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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 6, No. 3

Publication Date: March 25, 2019

DOI:10.14738/assrj.63.14814.

Alsoaery, A. (2019). The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private Schools: Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences

Research Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private

Schools: Case Study

Abdulrahman Alsoaery

College of Business, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

This article represents an investigation of the causes behind high turnover of

teachers in Saudi Arabian private schools and recommends ways and means to

reduce its incidence. It is widely acknowledged that school teachers play a critical

role in providing high quality education, so inadequacy, unavailability, or high

turnover among teachers can radically affect the quality of education provided by

schools and furthermore have negative outcomes for children. This research makes

use of an elaborate literature review on various aspects of labour turnover, with

specific regard to turnover among teachers, and follows the case study method for

researching the subject issue. The study focuses on the Private Education Group,

which runs a number of private schools in Saudi Arabia. The research makes use of

qualitative analysis and the administration of semi- structured interviews. The

research reveals low salaries to be the most important reason for staff turnover

among the teachers and the existence of significant differences in attitudes between

employees and officials. And finally, the researcher has made a number of

recommendations for improving retention of teachers in private schools in Saudi

Arabia.

Keywords: Employee Turnover, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION

Shortages in teaching staff appear to be a widespread global problem (AME, 2012; Arab News,

2012). Such shortages can have significant social consequences because of their potential to

disturb and adversely impact the educational and life outcomes of students (Arab News, 2012;

Globe Media, 2012). Currently, Saudi Arabia faces a significant shortage in the availability of

teaching staff (Globe Media Ltd, 2012), which is further compounded by the high rates of

turnover in specific schools (Globe Media Ltd, 2012; Rugh, 2005). While some schools are

conducting exit interviews with their departing teachers in order to ascertain the reasons for

their decisions to leave their organisations, there is little comprehensive knowledge of the

causes for such turnover (Rugh, 2005). This problem is accentuated further in private schools,

which, by and large, cannot provide the job security or benefits that are available for teachers

in government schools. The article aims to examine the various causes of employee turnover in

Saudi Arabian private schools, with specific regard to the Private Education Group and the ways

in which such turnover can be reduced.

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LITERATURE REVIEW

This literature review accesses, investigates and analyses the existing literature in the field,

through published and unpublished research studies, books and other publications on

employee turnover, with specific regard to the aims and objectives. The review takes up the

study of issues like employee turnover, its advantages and disadvantages, theories of employee

motivation and the ways in which motivation can affect turnover, the work of Maslow and

Herzberg, and diverse internal and external variables that influence and affect employee

turnover. Internal variables like demographic forces, organisational commitment, job

satisfaction, wages, training and temporary employment influence labour turnover. External

variables like national culture, job location, organisational size, the level of unionisation and

negative and positive shocks also appear to play some role in staff turnover levels. All these

issues are accordingly taken up for discussion in the literature review. The review also

facilitates the locating of gaps in existing research and the framing of relevant research

questions.

Employee Turnover

Employee turnover represents one of the most important phenomena that can affect the

working of modern-day organisations. Armstrong (2001) describes employee turnover as the

ratio of the number of employees who are replaced in a specific time period in comparison with

the average number of workers employed with the organisation during the specific period. This

however is essentially a mathematical definition; employee turnover can be described in

simpler terms as the series of actions taken by organisations from the departure of an employee

from an organisation to his or her replacement (Achoui & Mansour, 2007; Byars & Rue, 2000).

In broader terms, it represents the “rotation of workers around the labour market between

firms, jobs and occupations: and between the states of employment and unemployment”

(Ongori, 2007, p1). This term is also frequently employed in efforts to measure the

relationships of employees in organisations as they leave, without regard to reason (Achoui &

Mansour, 2007; Cotton & Tuttle, 1986). It is widely accepted in modern day organisational and

management thinking that employees constitute the most important set of organisational

assets (Achoui & Mansour, 2007; Candle, 2010). While management literature in the past

tended to equate employees with other factors of production, like manpower, material and

capital, contemporary management thought has veered sharply away from this premise and

holds that employees are critical, more so than all other factors, for organisational success

(Candle, 2010; Edgar & Geare, 2005). This is particularly true of teachers, the population under

investigation in the current study (Anderson & Meyer, 1994; Edgar & Geare, 2005). The

continuance of teachers is important for the learning and development of children, so frequent

changes in teaching staff can lead to adverse learning outcomes (Bhuian & Al-Jabri, 1996;

Candle, 2010).

Candle (2010) states that the schools need to provide high quality education and learning to

students to ensure academicexcellence and success, implying that the teaching staff of schools

must have the abilities for ensuring such academic excellence (Werner & Desimone, 2009).

Olivierand Farrell (1993) also agree with this line of reasoning, stating that the excellence of

scholastic performance of students is very closely related to the quality of teachers. It is, thus,

important for schools to develop suitable human resource (HR) policies to ensure that teachers

are motivated and do not develop tendencies to leave the school (Candle, 2010; Olivier& Farrell,

1993). With globalisation resulting in the development of numerous international

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Alsoaery, A. (2019). The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private Schools: Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

opportunities for teachers, it is important for school management and school principals to

formulate, develop and implement appropriate HR policies to ensure high levels of retention

and low teacher turnover (Candle, 2010; Olivier& Farrell, 1993).

The overwhelming majority of research on employee turnover focuses on actual turnover, even

though it is also true that some researchers have focused upon the intentions of employees to

quit (Allen & Helms, 2002; Glebbeek & Bax, 2004). It has for example been revealed that the

association between intention to leave and the occurrence of turnover is quite constant and is

by and large stronger than the connection between satisfaction and turnover, even though this

relationship is able to explain only between 20% and 25% of turnover variability (Ben-Bakr et

al., 1994; Griffeth et al., 2000). In fact, studies of perceived opportunities seem to focus more on

intentions to leave rather than actual turnover (Ahmad & Schroeder, 2003; Allen & Helms,

2002; George & Jones, 1996). Such behaviour is possibly explained by the fact that (a) intentions

may not account for impetuous behaviour, and (b) the fact that intentions to leave do not always

result in the employee actually leaving the organisation (Ahmad & Schroeder, 2003; Griffeth et

al., 2000).

Employee turnover is one of the most important areas of attention for organisational

management (Glebbeek & Bax, 2004; Laser, 1980; Olivier& Farrell, 1993). While employee

turnover is primarily associated with adverse organisational implications, it also has its

advantages, enabling organisations to improve the quality of its workforce and obtain attendant

benefits in areas of productivity, skill availability, cost effectiveness and competitive advantage

(Ahmad & Schroeder, 2003; Glebbeek & Bax, 2004; Olivier& Farrell, 1993). The following

sections of this review take up the discussion of various aspects of employee turnover.

