will be limited. The
ability to compete for talent will depend on OPM’s ability to increase its ability to attract new
talent. OPM will experience a shift in the workforce as the result a large number of employees that
are eligible to retire (O’ Keefe, 2012; Shoop, 2005).

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1.8 Employee Commitment and Other Factors
Employee commitment is a possible significant factor that may affect the ability to attract and
retain staff. Committed employees are an organization’s best recruiters. When employee
commitment is lost, employees make decisions about their current employer (Dalton, Krackhardt,
& Porter, 1981) which influences their decision to leave (Dreher, 1982; Sager, Griffeth, & Horn,
1998) and leads to increased employee turnover (Cotton & Tuttle, 1986; Fugate, Kinick, &
Ashforth, 2004). The workforce today is better educated, more knowledgeable about available
employment opportunities, and willing to move to another organization for employment.
Researchers have posited that employee commitment can make the difference in an organization’s
success or failure in attracting and retaining employees (Cascio, 1991; Dalton, Krackhardt, &
Porter, 1981; Dreher, 1982; Mathieu & Zajaz, 1990; Sager, Griffeth, & Horn, 1998). Committed
employees are an asset to any organization. However, finding individuals that are willing to stay
with one organization until retirement is extremely difficult. Additionally, finding employees that
will commit to an organization for a long period of time is increasingly more crucial to retaining
talent (Meyer, Allen, & Smith, 1993). The importance of employee commitment was emphasized
in a study conducted by Madigan, Norton, & Testa (1999). Employee expectations include a work
environment that provides growth opportunities, and balances their work and personal life
(Naicker, 2008).
Employee commitment is important because committed employees do not leave organizations as
often. The absence of employee commitment can lead to turnover (Mathieu & Zajaz, 1990). This

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would indicate that the employer-employee bond is not strong (Fugate, Kinick, & Ashforth, 2004).
“The employee views the organization in a negative light when they perceive the organization is
not fulfilling that need” (Rousseau, 1995, p. 16) and this can lead the employee to contemplating
leaving the organization. “A change in employee’s behavior can be indicated by a decrease in
withdrawal behaviors such as absenteeism and turnover” (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002, p. 671).
Therefore, employee commitment affects an employee’s decision to leave (Simon, 1997).

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1.9 Talent Sustainability
Employee commitment is instrumental in achieving talent sustainability and it is beneficial in
identifying high impact talent pools (Dressler, 1993; Grant, Dutton, & Rosso, 2008; Landry,
Panacea, & Vandenberghe, 2010; Shore, Bommer, & Shore, 2008). Employee commitment
influences an organization’s ability to attract and retain talent (Becker, Billings, Eveleth, & Gilbert,
1996). However, organizations that desire to reduce employee turnover may not understand what
strategies will assist them in retaining employees. O’Malley (2000) argues that employees need to
be involved and feel that they are valued to commit to an organization.
Employee value can influence their desire to stay with an organization (Becker, Billings, Eveleth,
& Gilbert, 1996). Organizations can improve their talent sustainability efforts by comprehending
an employee’s rationale for choosing to remain with or leave an organization (Cascio, 1991;
Dalton, Krackhardt, & Porter, 1981; Dreher, 1982; Sager, Griffeth, & Horn, 1998). A study by the
Intelligence Unit of the Economist (2010) found that executives placed sustainability goals into
corporate measurements including programs geared toward talent sustainability efforts. “In 2009,
this study reported companies added sustainability indicators to the group’s performance
scorecards, which affect variable compensation of executives” (The Economist, 2009, p. 11).

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1.10 Statement of the Problem
Organizations are losing a significant portion of their workforce through normal attrition and
retirements. This affects daily performance as well as future workforce effectiveness. Both private
and public sector organizations are experiencing this problem. OPM provides the Federal
government agencies with leadership in developing programs to assist in hiring and retaining
talented staff in a competitive environment. The future employment trend will provide employees
with increased employment opportunities. This could affect the employee’s decision to stay or
leave, and therefore create a turnover problem and the need to attract and retain personnel near and
long term. Identifying factors that influence staff attraction and retention and then developing
strategies to attract quality talent and to increase employee retention is essential.

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1.11 Significance of the Problem
This chapter raises questions on the key factors that affect the attraction and retention of staff. All
organizations in the private and public sector are affected, especially OPM at the federal
government level when they are losing and about to lose a significant portion of their workforce
through normal attrition and retirement. This affects daily performance as well as future workforce
effectiveness. When employees are hired, they need to be committed in order to retain them in the
organization. That is not happening today and there seems to be no urgency or plan to do something
about this. How can organizations more effectively attract, hire, and retain staff? This problem is
in need of a solution. Employees make decisions concerning their loyalty to an organization based
on the organization’s ability to instill trust and communicate goals. When this is accomplished,
current employees can be a powerful tool used to attract new talent. This paper will also address
how organizations can survive the coming exodus of staff and retirees by gaining the remaining
employees’ commitment and utilizing them as ambassadors to attract new talent.

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1.12 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that positively affect the attraction and retention of
talented staff, and complementary organizational strategies that will influence employee attraction
and retention and therefore better assure organizational sustainability.
The study will analyze the strategies that influence an organization’s ability to attract and retain
employees and as a result achieve a higher level of sustainability. When organizations lose talent,
they also lose valuable knowledge that can affect the overall organizational performance.
The findings of this study are applicable across organizations both public and private. OPM has
developed programs to enhance retention efforts, as well as to attract new talent. This paper will
identify organizational strategies that increase an organization’s ability to attract and increase
employee retention. The decision to study this phenomenon is the result of a need to comprehend
and explore the factors that influence the attraction and retention of employees.
This paper will also address how organizations can survive the coming exodus of staff and retirees
by gaining the remaining employees’ commitment and utilizing them as ambassadors to attract
new talent.

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1.13 Research Questions
1. What effect does employee commitment have on staff acquisition and retention?
2. What other significant organizational factors affect staff acquisition and retention within
organizations?
3. What programs and strategies can organizations establish that can increase the retention
of talent and in turn increase the organization’s ability to attract talent?

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1.14 Organization of the Dissertation
This dissertation is comprised of six primary chapters:
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
3. Conceptual Framework
4. Methodology
5. Analysis and Discussion
6. Implications and Conclusion
Chapter 1 provides a foundation for the study and presents the purpose and significance of the
study including a business case discussion for the importance of several factors including
employee commitment in the workplace, and the effects these factors have on organizations’
ability to attract and retain staff.
Chapter 2 contains a review of the relevant literature that leads to the identification of sustainability
factors for attraction and retention of staff, as well as the organizational strategies to support these
factors.
Chapter 3 covers an in-depth exploration of this study’s research and scholarly content as well as
the conceptual framework of the research.

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Chapter 4 describes the underlying theoretical approach and research methodology used in this
research. In addition, information and content on the scholarly research reviewed concerning the
theory and practice of evidence-based research relevant to employee commitment and other
sustainability factors, talent attraction, and retention to validate the proposed framework in Chapter
3.
Chapter 5 provides an analysis and discussion of the research findings. It also provides a
conclusion as it pertains to the research questions and the evidence discovered that addresses the
research questions.
Chapter 6 identifies the overall conclusions, provides implications for management practice, and
discusses future trends and the implications of the trends summaries. This chapter also identifies
the study’s limitations, makes recommendations for future research, and concludes with a
summary of the dissertation.

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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Significant Organizational Issues Affecting the Attracting and Retaining of Staff
Talent acquisition is effective as an integrated process that includes employee commitment (Frank,
Finnegan, & Taylor, 2004). The literature suggests that the success of organizations is dependent
upon the talent within the organizations (Ang & Inkpen, 2008; Cascio & Herman, 2008; Hofstede,
1980; Lee, 1998). The identification of individuals with high potential talent is an asset when
acquiring new talent. Talent acquisition is critical to the survival of any organization (Frank et al.,
2004). Friedman (2007) contends “the ability of leaders to comprehend how to obtain the most out
of people, or how to multiply talent becomes one of the most influential creative management
capabilities” (p. 19).
Research and best practices show the relationship between talent development and retention
(Finnegan, 2010). Retaining employees is critical to commitment and loyalty to the organization
(Chen, 2011). Organizations that increase their employees’ positive perception of organizational
values through commitment were better able to attract and retain talent (Frank et al., 2004). An
integrated approach assists in the retention of employees when that approach connects the
components of talent acquisition, professional development, performance management, and

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succession planning (Marquis, 1972; Cappelli, 2008). This is critical because it provides
employees with the best chance for success within the organization.
Talent acquisition is the ongoing processes of marketing the organization as an excellent place to
work and attracting qualified talent to seek employment with the organization to build a talent pool
(Rivera, 2012). According to Rivera, (2012) the effective strategies to promote employee
commitment through talent acquisition are:
• Develop a brand for marketing of the organization as an excellent place to work
• Use technology to design employment websites and applications for easy use
• Develop a candidate employee referral program and utilize current staff as recruiters
• Allow current employees to be part of the selection process including having input on the
job description and general qualifications needed.
• Provide adequate qualified staff to manage the talent management processes. (Riveria,
2012, p.1).
OPM utilizes several strategies for talent acquisition including utilizing best practices strategies to
acquire talent. OPM also has direct staffing systems and services programs that are customized
hiring solutions for agencies. For example, USA Staffing is an automated tool used for hiring staff
for the majority of government positions nationwide. Potential employees can use this tool to
search numerous positions in multiple agencies by title, agency, and states. Once a position is
located, candidates can obtain information on the minimum qualifications, pay grade, and location;
they can then apply and submit their application. This process was improved as the result of a

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presidential directive to cut down the previously cumbersome process to fewer steps with timelines
for communication including status information to applicants and fewer days’ requirement for
time-to-fill the position (OPM, End to End Hiring Initiatives, 2008).
Other components of OPM’s talent acquisition process include providing staffing solutions that
assist managers in the evaluation of applicants and nationwide web testing systems that allow for
easy administration of required tests for applicants (OPM, End to End Hiring Initiatives, 2008).
These strategies assist with the selection of employee skill sets that correctly fit the position the
first time and this increases the organizational ability to retain talent.

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2.2 Talent Sustainability
The ability of an organization to sustain talent is important. Employee commitment increases talent
sustainability and is beneficial in identifying high impact talent pools (Grant, Dutton, & Rosso,
2008; Landry, Panacea, & Vandenberghe, 2010; Shore, Bommer, & Shore, 2008). Employee
commitment influences an organization’s ability to attract and retain talent (Becker, Billings,
Eveleth, & Gilbert, 1996). However, organizations who desire to reduce employee turnover may
not have a clear understanding of which strategies will best assist them in retaining employees.
O’Malley (2000) argues that employees need to be involved socially at work and have a sense of
belonging in order to be committed to an organization. Employees who believe that they make
valuable contributions to the success of an organization are more likely to stay committed to the
organization (Aven, 1988). It is important to connect organizational objectives to talent
sustainability goals (Boudreau, 2003). The Intelligence Unit of the Economist (2009) “discovered
that executives have placed talent sustainability goals into corporate measurements” (p. 11).
Further, this study on sustainability suggested that “companies added sustainability indicators to
the group’s performance scorecards, which affect variable compensation of executives” (The
Economist, 2009, p. 11).

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2.3 Reducing Employee Turnover and Increasing Retention
In order to retain employees, organizations need to reduce employee turnover. Based on the
literature, employee turnover affects employee commitment because employees want to work in a
stable environment (Cotton & Tuttle, 1986; Madigan, Norton, & Testa, 1999). The more
dependable the work environment the more committed employees are to the organization (Naicker,
2008). This dedication in turn provides the employees with a sense of security that solidifies their
desire to stay (Dreher, 1982; Sager, Griffeth, & Horn, 1998). According to Dreher, 1982, Sager et
al., 1998, strategies used to stabilize organizations’ workforces, increase employee commitment,
and reduce employee turnover include:
• Implement effective employee orientation and on boarding programs
• Implementing automated performance systems
• Analyze and understand turnover trends and use them for performance measurement
including department/unit turnover rates. (Sager, et al.,1998, p. 261)
• Professional development - provide leadership, supervisory training and coaching for
performance
• Develop career development programs
• Compensate competitively
• Recognize and reward good performance
• Develop a mentoring program
• Communicate continuously

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• Be prepared for turnover with succession plans.
(Dreher, 1982, p. 137). Retaining employees whose knowledge has high competitive value is
becoming a critical and well-recognized challenge (Gottschalg & Zollo, 2007; Nelson & McCann,
(2010); Zheng, Morrison & O’ Neil, 2006). In order to capitalize on the acquisition and retention
of talent, organizations are increasing their talent management efforts (Baum, 1994; Cotton &
Tuttle, 1986; Finnegan, 2010; O Keefe, E. 2012; SHRM, 2005).
New Federal recruitment initiatives have been set into place to assist with the recruitment and
acquisition of new talent (Khan, 2011). This initiative builds on OPM’s 2009 efforts to ensure the
effective use of the initiatives known as the three R’s: recruiting, retention, and retirement. It is
estimated that the cost to replace an employee ranges anywhere from 40% - 50% depending on the
level of the position (Cascio, 1991; Dalton, Krackhardt, & Porter, 1981; Dreher, 1982; Sager et
al., 1998).
In 2008, the Gallup Poll consulting conducted a turnover study that was based on 30 years of
combined Gallup Poll research (Gallup Poll, 2008). Gallup Poll developed the Meta Q12 Analysis
as a tool to measure the factors that affected employee engagement. “Since its final wording and
order were completed in 1998, Q12 has been administered to more than 7 million employees in
112 different countries” (Gallup Consulting, 2006, p.7). Organizations that rated high on the
employee commitment scale, also rated lower on the probability to experience turnover. These
organizations also rated lower on the scale of higher turnover and absenteeism as it related to

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uncommitted employees (Gallup Poll, 2008). The study concluded that involving employees
assists with the reduction in employee turnover (Hater, Schmidt, Killham & Asplund, 2008).
In the past, the federal government has had the ability to keep people employed when other
organizations have had to lay off employees. This type of job security has helped the brand the
federal government as a good place to work for job security. The idea of perceived job security is
a tool for the attraction of talent to the government workforce. To address employee needs the
federal government conducts employee climate surveys to ascertain employee perception about
their work environment (OPM Valuing Employee Performance, 2010). “The survey indicated that
overall Federal attrition rates were 7.6 % in fiscal 2008 and 5.85 % in 2009, compared with a
private-sector rate of 9.2 % in 2008” (Davidson, 2010, p. 2). Managers play an important role in
developing an employee’s commitment (O Keefe, 2012). “Good supervisors communicate well
with employees and communicate to them that their performance is valued and that they are
important to carrying out the agency’s mission” (OPM Valuing Employee Performance, 2010,
p.10). According to Beasley, (2010), “retention is gradually increasing. However, as the economy
rebuilds, the government agencies will have to work harder to keep their employees. The
acquisition of new talent will become more difficult” (Beasley, 2010, p. 1).
The Partnership for Public Service, in conjunction with consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton,
conducted a study on attrition that found that 24.2 % of newly hired government workers leave
within a two-year period (Pearlstein & Narisetti, 2010). In some agencies, human resources plans
are perceived as weak and some workforce skill deficiencies uncovered and exacerbated by the

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impending retirement wave. Approximately, “71% of the government’s permanent employees will
be eligible for either regular or early retirement by 2010” (Office of Management and Budget
(OBM)( 2002, p.12). This need for acquiring talent will increase as more and more people decide
to retire. It is important for organizations to retain talent because employees with tenure also have
irreplaceable organizational knowledge. Clearly, institutional knowledge is a competitive
advantage for organizations (Nelson & McCann, 2010).