Disadvantages of Employee Turnover

Much of the literature on employee retention and turnover, for all practical purposes,

categorises it as an area of immense challenge for most organisations (Heneman & Judge, 2008;

Steel & Ovalle, 1984). The significant costs of training new employees, along with reduction of

quality output on account of the departure of trained employees, more so in the contemporary

environment where most organisations, including schools and colleges compete for limited and

scarce resources, makes the issue even more critical (Heneman & Judge, 2008; Steel & Ovalle,

1984; Williams & Adam-Smith, 2010). Armstrong (2001) states that employee turnover can

adversely impact all areas of organisational management, including productivity of employees,

quality of output, organisational costs and - very importantly - the morale of the employees who

stay back. The study of the causes of labour turnover is closely associated with the reasons

behind the motivation of employees to remain with organisations (Agho et al., 1993; Porter &

Steers, 1973; Steel & Ovalle, 1984). Various employee motivation theories have been taken up

for more detailed discussion in a subsequent section.

The act of a person voluntarily quitting an organisation clearly constitutes the exodus of human

capital in which management has made extremely substantial investments, and the consequent

process of replacement automatically results in multiple and substantial replacement costs

(Huselid, 1995; Steel & Ovalle, 1984). Ongori (2007) and Branham (2005) mentioned that such

replacement costs entail various issues like (a) the scouring of the market place for possible

replacements, (b) selection of appropriate teachers from people who have applied for the post,

(c) the induction of selected teachers, and (d) the provisioning of training, both formal and

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informal, to the substituted persons until they achieve the performance, ability and proficiency

levels of the people who have left the organisation.

The primary act of selection and recruitment, by itself, constitutes a significant organisational

cost in terms of direct costs like advertising and diverse internal costs associated with

utilisation of the efforts of senior and junior employees (Cranny et al., 1992; Storey, 1992). The

selection process involves actions like (a) determination of employee shortfall, (b) preparation

of job descriptions of areas in which there are employee shortfalls, (c) providing information to

the public about job vacancies through carefully crafted advertising, recruitment consultants

and different bodies, like for example teachers’ associations, (d) calling for applications, (e)

receipt and assessment of applications, (f) short-listing of candidates for interviews, (g) holding

of interviews, (h) checking of references, (i) negotiating terms of employment, and finally (j)

entering into employment contracts (Cranny et al.,1992; Jayaratne & Chess, 1991; Wasmuth &

Davis, 1983).

While selection of employees certainly constitutes an important task, employee costs do not

end there. Substantial costs are incurred subsequently in training and developing employees to

handle their responsibilities with required productivity and efficiency (Dess & Shaw, 2001;

Storey, 1992). The employees who are trained and developed over longer time periods also add

to their implicit and tacit knowledge through their training, interaction with their colleagues,

and from various other job-associated sources (Storey, 1992; Wasmuth & Davis, 1983). The

departure of an employee primarily leads to the wastage of all the costs that have been incurred

in selection, and training and development (Dess & Shaw, 2001; Heneman & Judge, 2008). The

organisation also loses access to the implicit and tacit knowledge of such employees, which

formed part of the organisational knowledge pool and is important for organisational

productivity, efficiency and competitive advantage (Heneman & Judge, 2008).

Meaghan and Bontis (2002) state that the productivity of teachers and the excellence of

teaching provided by a school is bound to fall whenever good teachers leave educational

institutions because of the inherent learning curves that are involved in aiding the

understanding of replacements about their jobs and organisations (Heneman & Judge, 2008;

Storey, 1992).

The departure of an employee also results in the development of an immediate organisational

void that has to be filled in the short term through the deployment of other employees and, in

the long term, through compensating recruitment from the external talent bank (Hogan, 1992;

White, 1995). The use of other employees to carry out the tasks of the employees who have left

results in undue strain upon them and adverse effect on the job being done by the employees

who are given additional responsibilities (Abbasi & Hollman, 2000; Heneman & Judge, 2008;

Hogan, 1992). Such organisational strain can become critical to productivity if employee

turnover is a constant and recurring phenomenon, calling upon organisational managements

to constantly work towards devising ways and means to ensure that the responsibilities of the

persons who leave do not remain unattended (Heneman & Judge, 2008; Maicibi, 2003).

Apart from such costs, high labour turnover also has a significantly adverse impact upon

employee morale (Koslowsky, 1991; White, 1995). Psychological and behavioural experts state

that the majority of employees tend to build sound and long-term relationships with their co-

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Alsoaery, A. (2019). The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private Schools: Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

workers, which extend beyond their working lives and are sources of information sustenance

and support (Shamsuzzoha, 2007; White, 1995). The departure of valued and trusted

colleagues often has an adverse psychological impact on the people who stay behind, who may

react in various ways that can include following their colleagues to their new organisations,

looking for jobs elsewhere and asking for salary increases on the premise of their enhanced

value to the organisation after the departure of their erstwhile colleagues (Meaghan & Bontis,

2002; Michaels & Spector, 1982; Wasmuth & Davis, 1983). High turnover is also known to

create adverse impressions in the external job market and the talent pool from which

organisations obtain new employees (Wasmuth & Davis, 1983). Researchers find that a high

incidence of employee turnover can very often lead to (miss) perceptions about poor

management and employee policies within the organisation concerned (Shamsuzzoha, 2007;

Sheehan, 1995).

Researchers also find low employee turnover rates to be positively correlated with the capacity

for retaining talent (Shamsuzzoha, 2007; Watrous et al., 2006). In other words, this implies that

organisational capacity for retention of talent can be adversely affected in organisations where

employee turnover is high (Beck, 2001; Heneman & Judge, 2008; Shamsuzzoha, 2007; Watrous

et al., 2006). This finding also reinforces the findings of other researchers on the negative

perceptions generated by organisations with high turnover on the external market place with

regard to management and HR policies, as well as the efficient and productive functioning of

organisations (Shamsuzzoha, 2007; Watrous et al., 2006).

Advantages of Employee Turnover

High employee turnover is by and large considered a negative organisational phenomenon,

because of the many causes described above (Hatch & Dyer, 2004; Wood, 2007). Employee

turnover, however, does have a number of positive aspects that should not be ignored or

disregarded and some of the key advantages are discussed below (Wood, 2007; Hatch & Dyer,

2004; Tang et al., 2000).

Most organisations continue to accrue individuals over the course of their lifetimes and often

arrive at employee strengths that are significantly greater than what is required (Becker, 1993;

Williams & Adam-Smith, 2010). Greater employee turnover in these circumstances, as long as

it is restricted to the poor performers, can help organisations to reduce their costs and improve

their productivity (Becker, 1993; Williams & Adam-Smith, 2010).

Employee turnover can also have beneficial outcomes during periods of economic downturn or

poor performance when the departure of employees can actually help organisations to save

important costs (Meaghan & Bontis, 2002; Tang et al., 2000). Faulty recruitment and selection

often result in the recruitment of inefficient and unproductive employees, as well as those who

are mismatched with their existing job requirements (Meaghan & Bontis, 2002; Roseman,

1981). The departure of such people from organisations can help management to recruit more

suitable people and thus improve an organisation’s productivity (Becker, 1993; Meaghan &

Bontis, 2002; Roseman, 1981).

Employee Motivation Theories

Motivation of employees plays an extremely important role in employee retention, and it is an

important responsibility of management to ensure that employees are motivated (Allen &

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Helms, 2002; Blyton & Turnbull, 2004). Various studies reveal that highly motivated employees

have significant levels of commitment to their organisations and significantly lesser tendencies

to leave their organisations, compared to those who are less motivated (Ahmad & Schroeder,

2003; Legge, 2005). Corresponding research also points out that poor levels of motivation are

directly related to both poor job performance and high levels of turnover (Ahmad & Schroeder,

2003; Allen & Helms, 2002). Various theories of motivation are taken up for discussion in this

section. Motivation is carried out through diverse policies that position employees at the centre

of organisations and empower them to realise their potential (Allen & Helms, 2002; Brockbank

et al., 1999; Legge, 2005). Motivation provides force, direction and nourishment to human

behaviour and aims to satisfy employee needs (Brockbank et al., 1999). It is considered to be

an internal urge that encourages individuals to perform specific actions (Ahmad & Schroeder,

2003; Blyton & Turnbull, 2004). Multifaceted and inclusive, it represents the inherent drive that

spurs people to act for achievement of some type of satisfaction (Blyton & Turnbull, 2004;

Legge, 2005).

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

Abraham Maslow first proposed his Theory of Needs in 1954, wherein he argued that

individuals work to satisfy diverse needs (Carrell et al., 1995; Guest, 1997). He stated that all

individuals have five levels of needs, i.e., basic, security, belonging, esteem and self-actualisation

need (Cascio, 2006; Guest, 1997). Basic needs are concerned with issues needed for survival,

like food, shelter and clothing (Carrell et al., 1995; Cascio, 2006; Maslow, 1954). Security needs

form the second level of needs and include issues like employment security, savings for old age,

and health and medical care (Harris et al., 2003; O’Neil & Drillings, 1994). Belonging needs refer

to feelings of acceptance (Carrell et al., 1995; Guest, 1997). Esteem needs represent the

ambitions of individuals to be well thought of and socially recognised (Harris et al., 2003;

Mackay, 2007). Self-actualisation needs, which represent the highest level of need, deal with

individual, self and ego fulfilment (Mackay, 2007; Maslow, 1954).

Maslow stated that such needs are hierarchical in nature; individuals satisfy the lowest level of

needs first, and thereafter progressively desire to satisfy higher need sets (Carrell et al., 1995;

Guest, 1997). This desire for progressive need satisfaction helps employers to formulate

effective motivation policies (Carrell et al., 1995; Guest, 1997; Maslow, 1954). Whilst Maslow’s

needs are by and large widely accepted to be true, they do not appear to be supported by

empirical evidence and are not related to scientific reasoning (Beehr & Gupta, 1987; Guest,

1997; Maslow, 1954).

Herzberg’s Theory:

Herzberg argues that employee behaviour is essentially influenced by two factors; (a) hygiene

causes and (b) motivational causes (Bach & Sisson, 2000). Hygiene factors comprise of issues

like remuneration, organisational reputation, job status and environment, which, while

assisting in retention, do not really motivate employees to improve their performance (Guest,

1997; Herzberg, 1968; Leat, 2007). Such factors influence employees to continue with their

existing jobs. While they help in retention, they also encourage inefficient performers to stay

on in their jobs (Guest, 1997; Herzberg, 1968).

Motivational factors consist of organisational policies like performance recognition, career

advancement, promotions and employee involvement that motivate employees to improve

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Alsoaery, A. (2019). The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private Schools: Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

their performance (Herzberg, 1968; Ryan & Sagas, 2009). Herzberg recommends that

organisations should combine hygiene and motivational factors in order to retain the best

employees, remove poor performers and motivate existing employees to improve their

performance (Guest, 1997; Ryan & Sagas, 2009).

Motivation Drivers:

Employee motivation is driven by diverse approaches and factors, the most important of which

are (a) personality, (b) job characteristics, and (c) monetary remuneration and rewards (Beer

et al., 1984; Boudreau & Ramstad, 2007). The personalities of employees affect motivation

significantly, with research revealing that extroverted people are likely to be easily motivated,

even as neurotic people often display negative behaviour (Beer et al., 1984; Boudreau &

Ramstad, 2007; Steven & Gregory, 2002). Employee motivation is also influenced by job

responsibilities and the skills required by workers (Byars & Rue, 2000; Steven & Gregory,

2002). It is thus important to match job characteristics with individual employee skills in order

to improve and enhance motivation levels (Beer et al.,1984; Byars & Rue, 2000; Heneman &

Judge, 2008).

Monetary remuneration and rewards, which represent wages, salaries and compensation for

well-done jobs, represent strong motivational forces (Bakker & Leiter, 2010; Boudreau &

Ramstad, 2007). This is discussed extensively in section 2.6.1.4, while remuneration primarily

comprises salaries and bonus. Organisations also reward employees through production and

profit bonuses (Bakker & Leiter, 2010; Rice et al., 1989). Such monetary reward plays an

important role in employee motivation (Beer et al., 1984). Non-monetary rewards in contrast

refer to employee opportunities provided in return for jobs well done (Beer et al., 1984; Rice et

al., 1989). The effect of training, a specific non-monetary reward, on turnover is discussed in

detail in section 2.6.1.5.