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[1] Jakub Sochor ; Jakub Špaňhel ; Adam Herout, "BoxCars: Improving Fine-Grained
Recognition of Vehicles Using 3-D Bounding Boxes in Traffic Surveillance", year 2018
In this paper, we focus on fine-grained recognition of vehicles mainly in traffic surveillance
applications. We propose an approach that is orthogonal to recent advancements in fine-grained
recognition (automatic part discovery and bilinear pooling). In addition, in contrast to other
methods focused on fine-grained recognition of vehicles, we do not limit ourselves to a frontal/rear
viewpoint, but allow the vehicles to be seen from any viewpoint. Our approach is based on 3-D
bounding boxes built around the vehicles. The bounding box can be automatically constructed
from traffic surveillance data. For scenarios where it is not possible to use precise construction,
we propose a method for an estimation of the 3-D bounding box. The 3-D bounding box is used to
normalize the image viewpoint by ``unpacking'' the image into a plane. We also propose to
randomly alter the color of the image and add a rectangle with random noise to a random position
in the image during the training of convolutional neural networks (CNNs). We have collected a
large fine-grained vehicle data set BoxCars116k, with 116k images of vehicles from various
viewpoints taken by numerous surveillance cameras. We performed a number of experiments,
which show that our proposed method significantly improves CNN classification accuracy (the
accuracy is increased by up to 12% points and the error is reduced by up to 50% compared with
CNNs without the proposed modifications). We also show that our method outperforms the state-
of-the-art methods for fine-grained recognition.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[2] Mohamed Watfa ; Catherine Todd, "Implications of virtual project management on project
management processes", year 2017
Organizations conduct Virtual Project Management (VPM) to increase productivity, improve
operational efficiency, reduce costs or for talent acquisition. In this research, we attempt establish
the degree to which the technological tools adopted by organizations for communication and
collaboration prove effective for enhanced project team performance and operations in VPM. We
statistically analyze the dependency of collaboration tools in small size organizations operating in
a virtual environment, and the level of disruption of the tools on PM processes, degree of usage
for social networking, and level of data management. Various virtual team structures, platforms
for meeting and group collaborations are evaluated. The study has shown that collaboration tools
rarely create disruptions in project management processes and are often used by constituent
members for social networking and information communications between those members.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[3] Robert Chwastek, "Cognitive systems in human resources", year 2017
This paper describes applications of natural language processing, full text search, big data and
machine learning algorithms in the Human Resources (HR) area. Such applications already speed
up data entry done by candidates and employees by parsing their CVs. In the near future they can
help in analyzing market conditions, find employees who expect promotion by evaluating career
paths or uncover hidden talents by analyzing graphs of interactions. Cognitive HR systems will be
used to find and keep talented persons within companies building their market advantage at
reasonable cost. However, proper care shall be taken to ensure that there are still equal employment
opportunities, everything is compliant with legal regulations as well as satisfactory ethical
standards are kept.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[4] Angel M. Major, "Strategies to Reduce Voluntary Employee Turnover in Small Business",
year 2016
Increasing turnover rates are costly to businesses, causing problems with workloads and workflow.
The annual resignation rate in the United States has approached 25%, which small business owners
cannot afford. Guided by the Herzberg 2-factor theory, the purpose of this descriptive case study
was to explore what strategies some small business owners have used to reduce voluntary
employee turnover in the United States. Data saturation was achieved after conducting
semistructured interviews and document reviews with 4 small business owners in southeast North
Carolina who have been in business for at least 5 years and have not experienced any voluntary
employee resignations within the past year. Data interpretations from the interview data were
derived via an inductive analytic coding process; these interpretations were then triangulated with
emergent themes derived from small business owners‟ policies, procedures, and personnel
manuals. Participants noted the need for training, equitable employee compensation, a professional
work environment, and open effective communication as the top contributing factors to reducing
voluntary employee turnover. The small business owners indicated the use of professionalism
contributes to a positive work environment and recognized education as a factor of voluntary
employee turnover.Social implications include the potential to decrease voluntary employee
turnover in small businesses, thus contributing to the retention of skilled employees, reducing
unemployment, and decreasing revenue losses.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[5] Taha Shaikh and Marium Zahid, "Retention Strategies to Increase Organizational Commitment
and Reduce Employee Turnover in Hospitality Sector of Karachi, Pakistan", year 2016
This study aims to explore the relationship between retention strategies and employee turnover. In
addition to that, the effectiveness of these strategies to enhance organizational commitment of
employees working in the hospitality sector (fast-food chain) of Karachi, Pakistan. The study
considered five decades of managerial literature to explain the relationship between variables.
Semi-structured matrix based survey questionnaire and open-ended unstructured interview
questions as research instruments to investigate the relationship. The research philosophy has been
interpretive and deductive research is used. The sample size in this study is 426 participants in
survey and 34 interviews with the management from the entire chain of fastfood restaurants in
different regions of Karachi. The sampling technique is non-probability "convenience sampling".
The findings revealed that high employee turnover is due to part time employment and high
number of temporary employees or drop out from college and universities. Moreover, there is a
relationship between employee turnover and organizational commitment. The higher job
satisfactions leads to increase employees' commitment. It is recommended to the management of
restaurant that friendly environment and training workshops are essential to retain good quality
employees.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[6] Haluk Demirkan ; James C. Spohrer ; Ralph Badinelli, "Introduction to the Smart Service
Systems: Analytics, Cognition and Innovation Minitrack", year 2016
Economic and societal well-being depend on innovations that help people use big data more
intelligently. Human-centered, smart service systems for business and society can be characterized
by: (1) the types of offerings to their customers and/or citizens, (2) the types of jobs or roles for
people within them, and (3) the types of returns they offer investors interested in growth and
development, through improved use of technology, talent, or organizational and governance forms,
which create (dis) incentives that (re) shape behaviors. Innovators of smart service systems,
including entrepreneurs, managers, and policymakers seek to improve quality-of-service for
customers, quality-of-life for citizens, and/or quality-of-returns for investors. Smart service
systems are ones that continuously improve (e.g., productivity, quality, compliance, sustainability,
etc.) and co-evolve with all sectors (e.g., government, healthcare, education, finance, retail and
hospitality, communication, energy, utilities, transportation, etc.). Regional service systems
include nations, states, cities, universities, and hospitals.. Global service systems include multi-
national businesses, professional associations, and NGOs. Natural or human-made disasters,
technology failures, criminal activities, political collapse can disrupt or negatively impact quality-
of-life for people living and working in service systems. Using big data analytics and cognitive
systems to improve decision-making service providers try to compete for the hearts, minds, and
wallets of collaborators by (1) improving existing offerings, (2) innovating new types of offerings,
(3) evolving their portfolio of offerings, and, (4) changing their relationships to others in the
ecosystem in ways stakeholders perceive as more positive, sustainable, fair, or responsible. The
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goal of this mini track is to explore the challenges, issues and opportunities related to innovation
of smart service systems that enable value co-creation with analytics, cognitive and human
systems. NSF and other funders see this research area as essential to build interdisciplinary
innovation capacity (http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15610/nsf15610.htm).

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[7] Gerard H. Gaynor, "Making People Decisions", year 2015
This chapter focuses on the people decisions related to building and maintaining the competence
of the organization's talent base for the sustainability of the organization. All of the issues involve
a decision about people. While some may appear to be trivial, on the surface, the consequences
can damage an organization's reputation and destroy careers. It should not take years to determine
that an employee has not met expectations; it does take courage to resolve situations related to
inadequate performance. The decisions concerning employees begins and ends in the human
resource (HR) department. Hiring policies and practices originate in the HR department and on
occasion with input from managers in the functional departments and subsequently approved by
some executive-level committee. Managing involves taking risks and making major decisions with
minimal information. As the global economy expands, executives needs to come to terms with
succession competence across all organizational units.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[8] Peggy Doerschuk ; Cristian Bahrim ; Jennifer Daniel ; Joseph Kruger ; Judith Mann ;
Christopher Martin, "An award winning program for increasing participation in STEM", year 2015
Lamar University's Students Advancing through Involvement in Research Student Talent
Expansion Program (STAIRSTEP) received a 2013 Star Award from the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board for making exceptional contributions towards closing the gaps in higher
education in Texas. The project is funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.
STAIRSTEP'S goals are to recruit students, retain them, and transition them within six months of
graduation to careers or advanced study in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM). It targets talented "at risk" students who are low income, first generation, and/or
underrepresented in STEM, and focuses on five disciplines: Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth
and Space Sciences, Mathematics and Physics. STAIRSTEP is innovative in its implementation
of best practices. We know of no other program that includes five distinct STEM disciplines,
engages students in research, outreach, and transitioning activities, and has targets for recruiting,
retaining and transitioning students. This paper provides a five-year perspective on the program's
activities and achievements. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of this multi-disciplinary
implementation, what worked and what did not, how it can be improved, and factors that can affect
the success of the program. Finally, it discusses sustainability of the program without NSF support.
[9] Maqsood Haider1*, Amran Rasli2, Chaudhry Shoaib Akhtar3, Rosman Bin Mohammesd
Yusoff4,Omair Mujahid Malik5, Alamzeb Aamir6, Ahmed Arif7, Shaheryar Naveed8, Fariha

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
Tariq9, "The Impact of Human Resource Practices on Employee Retention in the Telecom Sector",
year 2015
This study examines the human resource (HR) practices that promote employee retention.
Effective HR practices can reduce employee turnover and increase retention within an
organization. Key employees are the instrument for overall growth and development of an
organization. This study focuses on telecom sector of Pakistan. The most important HR practices
have been identified with the help of literature. These practices are training and development,
compensation and culture. A questionnaire was developed in this study with the help of literature
to measure the identified HR practices and employee retention. The sample size of this study was
250. Regression analysis was performed to analyse the data. The results of multiple regressions
revealed a significant impact of HR practices on employee retention. Compensation and culture
has a positive relationship with employee retention whereas training and development has a
negative one. This study guides the management to devise the effective strategies to improve the
employee retention.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[10] Hao Wang ; Yasha Wang ; Jiangtao Wang "A Participant Recruitment Framework for
Crowdsourcing Based Software Requirement Acquisition", year 2014
The opportunity to leverage crowd sourcing-based model to facilitate software requirements
acquisition has been recognized to maximize the advantages of the diversity of talents and
expertise available within the crowd. Identifying well-suited participants is a common issue in
crowd sourcing system. Requirements acquisition tasks call for participants with particular kind
of domain knowledge. However, current crowd sourcing system failed to provide such kind of
identification among participants. We observed that participants with a particular kind of domain
knowledge often have the opportunity to cluster in particular spatiotemporal spaces. Based on this
observation, we propose a novel opportunistic participant recruitment framework to enable
organizers to recruit participants with desired kind of domain knowledge in a more efficient way.
We analyzed the feasibility of our opportunistic approach through both theoretic study on
analytical model and simulated experiment on real world mobility model. The results showed the
feasibility of our approach.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[11] Lihui Xie ; Junyue Cheng, "A brief evaluation of Sino-Foreign collaboration in the provision
of business and management within Higher Education", year 2014
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play an important role in the economic construction, science
progress and social development by bringing up large scale of advanced talents and experts for the
construction of socialist modernization. The establishment of Sino-Foreign Cooperation within
HEIs benefits to strengthen HEIs' development and further education reform as well as promote
education quality. This paper aims to explore the nature of certain relationships between Sino-
foreign higher education collaborative links in business and management, and provide a brief
evaluation for sustainable development of Sino-foreign cooperation in the future through analyzing
the needs, prospect, opportunities and challenges of Sino-UK HE collaboration market. We can
still see there will be a large development space for Sino-foreign cooperation and we should find
out the possibility of sustainability, methods and strategies even if there are constrains to this
expanding education industry.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[12] G.F. Farris, "Rewards and retention of technical staff", year 2014
Retention of technical staff is a major issue in today's robust economy, and reward systems are
frequently used by companies to try to retain staff. The reward, recognition, and award systems of
thirty companies were investigated using questionnaire survey data from 1109 technical
employees. Twenty-five rewards and recognition events were divided into seven types: salary,
individual financial awards, group financial rewards, nonfinancial company recognition,
professional recognition, promotions and intrinsic rewards. Each was then related to the
individual's self-reported likelihood of leaving the current company within five years. Those most
likely to leave reported receiving fewer merit increases, noncash awards, or promotions to
corporate fellow status but more one-time individual cash awards, more cash bonuses based on
company profits, more team cash awards, and more opportunities to present their work. These
results were interpreted to mean that one-time recognition awards are not effective in preventing
turnover; rather, small, noncash awards and good old fashioned permanent salary increases and
promotion were most effective in reducing the reported likelihood of turnover. One-time awards
are no substitute for permanent rewards when it comes to retention.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[13] Leslie P. Martinich ; Catherine M. Polito, "Retaining and retraining: An innovative approach
to educating engineers in a changing economy", year 2014
Changing economic and technological conditions require that talented and experienced engineers
adapt and update their engineering skills. Communities support education and retraining in order
to retain the human talent. This paper describes an innovative approach to helping engineers
overcome barriers to career transitions, which incorporates career and personal development, an
engineering skills refresher, a semester-long course at a top-tier engineering school, and an
internship at a company in a high-growth sector. We describe the motivation for embarking on a
career reengineering program. A large percentage of the engineering population in the Austin
community is engaged in semiconductor design and manufacturing, an industry in decline. In order
to harness the collective skills and talents of engineers in the semiconductor industry and to redirect
those skills, the Center for Lifelong Engineering Education provides training to help engineers to
re-tool their skills for growth industries. We describe success factors for a career re-engineering
program, including (1) the engagement with multiple stakeholders: a university engineering
faculty, community development organizations such as workforce commissions, companies in
high-growth sectors, the university career counseling center, and governmental agencies; (2) the
acquisition of funding to help support engineers as they embark on a retraining curriculum; and
(3) the application process and selection criteria. We describe the curriculum, including an initial
orientation and assessment program; the selection of appropriate and available fall-semester
engineering classes in fields such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and environmental sciences;
monthly workshops designed to improve communication, presentation, adaptability, and