Causes of Employee Turnover

The causes of employee turnover have been studied in substantial detail and a significant body

of literature, which goes back to the 1950s, has emerged from such research (Cotton & Tuttle,

1986; Glebbeek & Bax, 2004; Lesperance, 2001). Researchers have tried to formulate

multivariate statistical models that attempt to combine different factors that ostensibly lead to

turnover, subjecting these models thereafter to empirical testing and analysis in order to arrive

at the important factors behind employees leaving their organisations (Cotton & Tuttle, 1986;

Glebbeek & Bax, 2004; Griffeth et al., 2000; Hom & Kinicki, 2001). Many of these research efforts

are, however, based on a limited number of variables and therefore succeed only in explaining

turnover variability to a minor extent (Gawel, 1997; Griffeth et al., 2000; Pennington &

Edwards, 2000).

Turnover studies have also been criticised on account of their inadequacy in capturing the

multi-dimensional and complex psychological processes that are involved in the decisions of

employees to leave organisations (Cotton & Tuttle, 1986; Griffeth et al., 2000; Huselid & Day,

1991). Some studies have confirmed the perception that desires and attempts to change jobs

are caused by complex and multidimensional factors and it is very difficult for one factor to

comprehensively address and explain employee turnover (Cotton & Tuttle, 1986; Griffeth et al.,

2000; Huselid & Day, 1991).

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Sustained research by various behavioural, HR and management academics, however, reveals

that some variables do appear to consistently crop up as important turnover reasons

(Elangovan, 2001; Griffeth et al., 2000; Korman & Kraut, 1999). Earlier studies - more

specifically, those that were undertaken in the 1960s and the 1970s - revealed that factors like

overall satisfaction, job content, age of employee, tenure of service, intentions to continue with

jobs, and commitment had negative correlation with turnover, which implied that the increase

in these variables resulted in reduction of turnover (Elangovan, 2001; Gawel, 1997; Griffeth et

al., 2000). From a meta-analysis of more than 200 studies, Hom and Griffeth (1995; 2000) and

Luecke (2002) found that a few causes for turnover constantly emerged as primary reasons for

employees to leave their jobs. These variables are segregated into internal and external

variables (Gawel, 1997; Glebbeek & Bax, 2004; Hom & Kinicki, 2001).

Internal Variables:

Internal variables comprise the many internal forces and causes that motivate employees to

leave or stay with their organisations. Some of these are taken up for discussion below.

Demographic Variables:

Whilst social research on the reasons for employee turnover has been truly extensive, only a

few employee characteristics and features are found to have a meaningful relationship with

turnover (Hom & Kinicki, 2001; Morrell et al., 2004). Age, however, has been found to be

inversely correlated to turnover, with research revealing that persons above 45 years of age

are much less likely to leave their firms (Achoui & Mansour, 2007; Hom & Kinicki, 2001;

MacLeod & Clarke, 2009). However, age alone does not explain turnover variability, as it is

related to a number of other factors and cannot contribute much meaning to the understanding

and realisation of employee behaviour with regard to turnover (Hom & Kinicki, 2001; MacLeod

& Clarke, 2009; Morrell et al., 2004).

The length of service or tenure is found to be negatively associated with turnover, with long- serving employees likely to remain with their firms (Achoui & Mansour, 2007; Hom & Kinicki,

2001; Noah & Yong-Pin, 2002). Research on the effect of gender on turnover has not led to any

definite results and there is little to state that men leave their jobs more or less frequently than

women (Hom & Kinicki, 2001; Noah & Yong-Pin, 2002). Studies however find that age acts as a

moderating factor and that employee turnover rates by age become less for women than for

men (Achoui & Mansour, 2007; Armstrong, 2001; Tang et al., 2000).

Organisational Commitment:

A number of studies report strong association between intentions to leave and organisational

commitment. Studies by Griffeth et al. (2000), Tang et al. (2000) and Al-Kahtani (2004) have

confirmed the presence of a strong relationship between organisational commitment (affective,

continuance and normative) and actual turnover (Glisson & Durick, 1988). Affective

commitment concerns emotions and the emotional attachment, identification and involvement

of employees with their firms (Agho et al., 1993; Heneman & Judge, 2008). Continuance

commitment on the other hand concerns the commitment base that is related to costs and

considered by employees during their leaving their organisations (Agho et al., 1993; Allen &

Helms, 2002; Buck & Watson, 2002). Normative commitment, the last of the three, concerns the

employees’ feelings of obligation to stay with their organisation (Al-Meer, 1989; Heneman &

Judge, 2008).

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Alsoaery, A. (2019). The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private Schools: Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

Job Satisfaction:

Research studies have consistently found a strong positive correlation between job satisfaction

and employee retention, and a negative association between satisfaction and employee

turnover (Agho et al., 1993; Embich, 2001). Studies have found that with all other variables

being constant, employees often leave their firms in the pursuit of more interesting and

satisfying assignments in other organisations (Agho et al., 1993; Heneman & Judge, 2008; Sari,

2004).

Elangovan (2001) noted that the causal relationship between organisational commitment and

job satisfaction has not been taken up in the majority of research on turnover. Elangovan also

indicates the presence of significant causal relationships between (a) satisfaction and

commitment and (b) stress and satisfaction, noting that reduced satisfaction reduces

commitment, even as increased stress reduces satisfaction (Artz, 2010; Kyriakou & Sutcliffe,

1979). Elangovan further stated that commitment and turnover intentions were characterised

by a reciprocal relationship, wherein reduction in commitment increased intentions to quit,

which further reduced commitment (Darwish, 1998; Elangovan, 2001; Heneman & Judge,

2008).

Impact of Wages:

Substantial research has also been conducted on the relationship between pay, job

dissatisfaction and voluntary turnover (Armstrong & Stephens, 2005). A number of researchers

have found the role of wages in turnover to be rather mixed, even as other studies have found

no significant relationship between wages and turnover (Byars & Rue, 2000; Heneman & Judge,

2008).

Tang et al. (2000), however, suggested that employees are very strongly motivated to leave

their current employers by prospects of higher wages or greater career opportunities. This

finding is reinforced by other research studies that have found an inverse correlation between

average salaries and turnover, confirming that organisations with higher average salaries

record lower turnover of employees (MacLeod & Clarke, 2009). Research on variables

associated with pay indicates that there is a relationship between pay and turnover (Legge,

2005); and reveals that individuals with greater drive, ambition, and performance abilities tend

to leave their organisations, if they feel that they are being rewarded inadequately (Blyton &

Turnbull, 2004). The implementation of collective reward programmes in place of individual

incentives is also associated with the hasty departure of high performers (Legge, 2005).

Furthermore, Megan and Bontis (2002) suggested that the relationship between monetary

rewards and turnover is dependent on the value that people place on monetary rewards.

Specifically, the authors found that people who did not value money significantly but had low

levels of job satisfaction tended to undergo extremely low actual turnover. While it is

undoubtedly true that the overwhelming majority of people value money and work primarily

for good monetary compensation, there are others who, for personal or psychological reasons,

do not place great emphasis on money. Wives of individuals who earn well, for example,

possibly work only to keep themselves busy or to spend time away from the home, and are

unlikely to attach great importance to earning higher levels of remuneration. Other people

again may not value money significantly if they do not have dependents or responsibilities. Such

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people, it is found, tend to stay with their jobs even when their levels of job satisfaction are low,

which in turn results in low employee turnover (MacLeod & Clarke, 2009).

Impact of Training:

Many studies have found complex relationships between training and turnover. Some studies

show that organisations that focus on increasing the abilities and skills of their workers are

distinguished by lower rates of turnover (Maicibi, 2003; Shamsuzzoha, 2007), while others

have found that when training produces multi- skilled workers, their inclinations to leave

increase because of their greater value in the job market and better employment prospects

(Roger, 1995). It has also been found that the training that is provided outside the organisation

is associated with higher employee turnover, possibly because it increases the general skills of

employees (Maicibi, 2003; Roger, 1995).

In contrast, a number of UK studies on the relationship between training and mobility found,

on average, little relationship between the two variables (Maicibi, 2003). It is, however, seen

that when an individual takes up training wholly on their own initiative, in most cases this is

for the purpose of improving employment- associated skills and the need to look elsewhere for

jobs (Atif et al., 2011; Beer et al., 1984). Mobility on the other hand is actually found to decrease

when training is sponsored by employers (Maicibi, 2003).

Temporary Employment:

Many organisations prefer to cover their human resource gaps between required and available

people by appointing employees on a temporary basis (Shamsuzzoha, 2007). Such temporary

employment enables organisations to cope with shortfalls in staff and yet avoid long-term

employee obligations (Agho et al., 1993; Beer et al., 1984). Temporary staff are by and large

also provided with lesser remuneration and benefits than permanent staff and thus cost the

organisation less (Shamsuzzoha, 2007). While such temporary staffing, particularly when

people are available to take up these temporary jobs, can help organisations to cope with

employee shortages, it does not motivate employees to continue with their jobs (Beer et al.,

1984; Shamsuzzoha, 2007).

Temporary employees are by and large insecure about their jobs and do not know how long

their employment will last (Agho et al., 1993). Research reveals that workers feel job security

to be extremely important, possibly even more so than working hours and wages (Agho et al.,

1993; Shamsuzzoha, 2007). Comparative studies on working populations on this issue reveal

that a high percentage of the employed population worry about leaving their jobs, with the

qualification that younger workers fear job insecurity less than those in the 35-55 age group

(Beer et al., 1984; Shamsuzzoha, 2007). Such insecurity leads to constant worries about

retention of employment, continuous search for steady jobs elsewhere and lack of attention to

present occupation (Agho et al.,1993; Beer et al., 1984). Such employees thus not only do not

devote their full attention to their present jobs but also constantly look for alternative, better

and more secure employment (Shamsuzzoha, 2007).

Comparison of Alternatives:

The connection between the availability of alternatives and the chances of increase in turnover

at individual levels has been studied in great detail since March and Simon (1958) published

their seminal work on ease of movement.

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Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

A significant body of research in subsequent years has focused on the relationship between

various perceived alternative employment opportunities, job satisfaction and turnover

(Brockbank et al., 1999; Kirschenbaum & Mano-Negrin, 1999). Researchers have also focused

strongly on the role of perceived and actual opportunities in analysing and assessing decisions

of individual employees to leave organisations (Brockbank et al., 1999). Later research

however indicates that turnover can be better predicted by actual alternatives than by

perceived opportunities (Brockbank et al., 1999; Kirschenbaum & Mano-Negrin, 1999).

Studies on the effect of rates of unemployment found that while unemployment rates did

impact the relationship between job satisfaction and intention to leave, they did not affect

actual turnover (Bulla & Scott, 1994). The researchers in this particular case, namely

Kirschenbaum and Mano-Negrin, (1999), came to the conclusion that analysis of actual

opportunities at the macro level could help in prediction of turnover patterns, which could not

on the other hand be done by perceptions of opportunities. In the course of their research on

various medical establishments in diverse locations (with the use of measures of objective and

perceived opportunities in external and internal labour markets), the authors furthermore

found that alternative and objective opportunities appeared to be a significantly better

reasoning for actual turnover in organisations than perceived labour market opportunities,

both external and internal. While actual alternatives do seem to be more successful as

predictors of turnover, research also proves that perceived alternatives are also, albeit

modestly, associated with increased employee turnover (Brockbank et al., 1999; Bulla & Scott,

1994; Kirschenbaum & Mano-Negrin, 1999).

External Variables:

External variables constitute the various factors that are external to the basic contract - both

psychological and actual - between the management and the employee. Some of these are

discussed below:

National Culture:

The national culture of a nation is an important external variable in the discussion. found

During the course of his study, Geertz Hofstede found that national cultures can be defined

according to five important dimensions: (1) individualism vs collectivism, (2) masculinity vs

femininity, (3) power distance, (4) uncertainty avoidance and (5) long- vs short-term

orientation (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005; Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1999).

Individualism concerns the desire of individual members of society to think and act in

accordance with their personal benefits and those of their immediate family to the exclusion of

others (Harris et al., 2003; Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005). Collectivist societies on the other hand

are characterised by the desires of individuals to affiliate with groups like larger family

structures and communities, to place greater priorities on community benefits and to obtain

community protection in return (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005; Trompenaars & Hampden- Turner, 1999).

With regard to masculinity versus femininity, masculine societies are essentially made up of

individuals who are distinguished by their desire to succeed, their competitiveness and their

aggression (Harris et al., 2003; Trompenaars & Hampden- Turner, 1999). Members of feminist

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societies, on the other hand, do not place such importance on individual success, but focus more

on quality of life and the collective good (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005).

Societies with high power distance are distinguished by the acceptance of significant

differences in the power, authority and influence of the individuals at the higher levels of

society with those at lower levels (Harter et al., 2002; Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1999).

Such social differences are not just accepted but thought to be advantageous for social good in

such societies (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005; (Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1999).

Individuals of societies with high uncertainty avoidance indices are likely to be averse to

situations of ambiguity, uncertainty and risk (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005). These societies are

characterised by strong sets of rules and guidelines and are essentially hierarchical in nature

(Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005; Schaufeli et al., 2009).