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
networking skills; weekly small-team meetings designed to keep participants accountable; regular
meetings with individual mentors; and a spring-semester internship with a firm in a high-growth
sector. Programs to help retrain engineers and to retain engineering talent within a society are
critical to community sustainability and growth.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[14] M. Lee ; J. Law ; P. Shaw ; M. Sheldon, "An infant inspired model of reaching for a humanoid
robot", year 2013
Infants demonstrate remarkable talents in learning to control their sensor and motor systems. In
particular the ability to reach to objects using visual feedback requires overcoming several issues
related to coordination, spatial transformations, redundancy, and complex learning spaces, that are
also challenges for robotics. The development sequence from tabula rasa to early successful
reaching includes learning of saccade control, gaze control, torso control, and visually elicited
reaching and grasping in 3D space. This sequence is an essential progression in the acquisition of
manipulation behaviour. In this paper we outline the biological and psychological processes behind
this sequence, and describe how they can be interpreted to enable cumulative learning of reaching
behaviours in robots. Our implementation on an iCub robot produces reaching and manipulation
behaviours from scratch in around 2.5 hours. We show snapshots of the learning spaces during this
process, and comment on how timing of stage transition impacts on learning.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[15] Chris Smith, Maria Daskalaki, Tony Elger and Donna Brown, "Labour turnover and
management retention strategies in new manufacturing plants", year 2013
This paper draws from on-going research on labour-management relations in transnational
companies within a new town in the English Midlands, Telford (Elger and Smith, 1998a, 1998b;
Smith and Elger, 1998). The paper examines the issue of labour turnover and the management of
labour retention using two contrasting case examples from Japanese TNCs. The paper seeks to
contextualize management decision-making with regard to labour turnover through a political
economy and firm-level analysis. At the macro-level we highlight a shift from using wages
(Fordism) and strong internal labour markets (bureaucracy) as labour retention mechanisms,
towards an inter-firm collusion on wages, non-poaching and union-avoidance. At the micro-level
these strategies are matched with firm-level HRM policies of careful labour selection, company
paternalism, segmentation of the labour force into temporary and permanent group and
accommodation to higher levels of labour turnover to balance product demand and labour supply.
TNCs in our research site, Telford, dominate manufacturing employment, representing 60 per cent
of all manufacturing jobs. This is similar to other sites of new jobs growth in the UK, for example
Swindon where 66 per cent of manufacturing jobs are with TNCs and other new sites of TNC
manufacturing investment. The findings are therefore applicable to other areas in which TNC
employment has been dominant in manufacturing.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[16] Leslie P. Martinich ; Catherine M. Polito, "Retaining and retraining: An innovative approach
to educating engineers in a changing economy", year 2013
Changing economic and technological conditions require that talented and experienced engineers
adapt and update their engineering skills. Communities support education and retraining in order
to retain the human talent. This paper describes an innovative approach to helping engineers
overcome barriers to career transitions, which incorporates career and personal development, an
engineering skills refresher, a semester-long course at a top-tier engineering school, and an
internship at a company in a high-growth sector. We describe the motivation for embarking on a
career reengineering program. A large percentage of the engineering population in the Austin
community is engaged in semiconductor design and manufacturing, an industry in decline. In order
to harness the collective skills and talents of engineers in the semiconductor industry and to redirect
those skills, the Center for Lifelong Engineering Education provides training to help engineers to
re-tool their skills for growth industries. We describe success factors for a career re-engineering
program, including (1) the engagement with multiple stakeholders: a university engineering
faculty, community development organizations such as workforce commissions, companies in
high-growth sectors, the university career counseling center, and governmental agencies; (2) the
acquisition of funding to help support engineers as they embark on a retraining curriculum; and
(3) the application process and selection criteria. We describe the curriculum, including an initial
orientation and assessment program; the selection of appropriate and available fall-semester
engineering classes in fields such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and environmental sciences;
monthly workshops designed to improve communication, presentation, adaptability, and

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
networking skills; weekly small-team meetings designed to keep participants accountable; regular
meetings with individual mentors; and a spring-semester internship with a firm in a high-growth
sector. Programs to help retrain engineers and to retain engineering talent within a society are
critical to community sustainability and growth.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[17] Zhengyuan Jia ; Gang Zhang, "Research on the talent management from the perspective of
systematic thinking of complex scientific management", year 2013
Talent management is a new stage of human resources management. It breaks the defects of the
modular and being divided in the previous HRM, but highlights the systematic, integrity and
sustainability. Systematic thinking, which is the basic thinking mode of complex scientific
management, is in line with the systematic feature of talent management. In this paper, we'll
consider talent management from the perspective of systematic thinking of complex scientific
management, and exploring the applications of systematic thinking in talent management.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[18] Delin Sun, "Study on the Theoretical Framework of the Mode Applicable to Cultivation of
Inter-Disciplinary Innovative Talents for Information-Based Entrepreneurship", year 2013
The mode applicable to cultivation of inter-disciplinary innovative talents for information-based
entrepreneurship, which constitutes an important part of talent cultivation mode, is of the
commonalities for talent cultivation as well as the particularities of its own. Based on analyzing
the theoretical foundations and fundamental principles concerning the modes applicable to
cultivation of inter-disciplinary innovative talents for information-based entrepreneurship, this
paper puts forward a theoretical framework of the mode applicable to cultivation of inter-
disciplinary innovative talents for information-based entrepreneurship. It will be a tough yet
glorious mission faced by Chinese colleges and universities to cultivate inter-disciplinary
innovative talents for information-based entrepreneurship.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[19] J. Dwyer "Cream in the global churn [mergers and acquisitions trade]", year 2012
The paper describes some of the negative effects and disadvantages of mergers and acquisitions,
both on the buyer and the target company. Tips on how to make life easier in mergers and
acquisitions trade are given. Some considerations include takeover time, failure rates, survival -
which depends on how deeply the manager can drive continuous improvement into the culture by
informing and empowering the workforce, people factor - securing the leadership and identifying
and securing the top talent, and preparation by the takeover team.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[20] Jun Shu ; Guanshu He "Exploration of High-Qualified Talents Recruiting Program Under the
Strategy of Reinforcing the Nation with Talents", year 2012
Talents from overseas have become principal source of high-qualified talents team in our country.
As for domestic universities, the construction of creative teaching staff by planned recruiting of
high-qualified overseas talents is of strategic significance. Take universities located in Tianjin for
example, the recruiting programs of high-qualified overseas talents have experienced bran-new
process with encouraging progress. Under the strategy of reinforcing the university with talents,
local universities should think over distinctive and practical working strategy and management
system to build up their own highland of talents and share best coexistence with ministry affiliated
universities. Only by this can local universities reinforce key competitiveness and achieve
sustainable development.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[21] Florence Yean Yng Ling, Cordelia H.S.Hee, "Strategies for reducing employee turnover and
increasing retention rates of quantity surveyors", year 2011
Quantity surveyors (QS) play an important role in the construction industry. There is therefore a
need to reduce their job turnover, by minimizing their intention to quit the job (turnover intention)
and improving their job satisfaction. Turnover intention was operationalized as the number of
years QS are likely to remain in the profession (Y1) and in their present firms (Y2). The aims are
to investigate job and jobholder characteristics that significantly affect Y1 and Y2; and provide
recommendations to reduce QS’ turnover intentions. Using questionnaire survey, data were
collected via e-mail from randomly selected QS in Singapore. Correlation analysis revealed that
to reduce turnover, QS should be given competitive monetary and non-monetary benefits, and
autonomy in decision making. To reverse turnover intention of well-performing QS who are
ensconced in their firms, firms could enrich QS’ jobs so that their growth needs are met and they
feel a sense of accomplishment. Certain characteristics of QS and their jobs give rise to job
satisfaction, and therefore designing quantity surveying jobs that take in these characteristics may
decrease turnover intention. The relevant characteristics that should be included in the design of
QS’ jobs to increase retention rates are task significance, autonomy and feedback.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[22] Bian Jun-jie ; Zong Xue-ping, "Notice of Retraction A statistics analysis on contributions of
talent-index-based human capital structure in the central and western regions of China to
economic", year 2011
According to the theory of talent education index, The higher the index, the higher the educational
level of talent, the larger numbers of the highly-educated talent. The analysis of empirical study
through the talent education index suggests that those problems which coupled with economic
growth, such as brain drain, talent inefficiency and lack of sustainability are common and must be
handled seriously both in central and western regions of China. It's necessary to transfer the mode
of economic growth, improve the proportion of highly-educated talent, optimize the talent
structure, and develop the new economic growth mode in the way of self-innovation-based
connotation to increase modern economy and reduce the regional economic disparities.
Meanwhile, there is a more efficient employment of highly-educated talent in central regions than
in western regions, which indicates different talent development strategies taken in the central and
western regions.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[23] Zhaohui Wang ; Jingjing Dong "A Study of Talent Localization of Transnational
Corporations Based on Resource Acquisition", year 2011
In the era of global information and rapid development of knowledge economy, international
operation has become an important means of enterprise collocating core resources and acquiring
competitive edges. By talents localization, transnational corporations can get access to various
types of resources in knowledge, technology and relationship to overcome the difficulties
encountered in culture, marketing, management, and many other areas in the host countries,
creating the conditions and laying the foundations for becoming bigger, stronger and more
sustainable.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[24] Hamidah Jantan ; Abdul Razak Hamdan ; Zulaiha Ali Othman "Talent knowledge
acquisition using data mining classification techniques", year 2011
Data Mining classification task is categorized as a part of knowledge acquisition process, which
can be implemented through the analysis procedure in related databases. In this study, we aimed
to employ this technique to perform talent knowledge acquisition process in Human Resource
(HR) by using talent databases. In HR, among the challenges of HR professionals is to manage
organization's talents, especially to ensure the right person assign to the right job at the right time.
In this case, knowledge discovered from talent knowledge acquisition process can be used by
professionals in HR to handle various tasks in talent management. In this article, we present an
experimental study to identify the potential data mining classification technique for talent
knowledge acquisition. Talent knowledge discovered from related databases can be used to
classify the appropriate talent among employees. In experimental phase, we used selected
classification algorithms in order to propose the suitable classifier from talent datasets. As a result,
the C4.5 classifier algorithm from decision tree family is recommended as a suitable classifier for
the datasets. Classification model performed by this classifier can be used in talent management
especially for talent classification or prediction.

Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477
[25] Stephen P. Hundley ; Charles Feldhaus ; Jeffrey X. Watt ; Kathleen Marrs ; Andrew Gavrin,
"Developing a STEM talent expansion pipeline in higher education: A work-in-progress", year
2011
Attracting, retaining, educating, and graduating science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) students is vital to the sustainability and competitiveness of technology
management firms in the U.S. and elsewhere. There are hosts of educational practices that colleges
and universities can undertake to find, keep, and develop STEM students, for the purpose of
increasing baccalaureate degree production in these important fields. Funded by a multi-year grant
from the National Science Foundation, the Central Indiana STEM Talent Expansion Program is a
work-in-progress project that has activities, benchmarks, and outcomes associated at critical
phases of an undergraduate student's journey through higher education at Indiana University-
Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), a large, urban institution where STEM disciplines are a
dominant component of the portfolio. This paper describes the purpose and significance of the
project, including the institutional context, history, and development of STEM-centric initiatives.
Specific attention will be paid to orientation, on-boarding, and first-year programs; initial career
and leadership development components; STEM curriculum and pedagogical interventions; high-
impact educational practices; co-curricular involvement in STEM-oriented organizations; and
preparation for a variety of post-baccalaureate settings. The roles of a variety of project
stakeholders will be discussed, and the present status and future directions of the project will be
highlighted.

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CHAPTER 3
FACTORS AFFECTING THE ATTRACTION AND RETENTION OF STAFF
3.1 Employee Commitment
According to Gouldner (1960), employee commitment is “loyalty to the organization” (p. 162) and
Steers (1977) defines it as the series of organizational events that together can influence an
employee’s desire to remain with an organization. The federal government depends on thousands
of personnel to carry out its mission. The ability to attract, retain, and gain their commitment is the
essential components of talent sustainability. Retaining employees with institutional knowledge is
a critical challenge (Gottschalg & Zollo, 2007; Nelson & McCann, (2010); Zheng, Morrison & O’
Neil, 2006). Meyer, Allen, and Smith, (1993) “identified three components of organizational
commitment (OC): effective OC denotes emotional attachment to identification with and
involvement in the organization; normative OC refers to a perceived obligation to remain in the
organization; and continuance commitment denotes the perceived cost associated with leaving the
organization” (Meyer , Allen, & Smith, 1993, p. 540). Employee commitment influences an
employee’s future decisions to stay or leave an organization (Simon, 2005; Rousseau, 1995).
Employees who perform well increase the organizations effectiveness (Bambacas & Prashant,
2008; Parker et al., 2003; Suliman & Iles, 2000; Wilson, 2003; Zheng, Morrison & O'Neil, 2006)
“and this employee effectiveness is critical competitive advantage” (Gottschalg & Zollo, 2007, p.
225). The limited supply of developed talent emphasizes the critical need for organizations to
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continue to be competitive by retaining qualified talent. Therefore, when employees believe that
they are valued, commitment increases and results in talent sustainability thus reducing employee
turnover and costs associated with turnover (Amos, & Weathington, 2008).
Employees make a decision on the organizational value verses their personal value when
considering leaving or staying with an organization (Simon, 1997). This is where employee
support programs can assist with satisfying employee needs. Based on the literature pertaining to
inspiring employee commitment, the key components of employee support programs are:
• Programs that assist with employee work-life balance
• Developed with employee input (climate surveys)
• Encouraged and not penalized for use of programs (open access)
• Programs are widely communicated
• Timely programs that address current needs or respond to situational circumstance
(emergency assistance)
• Self-service program
• Managers trained in how to use and refer employee to the programs. (OPM, Employee
Commitment, 2012)
In addition, the studies found that employee’s perception of organizational support are linked to
their job satisfaction and perceived organizational support (Elmadag, Ellinger, & Franke,
2008;Meyer et al., 1993). Both job satisfaction and perceived organizational support are important
to an organization’s ability to attract and retain talent.