Hofstede introduced the dimension regarding short- and long-term orientation after his study

of Chinese society (Schaufeli et al., 2009). Societies with short-term orientation mainly

comprise individuals who want immediate results in terms of remuneration, status and

achievement (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005), while individuals in societies with long-term

orientation emphasise long-term values like education and skills development (Hofstede &

Hofstede, 2005; Schaufeli et al., 2009; Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1999).

Hofstede conducted research on numerous nations across the world and quantified these five

dimensions on an increasing scale of 1 to 100. These rankings, known as Hofstede’s indices, are

used extensively for comparing various dimensions of national culture (Hofstede & Hofstede,

2005). Table 1 provides details about these individual indices for Saudi Arabia, which is the

country where the current research is conducted.

The above scores for the four important dimensions of national culture reveal that members of

Saudi Arabian society have strong levels of uncertainty avoidance and power distance indices.

Such individuals are likely to be very uncomfortable in situations that are not hierarchical in

nature or where rules are loose or absent (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005; Trompenaars &

Hampden-Turner, 1999). Saudi Arabian employers must thus take care to provide

environments that are supportive, secure and well regulated in order to provide job satisfaction

and improve organisational retention. Apart from culture, a number of other external variables

(discussed below) can also influence employee turnover (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005;

Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1999).

27

Individuals of societies with high uncertainty avoidance indices are likely to be

averse to situations of ambiguity, uncertainty and risk (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005).

These societies are characterised by strong sets of rules and guidelines and are

essentially hierarchical in nature (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005;Schaufeli et al., 2009).

Hofstede introduced the dimension regarding short- and long-term orientation

after his study of Chinese society (Schaufeli et al., 2009). Societies with short-term

orientation mainly comprise individuals who want immediate results in terms of

remuneration, status and achievement (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005), while individuals

in societies with long-term orientation emphasise long-term values like education and

skills development (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005; Schaufeli et al., 2009;Trompenaars

& Hampden-Turner, 1999).

Hofstede conducted research on numerous nations across the world and

quantified these five dimensions on an increasing scale of 1 to 100. These rankings,

known as Hofstede’s indices, are used extensively for comparing various dimensions

of national culture (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005). Table 1 provides details about these

individual indices for Saudi Arabia, which is the country where the current research is

conducted.

Table 1: National Culture of Saudi Arabia

Power

Distance

Masculinity Uncertainty

Avoidance

Individualism Long-term

Orientation

95 60 80 25 N/A

(Source: ITim International, 2009)

The above scores for the four important dimensions of national culture reveal

that members of Saudi Arabian society have strong levels of uncertainty avoidance

and power distance indices. Such individuals are likely to be very uncomfortable in

situations that are not hierarchical in nature or where rules are loose or absent

(Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005; Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1999). Saudi

Arabian employers must thus take care to provide environments that are supportive,

secure and well regulated in order to provide job satisfaction and improve

organisational retention. Apart from culture, a number of other external variables

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Alsoaery, A. (2019). The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private Schools: Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

Other External Variables:

The location of the employer is found to be an important factor in influencing employee

turnover and retention, particularly with regard to jobs in urban or metropolitan areas and

rural and remote locations (Byars & Rue, 2000; Gillespie et al., 2001). Whilst rural and remote

locations do provide environments that are healthy and clean, they suffer from a number of

disadvantages, which specifically include (a) difficulties in procurement of basic amenities, (b)

the need to travel long distances to fulfil primary commercial and social activities, (c)

difficulties in maintaining contact with family and friends, (d) absence of good health and

medical facilities, and (e) the inadequate availability of high-speed internet connectivity

(Gillespie et al., 2001; Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1999). Individuals with families and

children are especially affected by the lack of childcare education and healthcare in rural or

remote areas and thus tend to leave their jobs in order to obtain the comforts of urban or

metropolitan environments (Atif et al., 2011; Byars & Rue, 2000).

Other important factors that lead to higher incidence of turnover include the influence of events

or shocks, both negative and positive, and organisational size (Atif et al., 2011; Schaufeli et al.,

2009). Lee and Mitchell (1994) and Morrell et al. (2004) found that the occurrence of sudden

events often resulted in the emergence of tendencies to quit. Such events could include (a) the

promotion of rival employees, (b) the illness of a child, or (c) the death of a spouse or parent

(Schaufeli et al., 2009). Researchers found that the occurrence of various events not only led to

the emergence of thoughts of quitting but also influenced subsequent decisions for submitting

resignation papers (Nugent, 2009; Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1999).

The size of an organisation and the level of unionisation have also been studied for their impact

upon organisational turnover (Heneman & Judge, 2008; Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner,

1999). Studies reveal that larger organisations, by and large, record lower turnover for two

specific reasons; namely, higher wages and better growth opportunities (Pamu, 2010; Radin,

2006; Shamsuzzoha, 2007). Most large organisations grow over time and not only have various

organisational functions but also have more structured and attractive HR policies compared to

smaller organisations and start-ups (Mobley, 1982; Pamu, 2010; Trompenaars & Hampden- Turner, 1999). Such circumstances are clearly negatively correlated with intention to leave and

result in reduction of employee turnover (Clarke, 2001; Shamsuzzoha, 2007). There is also clear

evidence that greater unionisation results in lower turnover (Budhwar & Mellahi, 2007;

Mobley, 1982).

Unions or employee associations constantly work towards the enhancement of protection,

safety, wages and working conditions of employees, particularly in the cases of their members,

which automatically results in better hygiene conditions, according to Herzberg’s theory of

motivation (Barber & Bretz, 2000; Shamsuzzoha, 2007). Such enhancement in working

environment increases worker retention by the enhancement of organisational attractiveness

for workers (Barber & Bretz, 2000; Shamsuzzoha, 2007). Studies point out that, apart from

unionisation, the feelings, attitudes and intentions of co-workers influence intentions amongst

employees to stay with or leave their organisations (Shamsuzzoha, 2007; Somaya et al., 2008).

Conclusion

From the findings of the literature review, it appears that motivation of employees can be

enhanced through the adoption of various HR policies and processes. While traditional

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personnel management theory perceived employees to be organisational resources on a par

with other physical assets, compensated employees for their efforts through salaries, and used

strong control, discipline and standardisation for achievement of performance, modern-day HR

managers recognise the need to motivate employees to enhance organisational performance

beyond normal levels, as well as to retain them for long periods of time. Research has

consistently revealed strong correlation between employee motivation, and high retention and

low turnover, spurring modern-day HR managers to consistently work towards improving

levels of employee motivation and retention.

It is also seen that labour turnover can be reduced by implementing specific employee-friendly

policies in areas of remuneration, career advancement, job content, job satisfaction and

empowerment. The review also reveals that an employee’s desire to continue with employment

and labour turnover is affected by internal variables, such as demographic variables,

organisational commitment, job satisfaction, monetary and non-monetary rewards, temporary

employment and comparison of alternatives. External variables like national and

organisational cultures, job location, sudden events, organisational size and level of

unionisation also influence employee turnover.

Media reports and government figures on availability of teachers in private Saudi Arabian

schools reveal such availability to be low, particularly in certain important subjects.

Information on staff turnover and retention among teachers in such schools is sparse however,

and appears only as a small additional item in articles discussing low teacher availability in such

institutions. Both reports and research studies do not appear to have paid much attention to

this important aspect of teacher availability until recently. Such information is however

extremely important in any study on the issue of teacher availability or educational quality in

private schools in the Saudi Arabia. Such data in fact can help significantly in arriving at the

causes of high turnover and low retention and thereafter in the taking of appropriate action.

Based on the identified gap in the literature on reasons for employee turnover, the following

research questions are investigated, in the specific context of Saudi Arabia:

METHODOLOGY

The researcher conducts this study with the use of qualitative case study methods with the use

of semi-structured interviews with teachers and officials of the Private Education Group. Such

focused and detailed primary information from a few carefully selected respondents will help

in intensive and in-depth analysis of the attitudes and emotions of teachers and in satisfying

the objectives of the study. This technique that is essentially flexible in nature, contains

elements of both quantitative and qualitative analysis and involves detailed, focused and

holistic analysis (Yin, 2003). The case study method of research involves the selection of one

establishment, institution, event, or even person that can be considered to be representative of

the population under study, followed by the detailed, focused, and multiple perspective

investigation and analysis of the chosen case (Yin, 2003). The focus on a single case for the

purpose of this study presumes that the analysis will essentially be qualitative in nature. The

case study method has been criticised on occasion, because of the possibility of the selected

case not being truly representative of the population under study (Yin, 2003).

The researcher examined the responses obtained from the semi-structured interviews with the

use of content analysis. Content analysis represents a contemporary research technique for the

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Alsoaery, A. (2019). The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private Schools: Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

systematic analysis of written, spoken and visual communication (Krippendorff, 2003). Using

this approach, the researcher codified specific words provided by the respondents in their

responses to the questions asked based on the codification and classification detailed by the

researcher. The words were then analysed with regard to their frequency for determining and

analysing the responses from respondents.

The researcher however believes that the Private Education Group, which runs a number of

schools in Saudi Arabia, is quite representative and fulfils the demands of adequate

representation, with regard to the incidence and causes of turnover in teaching staff. The

Private Education Group is investigated through a combination of direct study of the institution

by the researcher and direct interviews. The interview questions were selected carefully, based

on their relevance to the research aims and objectives, and efforts were made to ensure that

respondents’ time was not wasted by unnecessary or contentious questions. The researcher

believes that the selection of the Private Group and the use of the case study method adequately

addressed the research objectives.

RESULT

Introduction

The analysis of the findings is taken up sequentially in the course of this section. The researcher

first deals with the findings from the semi-structured interviews conducted with employees

and thereafter with the two management officials.

Analysis of Interviews with Administrator and 14 Teachers

Employee Profile:

The15 respondents who participated in this research were school staff; 14 are teachers and the

other works as an administrator. Eight of these 15 respondents are more than 27 years old and

the rest are in the 18 to 27 age brackets. All the respondents are female, with most in the age

group 20 to 30. There are however two teachers who are less than 20 years old, and one who

is 32 years of age. The teachers take classes in kindergarten primary and higher levels and their

salaries range between 1200 and 3800 Saudi Riyals. The majority of the teachers however draw

salaries between 1500 and 2000 SR.

37

Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Result

4.1. Introduction

The data obtained from the semi-structured interviews have been detailed,

categorised and codified in Appendix 1, as elaborated in the previous section. The

analysis of the findings is taken up sequentially in the course of this section. The

researcher first deals with the findings from the semi-structured interviews conducted

with employees and thereafter with the two management officials.

4.2. Analysis of Interviews with Administrator and 14 Teachers

4.2.1. Employee profile

The15 respondents who participated in this research were school staff; 14 are

teachers and the other works as an administrator. Eight of these 15 respondents are

more than 27 years old and the rest are in the 18 to 27 age bracket. All the

respondents are female, with most in the age group 20 to 30. There are however two

teachers who are less than 20 years old, and one who is 32 years of age. The

teachers take classes in kindergarten primary and higher levels and their salaries

range between 1200 and 3800 Saudi Riyals. The majority of the teachers however

draw salaries between 1500 and 2000 SR.

Chart 2: Employees’ Work Experience

40%

14%

20%

13%

13%

1 Year

2 Year

3 Year

4 Year

5 Year

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As shown in the chart above, approximately 40 % of the respondents are new to teaching and

have experience of about one year. The remaining nine respondents have experience varying

from just less than two years to five years.

Reasons that can Force Employees to Leave Their Jobs:

A variety of reasons were provided from employees to leave their jobs. Only two of the

respondents mentioned a single reason and most of them mentioned two or more.

The reasons given by the two respondents who expressed only one each comprised of (a) not

very good treatment from the management - “disrespect especially when I did some mistake”

(TCH 12) Or (b) the “need to do more work than I have to, for example when they give me more

classes to teach” (TCH 2)

The most common reason expressed by most of the respondents was the low salary; as TCH: 3

expressed, “because the amount of salary I got doesn't match the effort I did”. TCH: 11 added, “I

would leave the school if I find another job with a better salary”. The second reason was not very

good treatment from the management; which TCH: 4 complained about, saying, “the bad

treatment from the management people, I mean my supervisors”. The third reason given was the

lack of motivation which is emphasised by TCH: 6 as “there is no motivation to keep the teacher”.

Last but not least, the fourth reason was the possibility of getting employment in the public

sector as TCH: 1 clarified, “the salary is three time higher than what I get in private school, and I

will have a permanent contract”. The rest of the reasons were mentioned once, and included

lack of job security, not a particularly good working atmosphere, and the absence of regulatory

protection of employees’ rights. In addition, the absence of a not fixed or permanent contract,

lack of training, transportation problems and personal issues were mentioned once each as

causes for leaving by some people.