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This is similar to the Meyer et al., (1993) studies in that they identify behaviors of employees that
influence a perception of belonging. Elmadag, Ellinger, and Franke (2008) conducted that
compares the job-related attitudes relative to satisfaction and performance variables of frontline
service employees. An alternative model was developed to examine informal interventions that
managers use to improve performance and employee commitment.
Both studies identified improvements in performance and employee satisfaction variables as
indicators of positive organizational behaviors. Dreher, 1982; Gouldner, 1960; Steers, 1977; &
Sager et al., 1998 supports the theory that employees that are more committed with their job are
also and committed to the organization.
Both studies’ methodologies used the well-designed Meyer’s et al., (1991) Three- Component
Model (TCM) instruments that attempts to match to an employee’s level of commitment with
organizations’ TCM efforts. “TCM survey measures three forms of employee commitment to an
organization: desire-based (affective), obligation-based (normative) and costbased (continuance).
The survey is used to identify the ‘commitment profile’ of employees within an organization”
(Meyer & Allen, 2004, p. 2). The questionnaires compared the jobrelated attitudes relative to
commitment of the Meyers et al., (1993) commitment model and Elmadag et al., (2008) for
satisfaction and performance variables. The limitation of both studies was that the data was
collected from the health care industry (Myers et al., 1993) and the logistics industry (Elmadag et
al., 2008). For example, the studies’ sample sizes were adequate sample sizes; Meyer et al., (2008)
had 603 respondents and Elmadag et al., (2008) had 310 respondents. The study sample was drawn

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from service-related industry employees and Meyer & Allen’s (2004) sample was drawn from the
Nursing profession. Both studies concluded that informal coaching influences employee
satisfaction and performance. In the Elmadag et al., (2008) study, coaching was found to positively
affect employee commitment with statistically significant beta and t scores of : β = 0.50, t = 9.52.
The author concluded that informal coaching influences employee commitment. There have been
criticisms over the years that the original (Meyer & Allen, 1991) TCM model focuses on the
psychological aspects as opposed to the attitudinal component of the model. However, this model
is still useful in identifying commitment issues. Similarly, these studies add value in that they assist
organizations in identifying key behaviors that can influence employee commitment including
coaching, training, and rewards.
Best practices in attaining employee commitment include developing strategies that positively
affect employee turnover. Dressler’s (1993) study of employee commitment determined that
organizations are more successful when they:
• Commit to people center values and put it in writing
• Use a values-based hiring system and communicate it
• Provide for extensive two-way communication
• Create a sense of community
• Support employee development
3.2 Communication

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For the purpose of this paper, research efforts will analyze the techniques and tools used by
employers to communicate with their employees. The correct communication tools and techniques
are essential to an organization’s ability to lead, motivate, and influence employee retention and
productivity.
More specifically, an “organization’s communication system should involve employees by
informing them of the organization’s mission, goals, and status of projects" (Popovich, & Wanous,
1982, p. 574). This communication system should serve as the official voice of the organization.
This system should assist the organization to standardize its brand, institutionalize its policies, and
provide the linkage between management and the employee base. This is important because it
sends a signal to employees of their importance to the organization’s success.
The five primary functions of organizational communication as set-forth by Nether (1997) must
be incorporated and conveyed through a delivery system. Successful organizations have effective
communication systems including informal and electronic grapevines, and these organizations
place a high value on various modes of communication (Simon, 1997; Weick & Quinn, 1999).
Nether (1997) “Identifies the primary functions of organizational communication as:
• Compliance-gaining
• Leading, motivating, and influencing
• Sense-making
• Problem-solving and decision-making

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• Conflict management, negotiating, and bargaining.
(Baker, 2002, p. 10) Successful firms also have richly connected communication systems,
including informal and electronic grapevines, and these organizations place a high value on
crossproject communication (Simon, 1997; Weick & Quinn, 1999). Organizations gain greater
cooperation by informing employees of the mission of the organization. The mission is
communicated in the form of a mission and values statement that is introduced during the
organization’s initial search for talent. Moreover, the data are then further drilled upon during the
employee orientation or “on-boarding” by the human resources department (Blau & Boal, 1989).
Organizations can improve employee perception and retention by opening the channels of
communication (Finnegan, 2010; Seddon & Caulkin, 2007). With sharing of information,
organizations are able to retain key employees and attract new talent. This communicative
approach builds trust and empowers employees to assist in overcoming crises (Van Vuuren, de
Jong, & Seydel, 2007).
Effective communication is not static, it must evolve with the organization. It is a necessity to
yielding greater productivity, as well as opening up new possibilities and sources of revenue for
any organization. When employees believe the information will benefit them or that their feedback
is valued, communication is accepted. The feedback component of communication connects
downstream to employees to address a problem.
Employee suggestion programs capitalize on the feedback they receive from employees. These
programs place workers in control of their own work, therefore increasing production as the result

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of a systematic approach. The implications for leaders are to recognize the wealth of knowledge
possessed by the employee and work to harness the energy created around employeeproduced
solutions (Seddon & Caulkin, 2007). More specifically, an “organization’s communication system
should involve employees by informing them of the organization’s mission, goals, and status of
projects" (Popovich, & Wanous, 1982, p. 574). This communication system serves as the official
voice of the organization. Based on the literature review on communication, the following are
strategies, when implemented, can affect positively employee commitment:
• Developing communication plans for agencies that include workforce planning
• Initiatives, desired goals and outcomes, timelines, and executive support
• Identifying appropriate and effective communication vehicles, such as “town hall
• Meetings,” intranet, written communication and poster campaigns
• Developing strategies and processes for line managers to use to analyze communication
roadblocks and enhance communication with their own workforce
• Developing innovative avenues for employees to participate in the communication process.
(OPM, Federal Employee View Point, 2012, p. 1)
According to Parker, Baltes, Young, Huff, Altmann, Lacost and Roberts (2003) employees
believed that organizational communication influences their desire to stay. OPM has a
communication program that includes continuous communication of agency mission; vision and
direction are keys to success in becoming a high-performing organization. OPM must draw a clear

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roadmap of agency direction to secure employee commitment. Based on the literature review,
strategies to improve employee communication include:
• Developing communication plans for agencies that include workforce planning initiatives,
desired goals and outcomes, timelines, and executive support
meetings,” intranet, written communication, and poster campaigns. (Parker, et al, 2003)
• Developing strategies and processes for line managers to analyze communication
(OPM, Federal Employee View Point, 2012)
For example, OPM’s Federal Training and Development Wiki was recognized by the Training
Officers Consortium (TOC) with an innovation award, one of the consortium's Distinguished
Service awards for innovation. Created in January 2011, the OPM’s Wiki is used as a collaborative
website that shares highly linked and easily updatable content to meet the needs of users in the
federal learning and development community. TOC's criteria for the Innovation Award are to
recognize non-traditional tools to achieve performance outcomes (OPM, Innovation Award,
2012). An innovative communication avenue used at OPM allows employees to provide instant
feedback on the OPM employee blog. By allowing the employees to participate in the processes
and by developing a communication vehicle, OPM further opened the lines of communication.

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Being able to continuously update the blog with real-time information may also have increased
employee trust.
3.3 Trust
While communication plays a vital role in talent acquisition and employee retention, employee
commitment and employee trust in the organization is a critical factor in lowing employee turnover
(Hofstede, 1980, Organ, 1998; Yukl & Lepsinger, 2006) these factors are not without tradeoffs.
The workforce will expect the employer to communicate openly concerning the organization’s
blueprint for success. When employees receive accurate information concerning the organization’s
difficulties and action plans, they are often willing to make compromises or adjustments for the
overall benefit of the organization.
“Mishra and Morrissey (1990) argue that employee trust is eroded when employees do not trust
their managers” (Keyton & Smith, 2009, p.7). The lack of trust is stronger and more negative than
any good that was developed earlier (Jones, 2000; Lewicki, McAllister & Bies, 1988). Employees
desire to know that their work counts and trust that the organization will acknowledge their work.
Increased tenure with an organization results in increased employee needs and the employer is
expects to provide opportunities to satisfy employee needs (Gawel, 1991; Hertzberg, 1959;
Maslow, 1943). Employees mirror and respond to organizational direction. For example, when the
organization emphasizes the values of quality products and lead with behaviors that contribute to
the production of high quality production, employees will follow that lead (Kellerman, 2007)
because of the perceived organization support (Coetzee, 2005).

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According to Mullins, (1999) there are three types of trust: compliance, identification, and
internalization. Compliance trust occurs when the employee is influenced by positions or pay.
Employee trust is increased when the employee is satisfied with their organizational fit. Employee
commitment occurs when the employee is intrinsically satisfied with their compatibility with the
organization (Naiker, 2008, p.41).
Grant, Dutton, and Rosso, (2008); Landry, Panacea, and Vandenberghe, (2010); Shore, Bommer,
and Shore, (2008) studies argue that trust and the supervisor-employee bond is critical to employee
commitment. Other factors that affect the employee bond include trust, supervisor support,
employee support programs, and perceived treatment of employees. Landry et al., (2010)
conducted two quantitative studies. His study utilized the Meyer, Allen, & Smith’s (1991) TCM
model but they added a fourth factor that uses commitment scales for academic research purposes.
The purpose of the study was to develop a model to show the effects of commitment to supervisors
that distinguished between lack of alternatives and high sacrifice.
The study attempted to prove that employees bond with their supervisor and pursuant to that bond,
a level of trust exists. Survey findings show that at OPM the relationship between satisfaction and
retention (trust) resulted in:
• A substantial difference in Global Satisfaction levels between agency and employees that
left their agency for reasons other than retirement was 35% points
• The average satisfaction rating of employees who intend to stay with their agency ‘stayers’
was 75 %
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• The average satisfaction rating of employees who intend to leave their agency ‘leavers’
was 40% ‘Leavers’ are approximately three times more likely than ‘stayers’ to report being
dissatisfied which leads to them leaving the organization.
Leaders who build trust set the tone for other employees to follow in the organization (Kellerman,
2008). Employees form a bond with managers that they trust (Ghoshal & Bartlett, 2000; Lowe &
Barnes, 2002). The absence of trust influences an employee’s desire to stay with an organization
(Yukl& Lepsinger, 2006). Aven (1988) argued that committed employees are more likely to
engage in the following behaviors more often and more consistently than are uncommitted
employees. These behaviors included an increased organizational participation and contribution
and have increased organizational longevity (Aven, 1988).
Based on the literature on trust, strategies to improve employee trust are:
• Be a trustworthy Employer of Choice (brand)
• Communicate openly
• Develop plans that satisfy the need or workplace security
• Encourage effective manager – employee relationships
• Treat all employees equitably
• Provide employees with trained mentors and positive role models
• Provide employee support programs. (Grant, Dutton, & Rosso, 2008; Shore, Bommer, &
Shore, 2008)

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3.4 Employee Support Programs
Employee support programs assist employees in balancing the demands of their work and family
by providing resources. Traditionally, this support was through employee assistance programs
(EAP) that provided counseling and referrals for employees in different areas. This concept has
expanded to include free resources that employees can use on wellness and health promotion such
as eldercare, parenting, and specific health related concerns. OPM surveyed their federal
employees to receive feedback on current OPM work/life programs. This data was used to update
policies and develop additional programs (OPM, Benefits, 2012). OPM formed an advisory work
group that will provide recommendations for additional employee support programs. “This
advisory group will work government wide and its mission is to carry out the Administration's
Work-Life Initiative to improve employee satisfaction and wellness” (OPM Benefits, 2012, p. 1).
As a result, OPM has developed support programs such as work life initiatives that include
telecommuting, childcare subsidy program, eldercare support group, employee assistance and
expanded family-friendly leave policy program, fitness assistance, and work life balance
information sessions during the day for employees (OPM, Benefits 2012).
When organizations are able to identify the reasons employees choose to stay or leave, they can
create strategies to increase employee commitments thus reducing turnover and sustaining their
talent (Grant, Dutton, & Rosso, 2008; Shore, Bommer, & Shore, 2008). Based on the literature the
key components of employee support programs are:
• Assist programs that assist with work-life balance

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• Timely- programs that address current needs or respond to situational circumstance
• Self-service program • Managers trained in how to use and refer employee to the programs.
(OPM, Benefits, 2012)
The Landry et al., (2010) study is similar to Shore, Bommer, and Shore’s (2008) study of the effect
employee support programs have on cultivating effective organizational commitment.
This study used several measures including employee self-assessment, human resource managers,
and supervisor assessments.
Similarly, Brown and Grant (2008) conducted two studies that utilized a mixed model to test for
fit and program development. This study used multiple methods to obtain data from a retail
company. The study proposed that support programs increase commitment by increased employee
support. One study used employee self-assessment, human resource managers, and supervisor
assessments. The second study used a 12-factor model. The 12 factor model had a significant
superior fit (X2[19] = 717.08, p < .001). “We find that giving strengthens effective organizational
commitment through a pro-social sense-making” (p. 914). “An employee who perceives support
from their supervisor is more likely to trust the organization or supervisor” (Brown & Grant, 2008,

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p. 10). Kramer (1999) argued that “employees that have trust in organizations defer judgment of
the organization and rely on managers to provide the information needed to succeed” (p.471).
“Employees with higher levels of perceived organizational support are more likely to be more
committed and possibly more willing to engage in extra roles or organizational citizenship
behaviors” (Organ, 1988, p. 55). This is important for the continued employee perception that the
organization has their best interest and is willing to provide a supportive work environment.
OPM Director Berry stated that the retention of high-performing employees is crucial. The
recruitment and training of employees is costly to organizations and unsatisfied employees are less
productive and more likely to engage in counter-productive work behaviors. In agencies where
satisfaction had diminished, strategies were developed to prevent the employee turnover (OPM,
2012).
Mowday (2006) argues that organizations can develop strategies to counteract and reduce turnover.
Mowday’s (2006) strategies are buffering, smoothing, and anticipating work force talent gaps.
Specifically, Mowday (2006) argues that organizations should have human resources policies that
are adaptable to situations. This “buffering” allows for polices to be flexible to meet the situation.
Secondly, he argues that organizations can “smooth” the talent gap by developing innovative
recruiting strategies and using technology to automate recruiting processes. In addition, Mowday
(2006) argues that organizations need to analyze the talent gaps and turnover areas to improve the
workforce planning.

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Roberson and Cahill (2005) further suggest that essential employee commitment strategies that
measure the probability of employees remaining with an organization include:
• Advocacy - an avenue for employees to voice their opinion
• Retention Strategies – aimed at providing a secure work environment
• Employee Involvement – allowing employees to be active participants in decision making
• Management Practices – that are fair and consistent
• Leadership – that is trustworthy and effective.(Roberson & Cahill, 2005, p.2)
Organizations can utilize best practices in order to obtain employee commitment.

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3.5 Attracting and Retaining Employees
The federal government has a mandate to develop best practices for the recruitment and retention
of talent. OPM has been tasked with providing guidelines for these agencies in the development
of these programs. According to OPM, its mission is to “Recruit, Retain and Honor a World-Class
Workforce to Serve the American People” (OPM, 2011, p. 5). OPM provides federal agencies with
the tools and policies to accomplish this goal. New recruitment incentives were developed in 2011
for OPM to assist with the recruitment and retention of applicants. This builds on OPM’s 2009
efforts to ensure the effective use of the incentives: recruiting, retention, and retirement (the three
R’s).
The three R’s represent the “Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and the House
Committee on Government Reform of agencies’ use of the new recruitment, relocation, and
retention incentive authorities” as directed in Executive Order 5 U.S.C. 5753 and 5754 during
calendar years 2005-2009 (OPM Recruitment, Relocation and Retention Incentives, 2006, p.1). It
includes reporting on the number of dollars spent on recruiting, retention, and retirement. It also
requires a report on how they assisted in furthering the program goals (Executive Order 5 U.S.C.
5753 and 5754, 2011).
OPM provides recruitment and retention guidance for federal agencies to follow. OPM’s past
practices for internal and external hiring processes impeded other federal government agencies’
ability to attract new employees to the workforce (Davidson, 2010). For example, several agencies
believe that OPM’s guidelines for recruiting are cumbersome, inflexible, and time-consuming.

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Individuals that have applied for positions find the process to be frustrating and inflexible, and
information concerning the process, in some cases, has been non-existent (Davidson, 2010).
Applicants either felt uninformed of the steps in the processes required or were not told when a
position was filled. The lack of a cohesive, flexible, and simple process impedes the organization’s
ability to compete for, attract, and hire new personnel. Organizations can control employee
retention by developing strategies that increase employee commitment.
The policies and processes that OPM develops affect employee commitment and the ability to
sustain talent. The lack of trust and issues with communication can eventually lead to employee
turnover.
3.7 Unique Employment Challenge
OPM, faced with a unique opportunity to attract and acquire new talent, will challenge the
organization. Emphasis is placed on reengineering the hiring process. New regulations that
mandated hiring changes include:
• Streamlined advertisement of opportunities
• Elimination of Essay Questions
• Drastically reduce time-to-hire and improve the tracking system
• Improved overall employee satisfaction
• Improved communication
• Offer effective supervisory training

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• Redesign on boarding of new employee’s “Seven Touch Point” communication plan.
(OPM Communication Plan, 2012)
Executive Order 5 U.S.C. 2301(b) (1) (2010) mandates that OPM “implement new programs that
strengthen the government’s recruitment of qualified applicants for entry-level positions”
(Executive Order 5 U.S.C. 2301(b) (1), 2010, p. 4). The application process changed to create a
transparent process that is streamlined and clear to the applicant. Managers are accountable for the
success of their recruiting efforts. This is no longer just the job of human resources (Davidson,
2010).
3.8 Employee Commitment in the Federal Government
The Federal government currently utilizes two surveys to determine how federal employees feel
about their work place. They are the 2010 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (EV) that OPM
opens to approximately 500,000 total federal civilian employees. The other survey administered
to Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees is the 2010 Status of Forces Survey of DOD
Civilian Employees (SOFS-C), managed annually by the Defense Manpower Data Center (Federal
Employee Viewpoint Survey, 2010). The 2010 HCAAF survey generated 260,000 generated
260,000-employee responses to the survey that translated into a 53% response rate.
This is an impressively high response rate increasing the reliability of the data generated. “This
survey data was useful in developing three HCAAF implementation systems: Leadership and
Knowledge Management, 2. Results-Oriented Performance Culture, and 3. Talent Management”
(HCAAF Survey, 2010, p.1).

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3.9 Accessing Employee Commitment at OPM
Because of a recent survey, OPM added steps to their recruiting and performance management
processes in an attempt to measure and encourage employee commitment.
Table 2 lists the qualities that OPM has developed for its employee commitment plan. Each
category is represented in employee performance appraisals and their behaviors are measured
against these guideline. These standards were communicated throughout the agencies as a
measurement of program success.
Table 2 OPM Commitment: The Willingness and Promise to do Something
Source OPM Performance Management –Employee Commitment (2010).

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3.10 Measuring Employee Commitment at OPM
The 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) was designed to provide agencies with the
information critical for driving change across key areas. With over 266,000 employees providing
their views and a response rate of 49.3 %, the FEVS results provided a comprehensive and valuable
picture of the opinions of the federal workforce. The results of the 2011 Federal Employee
Viewpoint Survey ranked OPM as one of the top 10 federal agencies for talent management and
one of the top three most improved overall since the 2010 survey. OPM was ranked: most
improved for leadership and knowledge management, ninth overall for all agencies, 7th for overall
oriented performance culture, and 5th in overall job satisfaction (HCAAF, 2011).
OPM developed a set of criteria to judge the value of any human capital metric. An example of
the strategic alignment of OPM’s employee commitment efforts are aligned with the organizations
goals to drive effectiveness and cost effective (HCAAF, 2011, p.4)
3.11 Components/Factors that Influence Talent Acquisition and Employee Retention
Based on the literature the key components that influence talent acquisition and retention are talent
acquisition, communication, trust, employee support programs, employee commitment, and
employee retention. Figure 1 illustrates how these components are linked. Each component is
linked and is part of a continuous process to increase the ability to attract, retain, and increase
employee commitment. As the process unfolds, it begins with the hiring of staff and through
effective communication, the establishing of a trusting work environment, and the availability of
needed employee support programs, staff become satisfied and committed, as a result stay, and
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succeed in the organization. Each of these major content areas has been discussed in more detail
in the following sections.
Figure 1. Components of Factors That Affect the Acquisition and Retention of Talent
According to OPM the key elements that affect the attraction and retention of talent are driven by
senior management involvement in fostering an environment where employees feel welcomed, are
provided important work, are involved throughout the process, are respected, trust the system, and

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have an avenue of communication. Based on OPM’s key actions coupled with suggested
performance indications pertaining to inspiring employee commitment in the literature, the key
components of employee support programs are:
• Assist programs that assist with work-life balance
• Timely – programs that address current needs or respond to situational circumstance
• Self-service program
• Managers are trained in how to use and refer employee to the programs.(OPM, 2012).
Support programs are an important factor that both potential employees and current employees
have come to expect from organizations. Employee support programs assist the organizations in
branding themselves as Best Place to Work or Employer of Choice. This type of employer brand
assists organizations in the attraction and retention of talent.

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CHAPTER 4
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
4.1 Introduction to the Conceptual Framework
In Chapter 2, the literature review provided the foundation for the conceptual framework presented
at the end of Chapter 3. The objective of the conceptual framework is to illustrate graphically the
factors derived from the literature review that affect attraction and retention of employees in
organizations. By illustrating these factors, the literature concepts provide a visual figure of the
integrated depiction of the scholarly literature. The integration of scholarship and research results
in the identification of a framework that links the components of talent acquisition and employee
retention.

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4.2 Restatement of Problem
Organizations are losing a significant portion of their workforce through normal attrition and
retirements. This affects the daily employee performance as well as future workforce effectiveness.
Both private and public sector organizations are experiencing this talent shortage problem. As the
economy becomes more stable, employees will experience an increase in employment
opportunities (Finnegan, 2010). This increase in opportunities could affect the employee’s decision
to stay or leave an organization. When employees make the decision to leave the organization,
employee turnover is increased. When numerous employees decide to an organization, this creates
an employee turnover problem. The need to attract and retain talent is critical because of increased
employee turnover. Identifying factors that influence staff attraction and retention and then
developing strategies to attract quality talent and to increase employee retention is essential.
4.3 The Message in the Literature Review

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In Chapter 2, the literature identified the need for organizations to gain and retain talent. The
literature also identified factors that influence an organizations ability to attract and sustain talent.
The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence the acquisition and retention
of talent. A conceptual framework was developed from the literature review in chapter two that
illustrates the factors that influence the attraction and retention of talent as employee commitment,
communication, trust, and support programs. These factors are found within the conceptual
framework that includes the integration of theory and practitioners’ concepts.

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Figure 2 identifies talent acquisition as the initial factor that will support the conceptual framework
for attracting and retaining employees in organizations. The conceptual framework consists of the
organizational problem, the process for resolution of the problem, and the result using these factors
to gain and retain talent. Together, these elements were identified in order to provide a meaningful
foundation for the integration of scholarship into the conceptual framework presented Chapter 3.
Because of normal attrition and employee turnover, an organization’s ability to fill skill gaps with
new talent is critical for organization to gain a competitive edge (Finnegan, 2010). Organizations
value employees that provide a competitive edge through their individual performance, (Bambacas
& Prashant, 2008; Parker et al., 2003; Suliman and Iles, 2000; Wilson, 2003; Zheng, Morrison, &
O'Neil, 2006) and see them as a critical source to be competitive (Gottschalg & Zollo, 2007, 225).
Organizations spend a considerable amount of energy and money to brand the organization as the
“Best Place to Work” or “Employers of Choice.” This type of brand may assist organizations in
their recruiting efforts as well informed candidates seek out organizations with these distinctions
when applying for employment. The limited supply of talent emphasizes the critical need for
organizations to continue to be competitive by acquiring qualified talent.
Figure 2. Talent Acquisition

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4.5 Communication
A second factor needed to attract and retain staff is communication that is identified in Figure 3.
"The literature on communication generally acknowledges the need for communication in the
workplace. Effective organizations’ communication systems involve employees and inform them
of the organization’s mission, goals, and status of projects" (Popovich, & Wanous, 1982, p.574).
The frequency and avenues used to communicate with employees greatly influence an employee’s
desire to stay with an organization. It assists in building trust between the organization and
employees.
Figure 3. Communication

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4.6 Trust
Trust is a third attraction and retention factor that develops as communication between
management and the employee increases, and can be seen in Figure 4. The strength of the
employee’s relationship with their organization and manager influences employee commitment
(Hofstede, 1980, Organ, 1998; Yukl & Lepsinger, 2006). Research has shown that employees who
believe that their managers are supportive tend to be more committed (Johnson et al, 1990, as cited
by Parish et al., 2008). The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employees spend 7.9 hours
per day at work (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). Additionally, many employees spend 50-60
hours a week in the workplace. This means that many employees spend more time socializing and
building trusting relationships on the job with other employees than they do with their own
families. One of the most important relationships at work is the employee’s relationship with their
manager. Trust in the manager and organization is a factor that can influence an employee’s desire
to stay.
Figure 4. Trust

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4.7 Employee Perception and Support Programs
Employee perception and support programs is a fourth factor that influences the attraction and
retention factor that develops as communication between management and the employee increases,
and can be seen in Figure 5. Employee support programs are developed in an attempt to enable the
employee’s to balance their work and life experiences. It is believe that balance employees are
more productive because they are able to focus on their jobs (Mathieu & Zajaz, 1990). By focusing
on their jobs, employees add value to the organization (Bambacas & Prashant, 2008).
Organizations value individual performance that leads to organizational effectiveness (Bambacas
& Prashant, 2008; Morrison & O'Neil, 2006; Parker et al, 2003; Suliman & Iles, 2000; Zheng;
Wilson, 2003) and see them as a “critical source of competitive advantage” (Gottschalg & Zollo,
2007, p. 225). By providing these employee support programs, employee becomes more
committed to the organization because of perceived organizational support is more likely to stay
with the organization (Naicker, 2008).
Figure 5. Employee Support Programs

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4.8 Employee Commitment
The fifth factor for attracting and retaining employees, employee commitment, is shown in Figure
6. Studies confirmed that employee expectations include a work environment that provides growth
opportunities, and balances their work and personal life (Naicker, 2008). The absence of
commitment can lead to turnover. Employee commitment influences an organization’s ability to
attract and retain talent (Becker, et al., 1996). This is significant because it means that organization
can attempt to control employee turnover by developing programs to increase an employee’s
commitment.
Figure 6. Employee Commitment

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4.9 Employee Retention
The employee retention is the sixth factor for attracting and retaining is employee retention, is
shown in Figure 7. Organizations desire for employees to stay (Mowday, 2006; Dressler, 1993).
Mowday (2006) suggested that during a time of high turnover, organizations needed to create
retention strategies in order to problems caused by turnover.
talent (Finnegan, 2010). “Certain antecedents, when present, can represent job motivation and lead
to longer organizational tenure, thus enhancing institutional sustainability" (Gaylor, 2003, p. 2).
Merely attracting the hard-earned skills from the developing countries does not solve the problem
in the end.
Figure 7. Employee Retention

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4.10 The Conceptual Framework
The content message in this study’s research and scholarship resulted in a conceptual framework
that responded to the dissertation’s focus of acquiring and retaining employees. The conceptual
framework consists of three sequential components that are identified in Figure 8: (1) the problem,
(2) the process, and (3) the result. Together, these three components provide a meaningful
foundation for the integration of scholarship into the conceptual framework to address the
acquiring and retaining of staff.
The problem subcomponents include the current state of available quality talent and the retention
of employees. The process subcomponents also include the individual factors that influence talent
acquisition and retention, such as communication, trust, employee commitment, and employee
support programs. The process also includes intentional strategies and best practices that influence
the subcomponents. The result is the final component that includes the way for organizations to
implement strategies, best practices for talent acquisition, and employeeretention.

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4.11 Component 1: The Problem
The first component is the identification of the problem defined as the organization’s need and
ability to acquire and retain talent. The literature in Chapter 2 revealed evidence of an impending
shortage of talent worldwide (Cappelli, 2008; Marquis, 1972) that will be further complicated as
the number of workers eligible for retirement begins to increase in the next 5 years (Cappelli, 2008;
Marquis, 1972). This component consists of the actual reason and circumstance that the problem
exists. The circumstance surrounding this problem is due to the limited supply of qualified talent
resulting from normal attrition and the large number of retirement eligible workforce.

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4.12 Component 2: The Process
The second component involves the identification of the reasons that organizations are not able to
acquire and retain talent. This component affects the shortage of qualified talent and the impending
numbers of individuals that are able to retire. Once the hiring environment is identified, the
development of strategies to address the problem can be developed. The second part of this
component of the framework identifies the process of developing strategies utilizing best practices
to address the problem. The directional arrows suggest movement for the problem that leads to the
component development of strategies to affect the organizations ability to attract and retain talent.
This step is represented by strategies that organizations can implement to influence talent
sustainability.

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4.13 Component 3: The Results
The review of literature revealed that there are strategies that can influence an organization’s
ability to attract and retain talent by implementing these strategies, organizations are able to
increase their ability to attract talent and reduce employee turnover. The factors that influence the
attraction and retention of talent are communication, trust, employee commitment, and employee
support programs. By implementing strategies that include these factors, organizations increase
their ability to sustain talent.
Figure 8. Components of the Talent Acquisition and Retention of Talent

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4.14 Conceptual Framework Components
The conceptual framework presented in figure 9 illustrates the factors that influence talent
acquisition and employee retention including communication, trust, employee support programs,
employee commitment, and in turn can lead to talent sustainability. The conceptual framework
consists of the organizational problem, the process for resolution of the problem, and the result
obtained from the influence factors that lead to strategy solutions. Together, these elements are
constructed and linked to provide a meaningful foundation for the integration of scholarship into
the conceptual framework presented throughout this chapter.
Figure 9 illustrates the organizational problem, the process, and the results of acquiring talent. Also
represented are the factors that influence the process.
Figure 9. Talent Acquisition and Employee Retention Conceptual Framework

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The “Organizational Problem” is the first step in the figure 9 where the need to hire talent and
retain talent in organizations is established. The second step, “The Process,” includes developing
programs that address the factors that influence the attraction and retention of talent.
According to the literature, the factors that influence the attraction and retention of talent are
employee commitment, communication, trust, and employee support programs. Employee
commitment plays a significant role in that committed employees are the best recruiters of talent
for an organization. Committed employees would not refer others to an organization they did not
believe was a good place to work or that they did not trust. This trust develops when organizations
and managers communicate regularly with employees. This trust factor is further established when
the organization includes employee support programs that assist employees in balancing life and
work issues. For example, employee assistance programs and other support programs assist
employees in this manner. The third step is the outcome of this effort, “Results.”
The results are obtained by implementing the strategies. These strategies are aimed at addressing
the problem.

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CHAPTER 5
METHODOLOGY
5.1 Introduction to Methodology
This chapter describes the research methodology utilized for this dissertation. The methodology
was influenced by the doctoral program required structure. Specifically, the dissertation was
completed in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Doctor of Management (DM) degree
program at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC).
As described in the “Program Highlights” section of the University’s web site
(http://www.umuc.edu/doctor/), the “purpose of the Doctor of Management research structure is
to emphasize and produce practitioner-scholars who are prepared to assess and critically evaluate
the scholarly credibility, practicality arguments and the value of the study to the field of
management research” (UMUC DM Program Highlights, 2011, p.2).
The University of Maryland University College Doctorial students are required to use evidence-
based research (EBR). This approach utilizes practitioner-scholar dissertations with secondary data
analysis to build competence to understand and evaluate existing research for potential application
(UMUC Doctorial Program Highlights, 2011).
The main emphasis in management research is the use of evidence-based research (EBR) were a
conceptual model in developed from the review of scholarly literature on a specific topic

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(Mulrow,1994). In this dissertation, the conceptual model that was developed depicts the
importance of and integration with theory and best practices on the attracting and retaining of
employees including the importance of employee commitment and other significant factors.
According to Briner, Denyer, & Rousseau, (2009) “evidence-based management is about making
decisions through the judicious use of our sources of information: practitioner expertise and
judgment” (Briner et al., 2009, p.19).
The author’s 27 years of human resource experience and current role as Associate Vice President,
Human Resources, for a regional community college led to the selection of the initial research
topic, the research questions, and pertinent to organizational survival in the “war for talent.” As
discussed in more detail below, this topic proved the author’s research to be both relevant and
timely considering the current state of recruitment and retention of talent, particularly in the federal
workforce.
The premise for this dissertation was to identify strategies that assist organizations in the
acquisition and retention of talent. The conceptual design was influenced by talent acquisition and
employee retention theories and established practitioners’ best practices.

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5.2 Discussion of Evidence-Based Research and Methodology
According to University of Maryland University College’s DMGT 891 dissertation course material
on evidence-based research, “the evidence-based research (EBR) approach includes systematic
reviews of research studies, case studies, and analysis of data already collected by others” (UMUC,
DM Program, p.1).
Both evidence-based research and qualitative-based research desire to answer questions that
support the argument. The research role in conducting evidence-based research requires a
systematic collection and interpretation of data with a clear purpose (Saunders, Lewis, &
Thornhill, 2009). The critical components of the statistical methods were driven by data. Evidence-
based research utilizes this data from many sources to develop better solutions to organizational,
medical, and management problems. Evidence-based studies assist in a deeper understanding of a
research topic (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2006).
Within this structure of the scholar-practitioner approach, this dissertation increases knowledge to
the field by providing an avenue for organizations to optimize the quality of management decisions
concerning the development of effective talent acquisition and retention strategies and programs
that positively influence employees’ desires to stay with an organization and the attraction of
potential candidates to an organization. This scholar-practitioner approach attempts to bridge a gap
in existing theories and practice, and presents evidence that will assist managers in their decision-
making processes on issues pertaining to talent acquisition and retention.

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5.3 Discussion of Relevant Scholarly Evidence
The literature review consisted of searches of scholarly books, journal articles, government
documents, dissertations, and research documents and organized in the following themes:
constructs of talent acquisition and retention, employee commitment, communication, sustaining
talent, employee turnover, trust, and the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
The literature used in this dissertation derived from research studies on talent acquisition,
employee turnover, employee retention, talent sustainability, employee support programs, and
employee commitment through UMUC Library databases that are able to retrieve data from several
different sources worldwide.
The amount of research on organizational commitment is vast. However, there is a minimal
amount of research on talent acquisition as it relates to retention and employee commitment. This
information was confirmed through searches completed through UMUC Library electronic index
databases that consist of 133 separate databases, including Business Source Complete, Pro Quest,
and Web of Science. The search was linked to the subjects of talent acquisition, turnover,
communication, trust, employee commitment and employee support programs. The literature
review consisted of searches of scholarly books, journal articles, government documents,
dissertations, and research documents. The research data was organized into the following themes:
• Talent Acquisition and employee retention
• Communication and Trust; sustaining talent; employee turnover; and trust

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• Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) ability to attract, and retain employees
• Employee commitment, commitment, communication , talent sustainability, and talent
management, and retention
This search resulted in 12,898 items that were examined to determine if they were relevant to this
research. This random review used inclusion criteria, evidence-based theory and statistics,
commitment models, and year published. The exclusion criteria included sample size, purpose of
studies, year published, and industry. For example, searches for talent sustainability often result in
organizational environmental sustainability. This type of literature was excluded for the obvious
lack of relevance to the topic. By narrowing the search on talent sustainability in the title field, 62
items were established. Additional data was found in the reference section of these items and in
books on the topic of human resources were used in this dissertation. In addition, several
government reports were utilized from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Office of
Budget Management (OBM), and Government Accountability Office (GAO). Based on these EBR
results, an analysis of the evidence contained in the literature review was conducted. This review
allowed for themes, categories, and patterns to emerge. The categories of analysis represent
variables for understanding talent acquisition and retention. As illustrated in the Conceptual
Framework in Chapter 3, the variable that influence talent acquisition and retention are employee
commitment, communication, employee turnover, trust and employee support programs.
Through an examination, a process of utilizing inclusion and exclusion criteria, the review of
literature pointed to themes and patterns on employee commitment and other factors that affected

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talent sustainability. Table 3 represents a sample of the research and inclusion criteria utilized in
this study for the attraction and retention of talent and employee commitment. The conceptual
framework was developed based on these themes and patterns.
Table 3 : Sample of the Research and Inclusion Criteria

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Sample of the Research and Inclusion Criteria
Once the data was retrieved, it was reviewed for inclusion in this systematic review based on the
relevance to talent acquisition and employee retention on year of publication, evidence based
theory and statistics, commitment models, and organizational type. This resulted in sixtytwo
studies that were used for this research.

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5.4 Presentation and Discussion of the Expert Panel
To verify and supplement this dissertation’s evidence, a panel of management practitioners and
scholars were assembled. The approach of utilizing an expert panel allows for a review of the
quality of this dissertation by providing feedback and “real-world” expertise to the process of
review. “Because of their expertise in the field, such a panel can provide insight into the credibility
of the inclusion of certain studies” (Cooper, 2010, p.29). The expert panel’s feedback provided
feedback on the dissertation’s rigor, accuracy of assumptions, and presentation of evidence
contributes to the overall quality of the research and this feedback was incorporated into the
dissertation.

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5.5 The Expert Panel Members
The panel consists of three practitioners/scholars in the field of management research. These
subject matter experts’ credentials and subject expertise are described in Table 5 “Expert Panel
Credentials.” Each expert panelist provided an area of expertise that represented comprehensive
scholarly research for my dissertation. The expert panelist had expertise in the field of the
management of Federal and local government programs Federal government reform and human
resources management both as executives and university professors. In addition, the panel received
a letter from the Executive Director of the Program, Dr. Bryan Booth and an evaluation form to
provide feedback. Expert panel members were asked to provide substantive feedback on eight
criteria that pertain to the dissertation’s structure, content, quality and potential research and
management implication.
Consistent with the University’s requirements, an expert panel was convened to review the
dissertation for consistent, thorough, and critical analysis. The author selected these experts based
on their individual contributions to the field of management, education, and their experience with
talent acquisition, employee retention, and government workforces. This review by expert panel
members enhances the dissertation content. The panel reviewed the first two chapters of the
dissertation: Chapter 1, “Introduction” and Chapter 2, “Literature Review”.
Expert panel members provided commentary and suggestions that resulted in changes and addition
to the final dissertation. The expert panel members are identified in Table 4 along with their
professional and university positions, and the rationale for selection.

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Table 4 : Selections of Expert Panel Members Credentials

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5.6 Comments from the Expert Panel
Table 5 provides a synopsis of the panelists’ reviews. The feedback was utilized for further
development of the dissertation topic. The author was able to locate the recommended sources in
the database through the tertiary process previously developed. The feedback from the expert panel
was derived from their responses to the following categories.
Table 5 : Expert Panel Feedback

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5.7 Impact of Expert Panel Comments on Dissertation
The feedback from the expert panel was derived from their responses to the following eight criteria
on the overall quality of the research, study design, and practical value to the field of management.
The expert panel provided valuable direction and insight into the research possibilities. They all
thought the study was worthwhile but needed to focus on the attraction and retention of talent with
the employee commitment section as a factor or influencers of talent acquisition and retention.
Two of the expert panel sought to gain more information on the process and methodology of the
study to comprehend how the conceptual model was developed.
They also sought to emphasize the APA style of referencing and it importance. Recommendations
for additional resources made by the panel to incorporated into the study’s literature review.
Recommendations were also made to incorporate additional resources into the study literature
review on OPM’s workforce programs. All three expert panel members encouraged the researcher
to continue the study and they looked forward to reading the final dissertation and study findings.
As a result, of the expert feedback, the author decided to review the study scope. By reviewing the
scope, it was determined that the best approach would be to limit the scope by focusing on talent
acquisition and retention and factors that impact an organizations ability to find and retain staff.

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CHAPTER 6
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
6.1 Study Review
In Chapter 1, the concepts of talent acquisition, employee retention, and employee commitment
were introduced, defined, and key components identified. Chapter 1 also presented the research
question of the factors that affect the attraction and retention of talent. The important factors
identified in the areas of talent acquisition and employee retention are employee commitment,
communication, trust, and employee support programs that lead to talent sustainability. The results
of this research were presented in Chapter 2’s literature review and were the basis for the talent
acquisition and employee retention conceptual model. Chapter 3 presented a conceptual
framework illustrating the linkage of employee commitment, communication, trust, and employee
support programs derived from literature. The methodology in Chapter 4 was a focused evidence-
based search of relative literature that pertained to talent acquisition and retention.
Chapter 5 presents evidence to support the research questions. These findings were based on
information derived from the research and scholarship presented in Chapter 2. Chapter 5 provides
the presentation, analysis, and discussion of the research findings. This chapter provides a
summary of the review of literature followed by the research findings as it pertains to the research
questions. This information is followed by a presentation of a discussion of the research findings
and conclusions. Chapter 5 closes with discussion of alternative points of view on talent
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acquisition, employee retention, and employee commitment. The purpose was to use the evidence
from research to address the data revealed on talent acquisition and employee retention. The
findings summarized the impact of the factors that influence an organization’s ability to recruit
and retain talent organizations.
The research questions as introduced in Chapter 1 are as follows:
1. What effect does employee commitment have on talent acquisition and retention?
2. What significant organizational factors affect talent acquisition and retention
3. within organizations?
4. What programs and strategies can organizations establish that can increase the retention of
talented staff and in turn increase the organization’s ability to attract talent?
The study findings were enhanced and supported with two additional components, the use of three
subject matter expert reviews and 27 years of human resources experience from the author.
This study identified and analyzed literature pertaining to talent acquisition and employee
retention. The presentation, understanding, and application of strategies that increase
organizational ability to attract and retain talent are discussed. The study provides linkage between
employee commitment, communication, trust, and employee support programs that influence
talent acquisition and employee retention.

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Chapter 2 presented theoretical and practical concepts of the employee commitment, talent
acquisition, and retention phenomena. The theoretical findings explored the theories that affect
talent acquisition and employee retention. The conceptual findings focused on strategies that most
positively affect talent acquisition and employee retention. There is significant evidence in the
literature that identified factors do influence the acquisition and retention of talent such as
employee commitment, communication, trust, and employee support programs.
This study explored the factors that influence an employee’s decision to stay or leave an
organization and other significant factors that influence an organization’s ability to attract or retain
talent. This study’s findings revealed that the factors that affect this phenomenon are employee
commitment, communication, trust, and employee support programs.
The OPM programs are an example of a large organization that will be affected by shifting
employee demographics, particularly the increasing eligibility of retirement age employees.
According to the “Fiscal Year 2009 Mission Statement”, as the central human resources agency of
the federal government, the OPM has the responsibility of ensuring that the federal government
has an effective workforce. Discussions over the past several years have centered on OPM’s ability
to encourage recruitment and retention of the workforce of the federal government and of the
private sector.
In 2011, as the result of a presidential decree and increasing scrutiny of talent acquisition, the
federal government altered its recruitment practices. A re-engineering of the talent acquisition
process was undertaken and regulations put in place to lessen the burden on applicants for federal

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government positions. For example, for executive positions, applicants were no longer required to
write lengthy responses to essay-style questions. Instead, applicants post their resumes on-line and
answer simple questions via USA Jobs websites. Another reason for the new procedures was to
reduce the time-to-hire ratio, which is the actual amount of time it takes to fill a position, starting
with the initial request and finishing with an offer of employment.
In the past, the process on average took 140 days, but the re-engineering has decreased it to less
than 105 days (O’ Keefe, 2011). A final reason for the changes to the government recruitment
process is the realization that the shift in future demographics, specifically the number of possible
retirements, dictates that a more user-friendly and efficient system would produce more qualified
applicants for vacancies.
The fact that the majority of its OPM’s workforce is eligible to retire within the next decade
distinguishes the government from other large organizations (Jenkins, 2009). In effect, the
potential for cost savings is also a reason for the shift in hiring and retention strategies. Other
federal agencies are receiving OPM guidance on talent acquisition, employee turnover, and
employee commitment. An understanding of how the impact of the demographic shift and
retirement eligibility will dramatically change the dynamics of the workforce will be crucial for
future recruitment and retention endeavors. Because of the impact of OPM guidance on the federal
workforce, the perception is that federal policies, behaviors, and thinking are important
considerations when dealing with similar human resource issues in the private sector (Davidson,
2010).

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6.2 Presentation and Analysis of Findings
A review of the literature provided useful information about talent acquisition and employee
retention. Previous research shows that an employee’s perception of organizational support will
make them more committed to their organizations (Cascio, 2003; Edwards & Rothbard, 2000;
Goodstein, 1995; Parish et al., 2008). Given how commitment influences employee’s desire to
remain with the organization, organizations are wise to take stock of their current talent pool and
retention programs to prepare for this demographic shift. This study identifies the key factors that
influence the attraction and retention of talent and provides an indepth understanding of the
relationships between employee commitment, talent acquisition, and employee retention. Key
findings as they relate to the research questions are presented.

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6.3 Research Questions and Findings
Research Question
1. What effect does employee commitment have on talent acquisition and retention?
Employee commitment can make a difference to an organization’s success or failure in attracting
and retaining employees (Cascio, 1991; Dalton, Krackhardt, & Porter, 1981; Dreher, 1982; Sager,
Griffeth, & Horn, 1998) and is a tool used to increase talent sustainability that is beneficial in
identifying high impact talent pools (Grant & Rosso, 2008; Landry, Panacea, & Vandenberghe,
2010; Shore, Bommer, & Shore, 2008). Grant and Rosso (2008) emphasized the importance of
giving and receiving information in order to increase an employee’s commitment to an
organization. According to the literature, employee commitment is a significant influence on an
organization’s ability to attract and retain talent (Mathieu & Zajaz, 1990; Sager et al., 1998).
Committed employees are more likely to stay with the organization (Bryant & Vardaman 2010;
Cascio, 1991; Dalton et al., 1981; Dreher, 1982; Sager et al., 1998). Employee commitment assists
by increasing employee loyalty (Allen, 2008; Allen, Bryant & Vardaman; 2010; Frank et al.,

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2004). This dedication in turn provides employees with a sense of security that solidifies their
desire to stay (Harter et al, 2002; Dreher, 1982; Sager et al., 1998).
Employees who believe that they make valuable contributions to the success of an organization
are more likely to stay committed to the organization (O’Malley, 2000). According to Argyris
(1976), if the employee’s values are inconsistent with those of the organization, employees will
decide that the organization no longer meets their needs (Simon, 1997) and this can lead to the
employee leaving the organization (Dalton et al., 1981). Conversely, committed employees are
more likely to stay with the organization (Bryant & Vardaman, 2010; Cascio, 1991; Dalton et al.,
1981; Dreher, 1982; Sager et al., 1998).
Research also suggests that employee commitment increases or decreases because of employee
engagement (involvement) in an organization and without employee commitment there would be
no employee engagement (involvement) (Harter, Schmidt, & Hayes, 2002; Becker, 2009; Gaylor,
2003; Meyer, Allen, & Smith, 1993). This involvement in turn provides employees with a sense
of security and value that solidifies their desire to stay (Dreher, 1982; Sager et al., 1998).
Employees who believe that they make valuable contributions to the success of an organization
are more likely to stay committed to the organization (O’Malley 2000).

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The ability to acquire talent is critical to organizational success (Frank, Finnegan, & Taylor, 2004).
The literature suggests that the success of organizations depends on the talent in the organizations
(Ang & Inkpen, 2008; Cascio & Herman, 2008; Hofstede, 1980; Lee, 1998;).
Friedman (2007) claimed that “the ability of leaders to comprehend how to obtain the most out of
people, or how to multiply talent becomes one of the most influential creative management
capabilities” (p. 19). Therefore, current employees can be effective tools and utilized to assist in
the acquisition of other talent.
Research and best practices show the relationship between employee commitment and an
organization’s ability to acquire talent (Dreher, 1982; Sager et al., 1998), which means that,
“organizations will have to do more than just attract talent; they will need to develop a pool of
qualified labor to meet the demands” (SHRM Forecast, 2006, p. 49). For example, OPM
encourages commitment by ensuring employees understand what is expected of them. OPM’s
employee commitment strategies are designed to gain employee commitment. Specifically, the
plan includes manager behaviors that exemplify (1) quality, (2) quantity, (3) timeliness, and (4)
cost-effectiveness. Communication is necessary to ensure employees understand what
management expects of them.
Organizations with qualified and skilled talent will be able to retain knowledge and will therefore
outperform their less qualified counterparts (Dreher, 1982; Finnegan, 2010; Pfeffer, 2005; Sager
et al., 1998). “Global human resources professionals will have to do more than just attract talent;
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they will need to develop a pool of qualified labor to meet the demands” (SHRM Forecast, 2006,
p. 49). A key element that affects talent acquisition is branding the employer as an organization
that is desirable for potential talent (Rivera, 2012). Branding the organization attracts potential
candidates, and by building a relationship with them, the organization is able to enhance its talent
pool (Rivera, 2012). The acquisition of new talent is easier when current employees are committed
to the organization.
Committed employees are more likely to influence other potential talent to join the organization
by branding the workplace as a “good place to work” (Sager et al., 1998). Therefore, the acquisition
of new talent is easier when current employees are committed to the organization. In this way the
current employee’s commitment and excitement about the organization leads these employees to
become “recruiters” for the organization by referring potential employees for open positions
(Finnegan, 2010).
Organizations invest a tremendous effort in talent retention. When employee commitment is lost,
employees make decisions about their current employer (Dalton et al., 1981; Krackhardt & Porter,
1981) which influences their decision to stay or leave (Dreher, 1982; Sager, Griffeth, & Horn,
1998). When employees are not committed to the organization, this can lead to increased employee
turnover (Fugate, et al., 2004).

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Several studies have confirmed that a lack of employee commitment has the potential to undermine
the credibility of an organization’s vision and mission, unless strategies emerge to assist in the
retention of talent (Cascio, 1991; Dalton et al., 1981; Dreher, 1982; O Keefe, 2012; Sager et al.,
1998). Mueller et al., (2002) noted the link between employee commitment and an employee’s
desire to stay with an organization, where a lack of employee commitment may manifest as
absenteeism or voluntary turnover. The link between these factors indicates the need for
organizations to increase employee commitment, which will in turn increase the organization’s
talent retention.
Mowday (2006) found that the development of strategies to increase employees’ desire to stay
could increase retention. Organizations that communicate with employees increase their desire to
stay (Becker, 2009). When this occurs, employees are more likely to refer qualified talent to the
organization, and this increases the ability to attract talent and increase competitiveness.
Another factor related to organizational competitiveness is the cost of replacing talent and the
associated lost organizational knowledge. Employee retention makes good business sense and is
critical for the success of an organization in both a financial and a practical sense. Talent
sustainability has a significant impact on an organization’s ability to operate in a competitive
market (Mathis, 2006a; Mathis, 2006b; O’Malley, 2000). When an employee leaves an
organization, the cost of replacing them, in addition to the loss of organizationa1 knowledge, can
be costly in terms of an organization’s finances (Cascio, 1991; Dalton et al., 1981; Dreher, 1982;
Sager et al., 1998). When organizations are able to identify the reasons employees choose to stay

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or leave, they can create strategies to increase employee commitments, and thereby reduce
turnover and sustain their talent (Finnegan, 2010; Sager et al., 1998). The effects of employee
turnover are lost knowledge and potential revenue, an increased desire of employees to leave the
organization as the result of added responsibilities, and an increased need for more funding of
talent acquisition initiatives for the organization (Cascio, 1991; Dreher, 1982; Dalton et al., 1981;
Sager et al., 1998).
The ability of organizations to solidify the employee’s desire to stay is critical and positively
affects employee retention (Allen, 2008; Allen et al., 2010; Frank et al., 2004; Meyer et al., 1993;
Mobley, 1982). Retaining employees whose knowledge has a high competitive value is a challenge
receiving increasing critical attention (Gottschalg & Zollo, 2007; Nelson & McCann, 2010; Zheng,
Morrison, & O’ Neil, 2006). The competitive advantage achieved through this employee
commitment initiative is a catalyst for additional opportunities for employee loyalty (Mobley,
1982). The loyalty and commitment of employees increases their desire to stay with the
organization (Allen, & Meyer, 1990); and positively affects employee retention (Naicker, 2008;
Staw, 1980; Suliman & Iles, 2000).
When employee commitment is lost, employees make decisions about their current employer
(Dalton, Krackhardt, & Porter, 1981) which influences their decision to stay or leave (Dreher,
1982; Sager et al., 1998). When employees are not committed to the organization, their
dissatisfaction with the organization can lead to increased employee turnover (Fugate et al., 2004).

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Several studies confirm that the lack of employee commitment has the potential to undermine the
credibility of an organization’s vision and mission, unless strategies emerge to assist in the
retention of talent (Cascio, 1991; Dalton, et al.,1981; Dreher, 1982; Sager et al.,1998). Mueller et
al., (2002) noted the link between employee commitments with an employee’s desire to stay with
an organization. The lack of employee commitment may manifest as absenteeism or voluntary
turnover (Mobley, 1982), and this can decrease an organization’s ability to retain talent.
6.4 Talent acquisition and retention strategies
talent (Cascio, 1991; Dalton, et al., 1981; Dreher, 1982; and Sager, et al., 1998). The key strategies
for acquiring talent, increasing retentions, and increasing employee commitment include:
• Implementing effective employee orientation and on-boarding programs
• Analyzing and understanding turnover trends and using them for performance
measurement, including departmental/unit turnover rates. (Sager, et al., 1998)
• Providing professional development with an emphasis on leadership, supervisory training,
and performance coaching
• Providing career development programs
• Providing competitive compensation
• Recognizing and rewarding good performance

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• Developing a mentoring program
• Preparing for turnover with succession plans
• Continuous communication. (Dreher, 1982; Sager et al., 1998)
The linking of talent acquisition and employee retention factors indicates that organizations need
to increase employee commitment in the interest of sustaining talent.
Research Question:
2. What other significant organizational factors affect talent acquisition and retention in
organizations?
This study found that other organizational factors, such as, communication and trust, significantly
affect talent acquisition and retention in organizations (Parker et al, 2003).
Effective communication is necessary throughout an organization and can assist employee
retention (Becker, 2009; Finnegan, 2010; Seddon & Caulkin, 2007; Van Vuuren, de Jong, &
Seydel, 2007). The use of effective communication channels may improve employee perceptions
and therefore retention (Brunetto & Farr-Wharton, 2004; Finnegan, 2010). Burton (2006) revealed
that 80% of the employees polled believed that organizational and managerial communication

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influences their desire to stay (Parker et al., 2003). Hence, communication with employees
influences their desire to stay.
Organizational communication with employees is a factor in talent retention (Lamphear, 2001;
Stinghamber & Vandenberghe, 2003) because it creates a bond with the organization and the
manager (Hofstede, 1980; Lewicki, McAllister, & Bies, 1998). More specifically, an
“organization’s communication system involves employees by informing them of the
organization’s mission, goals, and status of projects” (Popovich & Wanous, 1982, p. 574).
Successful firms also have richly connected communication systems, informal and newsletters,
and they value employee feedback (Simon, 1997; Lewicki et al., 1988; Weick & Quinn, 1999).
Organizations that effectively communicate with their workforce are able to improve employee
perceptions (Finnegan, 2010; Seddon & Caulkin, 2007). “By sharing information, organizations
are able to retain key employees and attract new talent” (Lewicki et al., 1988, p. 448).
Managers play a significant role in building relationships through communication with employees
(Brunetto et al., 2004). Some research has suggested that the manager-employee bond supersedes
the employee organizational bond and is therefore a greater influence on an employee’s decision
to stay with an organization (Brunette et al., 2004; Landry et al., 2010; Lewicki et al, 1988; Mishra
& Morrissey, 1990; Simon, 1997; Wick & Quinn, 1999). Therefore, communication is a critical
factor that influences an organization’s ability to attract and retain talent.

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Trust is also an important component in retaining talent (Hosted, 1980; Mishra & Morrissey 1990;
Organ, 1998; Yolk, 2008). Organizational ineffectiveness could result when employees do not
trust their managers (Kenton & Smith, 2009, p.3). Gaining employee trust and loyalty is an
effective tool in retaining talent (Chandranshu & Ruchi, 2012; Hofstede, 1980; Organ, 1998; Yukl
& Lepsinger, 2006). A lack of trust can increase an employee’s desire to leave an organization
(Chandranshu & Ruchi 2012; Jones, 2000; Lewicki et al., 1988). Landry et al. (2010) found that
employees form a bond with their supervisors and this bond can positively influence their decision
to stay with an organization. Indeed, there is a positive and significant relationship between
commitment to supervisors and employee performance. A lack of trust is stronger with respect to
a manager than any negative perceptions of the organization (Chandranshu & Ruchi, 2012; Jones,
2000; Lewicki et al., 1988). Landry et al., 2010; Shore et al., 2008; Grant et al., 2008) studies
argued that trust and the supervisor-employee bond is critical to employee commitment.
Building on prior studies of trust, Henning-Thurau (2004) found that there was a general agreement
about the components of a quality employee-manager relationship. Henning-Thurau (2004)
“suggest that the components are satisfaction with the firm; commitment to the relationship to the
firm; and trust in the firm” (p.442). Research has shown that employees who believe that their
organizations or managers were supportive tended to be more committed (Johnson et al., 1990, as
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cited in Parish et al., 2008). Becker (2009) suggested that employee commitment is a tool for talent
acquisition and retention, which means that, “commitment to supervisors is a predictor” (Becker
et al., 2009, p.645) that can influence talent acquisition and retention. According to the literature,
there are programs and strategies that organizations can develop to attract and retain talent by
strengthening employee commitment.
Research Question:
3. What programs and strategies can organizations establish that can increase the retention of
talented staff and in turn increase the organization’s ability to attract talented staff?
Communication (Becker, 2009; Brown, et al., 2008; Kramer, 1999; Lewicki et al., 1988) and trust
(Henning-Thurau, 2004; Jones, 2000; Lewicki et al., 1988) strategies can increase the retention of
talented staff and in turn increase the organization’s ability to attract talented staff (Finnegan, 2010;
Mowday, 2006).

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6.5 Communication
Organizations can improve employee perceptions and therefore talent retention by opening the
channels of communication (Finnegan, 2010; Seddon & Caulkin, 2007). Employees make
decisions concerning their commitment based on the organization’s ability to instill trust and
communicate goals (Becker, 2009). Managers that communicate effectively with employees
increase the desire of the employees to stay (Kramer, 1999). An employee who perceives support
from their supervisor is more likely to trust the organization or supervisor (Brown, et al., 2008).
This study is consistent with previous findings (Allen & Myers, 1990) that suggest that “affective
and normative commitments were positively correlated” (Brown et al., 2008, p.10).
Kramer (1999) studied the extent to which these commitments influence trust and acceptance. He
argued that employees that trust organizations defer judgment and rely on their managers to
provide the information necessary for success. This trust can influence employee retention rates
(Allen & Myers, 1990; Jones, 2000; Lewicki et al., 1988; Mishra & Morrissey, 1990).
Therefore, employees are more likely to trust organizations that effectively communicate.
Managers that communicate effectively with employees increase their desire to stay. The manager-
employee bond can assist with deepening the employee’s trust by promoting the organization’s
employee support programs. Employee support programs emphasize the importance and influence
of an employee’s decision to stay with an organization (Brown & Grant, 2008; Landry et al., 2010;
Organ, 1988; Roberson & Cahill, 2005; Shore et al., 2008). Employee support programs are
beneficial to the employee and the organization because they increase the employee’s desire to

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stay and thus increase employee retention (Brown & Grant, 2008; Landry et al., 2010; Organ,
1988; Roberson & Cahill, 2005; Shore et al., 2008).
6.6 Communication Strategies
The key strategies to improve communication that affect employee commitment includes:
• Developing communication plans for agencies that include workforce planning initiatives,
desired goals and outcomes, timelines, and executive support
meetings,” an intranet, written communication, and poster campaigns. (Parker, et al, 2003)
• Developing strategies and processes for line managers to use to analyze communication
(OPM, Communication, 2012, p.1)
Gaining employees’ trust and loyalty is an effective means of retaining talent (Hofstede, 1980;
Organ, 1998; Yukl, 2008). Employees who trust the organization are more likely to stay with the
organization (Henning-Thurau, 2004; Jones, 2000; Lewicki et al., 1988). Gaining employee trust
and loyalty is an effective tool in retaining talent (Henning-Thurau, 2004; Hofstede, 1980; Organ,

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1998; Yukl & Lepsinger, 2006,). Mishra and Morrissey (1990) demonstrated that “organizational
ineffectiveness can result when employees do not have trust in their managers or the organization”
(Keyton & Smith, 2009, p.7). Landry et al., (2010) found that when employees formed a bond with
their supervisors this bond positively influenced their decision to stay with an organization. “In
fact, there is a positive and significant relationship between commitment to supervisors and
performance. This means that commitment to supervisors is a better predictor of performance than
is a commitment to organizations” (Becker et al., 1996, p.7).
Once the trust bond is broken, distrust becomes stronger (Chandranshu & Ruchi, 2012) than the
good previously facilitated by trust (Jones, 2000; Lewicki et al., 1988), which results in withdrawal
behaviors such as turnover (Henning-Thurau, 2004). Brown et al. (2008) provided evidence that
supports the cultivation of effective organizational commitment by offering support to employees.
Evidently then, employee and supervisor bonds are predictors of an employees’ decisions to stay
with or leave an organization. For example, OPM encourages employee commitment by ensuring
that employees understand what is expected of them. The employee commitment strategies devised
by OPM are designed to gain the commitment of employees.

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6.7 Trust Strategies
The strategies for stabilizing organizations’ workforces, increasing employee commitment, and
reducing employee turnover include:
• Implementing effective employee orientation and in-house programs
• Analyzing and understanding turnover trends and using them for performance
measurement, including department/unit turnover rates
• Providing professional development of leadership, supervisory training, and
• coaching for performance
• Providing career development programs
• Providing competitive compensation
• Recognizing and rewarding good performance
• Developing a mentoring program
• Preparing for turnover by developing succession plans
• Continuous communication.(Dreher, 1982; Sager et al., 1998)
Employee support programs assist employees in balancing the demands of their work and family
by providing resources (Cascio, 2003; Edwards & Rothbard, 2000; Goodstein, 1995). These
programs increase an employee’s commitment to the organization (Johnson, 1986; Perry- Smith
& Blum, 2000; Trice & Beyer, 1984). According to Argyris (1976), “when the employee’s values
are inconsistent with those of the organization, employees will decide that the organization no

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longer meets their needs” (Simon, 1997). Several studies (Edwards & Rothbard, 2000; Gaylor,
2003; Goodstein, 1995; Johnson, 1986; Perry-Smith & Blum, 2000) have suggested that an
employee’s perception of organizational support programs has a significant and demonstrable
impact on employee retention (Meyer et al., 1993). Brown et al., (2008) provided supporting
evidence of the value of organizational support in terms of its facilitation of employee commitment
to the organization. These findings demonstrated the value of employee trust by providing
evidence of how employee and supervisor bonds are predictors of an employee’s decision to
remain with or leave an organization.
An employee who perceives support from their supervisor is more likely to trust the organization
or supervisor (Brown et al., 2008; Henning-Thurau, 2004; Jones, 2000; Lewicki, et al., 1988).
Employees view support programs as the organization’s attempt to provide resources to help them
maintain a work-life balance (Edwards & Rothbard, 2000; Gaylor, 2003; Goodstein, 1995;
Johnson, 1986; Perry-Smith & Blum, 2000; Shore et al., 2008). The decisions organizations make
to develop support programs can profoundly affect an employee’s commitment to remain with
them (Edwards & Rothbard, 2000; Goodstein, 1995; Johnson, 1986; Perry-Smith & Blum, 2000).

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6.8 Employee support strategies
According to the literature, employee support programs influence talent acquisition, retention, and
employee commitment by:
• Assisting their employees’ work-life balance
• Soliciting employee feedback through surveys.
• Encouraging open access to programs
• Ensuring programs are widely publicized in the organization
• Addressing employee needs and/or responding to rendering situational emergency
assistance in a timely manner
• Providing a self-service program
• Training managers in how to use and refer employees to the programs. (OPM, 2012)

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6.9 Talent Acquisition and Retention Model: A Proposed Four-Step Process
The factors that affect employee commitment are talent acquisition, employee retention,
communication, trust, and employee support programs. As a result, of this study a meaningful
talent acquisition and retention conceptual model was identified. This model can be used by an
organization to diagnosis and then develop appropriate strategies that assist in the acquisition and
retention of talent.
The findings of this research lead to the identification of a model for the acquisition and retention
of talent. This model based on a conceptual framework has significant theoretical and practical
implications. First, from a theoretical perspective, the framework identifies and suggests theories
and a body of evidence for viewing and conceptualizing talent acquisition and employee retention
as a socially constructed phenomenon that evolves out of an employee’s association with their
workplace. The framework also enables a contextualization of the impact of this experience on the
organization’s ability to develop effective strategies. From a practical perspective, the proposed
framework provides best practices that organizations can use to develop employee support
programs that influence and encourage employee commitment.
Specifically, the framework provides a method for approaching the problem of low employee
commitment and high employee turnover, by describing it in terms of program development
options that increase employee commitment, and as a result affects acquisition and retention.
Chapter 6 discusses in more detail the benefits of this approach, including the operation of the
proposed framework.
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Figure 10 presents the Talent Acquisition and Retention Model developed from this study. This
model is based on the findings, the illustration maps, and the conceptual framework to the literature
review of theory, employee perception, and practitioners’ best practice concepts by topics.
Employee support programs are beneficial to both the employee and the organization because they
increase employees’ commitment to the organization (Allen, 2008; Allen et al., 2010; Frank et al.,
2004; Meyer et al., 1993) by increasing the employee’s perception of organizational support. This
increased commitment can lead to a decrease in employee turnover.
From the literature review, a proposed four-step process for assessing employee commitment (EC)
can be synthesized to include the following factors: (1) the assessment of levels of employee
commitment, (2) the identification of areas to be developed to increase communication, trust, and
employee commitment, and (3) the development of support programs.
Figure 10. Intentional Strategies for Talent Acquisitions and Retention Model

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In Figures 11, 12, 13, and 14 the arrows in the figure s represent the direction of the factors that
influence talent acquisition and employee retention in the organization. The line that separates the
arrows represents the organization. When the factors that influence talent acquisition and retention
are in balance, the line is straight. However, when there is an imbalance in the organization, the
line becomes diagonal.
Step one of the process begins in Quadrant EC1 involves the starting point that an organization
may be because of high turnover, low employee commitment, poor communication, and low trust.
An organization at this level will find it hard to sustain talent.
Quadrant EC 1 is an undesirable quadrant. An organization in this position can move to other
quadrants by developing talent acquisition and retention initiatives. In this quadrant, the
organization is associated with:
EC1 Low Quadrant.
• High employee turnover
• Low employee commitment
• Low levels of communication
• Low levels of trust
• Low levels of talent sustainability
• No employee support programs

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Figure 11 is an illustration of Quadrant EC 1. This quadrant represents an organization that is
experiencing extremely high turnover and low employee commitment, trust, and communication.
An organization at this level does not sustain talent and has no or ineffective employee support
programs.
Figure 11 Talent Acquisitions and Retention Model Quadrant EC 1
Step two of the process as shown in Quadrant EC2 involves assessing the levels of communication,
trust, and employee commitment (high, medium, and low), and synthesizing a description of the
desired change. This included a description of an organization’s employee support programs,
including communication vehicles, as well as the employees’ perceptions of these systems and
programs. Several of the studies reviewed for this paper have claimed that the tripartite
questionnaire of organizational commitment developed by Meyer, Allen, and Smith (1993) should

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be the basis for placing an organization into the appropriate quadrant because of its validity and
usefulness in previous studies. In this quadrant, the organization is experiencing:
EC2 Low/Mid Quadrant.
• Employee commitment
• Communication
• Trust
• Talent acquisition
• Mid to high levels of employee turnover
Quadrant EC 2 is illustrated in Figure 12 and is the quadrant that organizations can move toward
as the result of talent development and employee retention programs.
Figure 12. Talent Acquisitions and Retention Model Quadrant EC 2

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Step three of the process as shown in Quadrant 3 involves identifying areas to be developed to
improve communication, trust, employee support programs, and employee commitment. This
included a description of factors that are in need of resources (i.e., talent management, employee
engagement, and supervisory training). The framework included four quadrants that represent an
organizational level of employee commitment and which factor into a level of talent acquisition
and retention. Depending where the organization falls as the result of the survey, employees will
rely on the approach developed to address that particular level of commitment. In this quadrant,
the organization is experiencing:
EC3 Mid/High Quadrant.
• Communication
• Trust/support programs
• Talent retention
• Talent sustainability
• Low to mid-levels of employee turnover

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Figure 13 is an illustration of this quadrant. EC 3 represents organizations that have implemented
programs aimed at acquiring talent and or reducing employee turnover. It represents organizations
that are in the later stages of program development and implementation.
Step four of the process represented in Quadrant EC4 and involve the development of employee
support programs. The illustration in Figure 14 depicts the proposed three-factor conceptual
framework for assessing employee commitment, including the elements of each process as
described. Although stated in four sets, each quadrant connects to the next level of employee
commitment in the organization. Allen, Myers TCM model is dependent on the organizations
ability to move back and forth from one quadrant to the other. Employee commitment is based on
the perception of the organization’s communication systems, as well as the bonds of trust with

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their supervisor that will affect their intention to stay or leave an organization. In this quadrant, the
organization is experiencing:
EC 4 High -High Level Quadrant.
• Communication
• Trust/support programs
• Talent retention
• Talent sustainability
Figure 14 is an illustration of Quadrant EC 4, which is a desirable state for organizations. This is
where organizations have intentionally developed and implemented programs aimed at acquiring
talent and or reducing employee turnover. The programs implemented are likely to have been in
the organization for a significant amount of time and the employees are aware of the benefits of
these programs. For example, quadrant four on the chart is an organization’s optimally desired
level. At this level, employees are committed to the organization and employee turnover is low.

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With high employee retention, talent can be sustained at a high level. This process provides a
justification for determining employee commitment levels and suggests specific programs to be
developed. Once the level of employee commitment is determined, organizations can place their
results in one of the four quadrants. Each quadrant represents organizational strengths and
weakness, and identifies the specific factors and employee support programs that strengthen
employee commitment.

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6.10 Conclusion
It is imperative for organizations to successfully attract and retain talent to develop best practice
strategies that augment employee commitment, communication and trust. The increase of
employee commitment, communication, and trust strategies increase the attraction and retention
of talent especially when coupled with employee support programs.
Based on the findings, this research has determined that, in today’s workforce, “best practice”
requires the attraction and retention of talent, which necessitates the use of strategies based in
theory and practice. There is no other one way of achieving this goal. Specifically, research
conducted for this dissertation determined that research conducted for this dissertation determined
that it was determined that best practice requires the use of an array of strategies to accomplish
this goal. By providing a proven strategy to address the issues, organizations become proactive
partners focused on winning the talent war.
As described in the literature review in Chapter 2, the literature review set forth two distinct
conceptual lenses, theoretical and practical, for viewing the problem of talent acquisition and
employee retention. These lenses formed the basis of the conceptual model illustrated in Figure 3
in Chapter 3. Organizations invest a substantial amount of time and money in the development of
policies to address the hiring and training of employees. As the economy recovers and as
employment opportunities increase, there will be a substantial need to attract quality talent and
retain current personnel (Beasley, 2010). In addition, there will be a substantial number of
employees eligible to retire within the next five years, coupled with employee turnover that will

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make it necessary for organizations including OPM, to attract new quality talent that will remain
committed.

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CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE
STUDY
7.1 Areas for Future Research
The areas for future studies include job satisfaction, psychological contracts, organizational
commitment and employee retention. Studies have indicated that job satisfaction, psychological
contracts, organizational commitment and talent acquisition may also influence the acquisition and
retention of talent. A study of the factors that affect talent acquisition during an economic recovery
and how organizations develop strategies to counteract these affects would be prudent.
Additionally, a study that addresses satisfaction and psychological contracts in economic recovery
would topics for future studies. Another dimension would be to include generational dynamics as
it relates to talent acquisition and employee retention.

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7.2 Summary
Chapter 6 provided a summary of the findings from Chapter 2 and the analysis of the findings in
Chapter 5. The evidence-based approach included a search of relative data on talent acquisition,
employee retention, employee commitment, communication, trust, and employee support
programs. An analysis of the data and themes discovered factors that affect talent acquisition and
employee retention. This chapter provided implications for management, future trends, study
limitations, and recommendations for future studies.
Chapter 6 also presented the factors that affect talent acquisition and employee retention.
Organizational staffing demands and employee retention will continue to be areas of concern for
organizations. The development of effective talent acquisition and employee retention strategies
will assist organization in meeting the demand for talent. These strategies include increased
effective communication that generates trust and in turn assists employees in their commitment to
the organization. Developing initiatives now will create organizations where employees will refer
their friends and family to the employer because they perceive the organization as a good place to
work that provides employee support to assist them in creating a more balanced work and life.

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CHAPTER 8
FUTURE ENONCEMENTS
8.1 Future Enoncements
The study revealed that an employee’s satisfaction with his or her job also affected the employee’s
commitment. Therefore, an employee satisfaction may increase an employee’s desire to remain
with the organizational commitment thus reducing employee turnover and costs associated with
turnover (Amos, & Weathington, 2008). According to studies conducted by Argyris (1976), if the
employee’s values are inconsistent with those of the organization, they become dissatisfied with
the organization. The employee then makes the decision that the organization no longer meets their
needs (Simon, 1997) and can lead to withdrawal behaviors that lead to the employee’s decision to
leave (Henning-Thurau, 2004).
This is similar to the Meyer et al., (1993) studies in that they identify behaviors of employees that
are influenced by a perception of belonging. Elmadag, et al., (2008) study used to examine
informal interventions that managers use to improve performance and employee commitment.
Both studies identify improvements in performance and employee satisfaction variables as
indicators of positive organizational behaviors. Research studies concluded that informal coaching
influences employee satisfaction and performance.

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8.2 Perceived Organizational Support
As a person advances through an organization, his employer provides opportunities to satisfy his
higher needs. When employees believe that their organization values participation, they will be
more likely to believe that their participation will make a difference (Dreher, 1982; LaMastro,
1999; Organ, 1988; Sager, et al, 1998). The literature revealed that “employees with higher levels
of perceived organizational support are more likely to be more committed and possibly more
willing to engage in extra roles or organizational citizenship behaviors” (Organ, 1988, p 517).
“Additionally, studies suggest that perceived organizational support may be beneficial to the
individual, as well as, to the organization” (LaMastro, 1999, p. 3) because both are beneficiaries
of the employee’s perception. Without trust, turnover of staff increases as more employees make
the decision to leave an organization. Research on job satisfaction and perceived organizational
support as it relates to employee support programs that lead to improved acquisition of talent, and
employee retention would be beneficial topics for future studies.

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Contact: 6260651575, 9179357477

Factors Affecting Employee's Retention in Automobile Service Workshops of Assam An Empirical Study

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Factors Affecting Employee's Retention in Automobile Service Workshops of Assam An Empirical Study

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FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE’S RETENTION IN AUTOMOBILE SERVICE WORKSHOPS OF ASSAM: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

Keywords: Talented Staff Acquisition, Employee Retention, Employee Commitment, Talent

Sustainability, and Employee Turnover.

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

CHAPTER 1 PAGE NO.

CHAPTER 3 053 - 075

CHAPTER 5 094 - 108

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

CHAPTER 6 109 - 139

CHAPTER 7 140 - 141

REFERENCES 144 - 151

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.1 Attraction and Retention

An organization’s ability to attract and retain talent is an essential component of talent

sustainability. When organizations experience employee turnover, organizational knowledge is

the same pool of candidates.

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.2 Talent Acquisition

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

2010). Organizational communication with employees is a key factor in reducing employee

turnover and sustaining staff.

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.4 Employee Turnover: A Predictive Picture

efforts in order to capitalize on the retention of qualified talent (Baum, 1994).

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.5 The Need For and Shortage of Talented Staff

by organizations globally (Meister& Willyerd, 2010). It is imperative to the survival of any

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.6 The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): Influence and Contribution

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.7 OPM Talent Acquisition and Employee Retention Mission

are eligible to retire (O’ Keefe, 2012; Shoop, 2005).

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.8 Employee Commitment and Other Factors

employment opportunities, and willing to move to another organization for employment.

Employee commitment is important because committed employees do not leave organizations as

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

leaving the organization. “A change in employee’s behavior can be indicated by a decrease in

Therefore, employee commitment affects an employee’s decision to leave (Simon, 1997).

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.9 Talent Sustainability

Employee commitment is instrumental in achieving talent sustainability and it is beneficial in

be involved and feel that they are valued to commit to an organization.

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.10 Statement of the Problem

strategies to attract quality talent and to increase employee retention is essential.

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.11 Significance of the Problem

employees’ commitment and utilizing them as ambassadors to attract new talent.

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.12 Purpose of the Study

and retention and therefore better assure organizational sustainability.

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.13 Research Questions

of talent and in turn increase the organization’s ability to attract talent?

Guided by: Dr. Ashad Ullah Qureshi

1.14 Organization of the Dissertation

This dissertation is comprised of six primary chapters:

5. Analysis and Discussion

6. Implications and Conclusion

ability to attract and retain staff.

the conceptual framework of the research.