The results reveal that the majority of the teachers would be induced to leave their current

employment if they were offered better salaries. While improvement of salaries appears to be

the most important motivator for searching for new jobs, there appears to be a tendency of

people to leave if they are assured of better treatment in their new assignments, or because of

the security associated with public sector employment.

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Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

Factors that can Help to Keep Employees Working in The Same Job and Organization:

The respondents were asked to state reasons which could help to keep them working in the

same job and organisation. Most of the respondents mentioned increase in salary; as TCH: 13

stated, “of course, increase my salary”. Also, a good management style and receiving good

motivation and encouragement were factors, as the admin stated, “when we got more

motivation and encouragement from management”. Other reasons comprise rewards, the

existence of good teamwork and the provision of more training courses, as well as need for

experience: “I have to gain experience, otherwise I won’t be able to find another job” (TCH: 8).

Another reason was the fact that there might not be another option for them, or simply because

they need a job, as TCH: 3 confirmed, “the need for earning money is the main reason for me

continuing working with this school”.

It thus appears that the overwhelming majority of teachers are searching for better salaries and

could well leave their jobs if they got opportunities that provided them with better

remuneration. It is also a matter of significant concern that many of them feel that their

treatment is unsatisfactory and they could be lured away by employers with reputations for

providing good treatment to their employers.

Correlation between Cultural Pressure and Turnover:

The majority of respondents (13 out of 15) feel that there is no pressure from society towards

their job, as summarised by TCH: 9: “I think the issue has nothing to do with the culture of the

society”. However, only two people reported they experienced some pressure, and a correlation

between cultural pressure and turnover. TCH:1 stated that “I faced difficulties when I asked the

bank for a mortgage as they refuse my application because of my low salary”. In addition, TCH:

11 stated, “I have been criticised by my family many times over why I should keep working for such

a low salary”.

With the exception of two, all other respondents clarified that they did not face any social

pressure from their families and society. The two employees, who stated they were under some

sort of pressure, attributed this to the low salaries paid to them by their current employers.

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Employment Contract with The School:

This question is considered as close-ended and the respondents were asked to state whether

their contract was temporary or permanent, and whether they got paid during the summer

vacation or not. All 15 employees, including the Administrator, stated that their contracts were

seasonal, meaning within the academic year, and they did not get paid during the summer

vacations.

Intentions to Leave the Job If Employees are Given Permanent Contracts:

This question aimed to ascertain the extent to which the awarding of a permanent contract

would change their mindsets, even if salaries weren’t kept the same. Four respondents stated

that being awarded a permanent contract would make a difference to their intentions to leave

the job, despite the salaries being changed. TCH: 3 stated, “Yes because I would not have to search

for another job in the summer time and this would make me stable”. However, nine respondents

said that it would make no difference to them; as the Administrator stated, “the amount of salary

is really matter”. Also, TCH: 9 added, “No, because my intention to leave the job would come as a

result of a number of reasons and the seasonal contract is just one of them”. Finally, two

participants stated they were not sure about this issue, and linked intention to leave or stay to

the salary they would receive: “Well, it depends on the amount of salary” (TCH: 7).

Intention to Leave the Job Will Change If You Got Paid Throughout the Whole Year

Including the Summer:

The answers to this question are different to those from the previous one as it means having a

permanent contract with the same salary. Ten out of 15 respondents stated that it would make

a difference to them, as TCH: 11 stated, “Yes if I got the same amount that I got now, but with the

hope that my salary will increase”. On the other hand, only three respondents did not agree with

this as some stated that there are other reasons why employees leave their jobs, and it is not

just a matter of getting paid during the summer vacation. Finally, the same two participants

who were not sure about the previous question gave the same answer in this one; they stated

that they might consider it.

Effect of Location of House to School:

In this question, 13 respondents think that the school’s distance from their house might affect

their decision to keep on working for the same school, as TCH: 10 stated, “Of course, school’s

location is one of the most important factors, but luckily my house is just next to the school”. Also

TCH: 8 stated that she was already suffering as she was “having difficulties with the

transportation”. Two respondents said that distance would not lead them to change their jobs;

as TCH: 9 does not have any problems with transportation, and TCH: 13 does not really worry

about the job location as long as she is happy with the job.

Things that Might Strengthen and Increase Commitment in The Organization:

This question concerns issues that might strengthen and increase the employees’ commitment

to their organisations. The respondents gave a variety of reasons, with the most common being

salary increases and the receipt of good treatment from the management with both having 10

responses; an example from TCH: 3 being, “the most important thing is salary and then I need to

be appreciated for my work from the management”. Other reasons included getting more

motivation from the management and respect of their rights have seven responses, as TCH: 5

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Alsoaery, A. (2019). The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private Schools: Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

emphasised, “the encouragement and the respect of my rights”. Other possible reasons for the

employees are to receive more training, get rewards and be awarded a permanent contract.

The respondents were divided in their attitude towards commitment, with some employees

feeling that better wages would help in improvement of commitment, while others felt that

better treatment, good working environment, and respect and appreciation from the

management would go a long way towards increasing job commitment.

Correlation between Training Courses and Employee Turnover:

The final question concerned the relationship between the amount of training programmes

offered by the organisation and the teachers’ intention to leave their jobs. Six respondents

stated that if they received more training courses, they would be less inclined to leave their

jobs, whereas seven believed that there was no relationship between these two issues. Finally,

two respondents were not sure about the relation between these elements.

Analysis of Responses by Managers

Managers’ Profile:

Semi-structured interviews were held with two people; the General Manager and the Director

of Education. Both officials are female and in their thirties. The General Manager has seven

years of experience and earns 10,000 SR per month, while the Director of Education with

similar experience earns 4,000 SR per month. The General Manager’s key job responsibility is

the supervision of all the managerial, technical, and financial activities in the school and she is

the school’s representative. The Director of Education deals with administrative and technical

tasks related to the educational issues, with the aim of monitoring and improve these aspects.

The information obtained from the semi-structured interviews with the two official is of great

importance because it provides insights about the attitudes of the organisational management

towards teachers, with specific regard to HR issues.

Reasons that Might Force Employees to Leave Their Jobs:

The Director of Education believes that low salaries are a possible factor as she mentioned, “low

salary is one of the main forces, which comes as a result of the low tuition fees we charge students,

so we can’t raise the salary”. Other factors could be that “the teacher has weak performance and

this makes her leave her job”, or Another because of personal circumstances like “giving birth or

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some time off to get married”. A final reason can be that the teacher is hired by the government

as she stated, “When our employees obtain a job in a public school”.

The General Manager agrees with the Director of Education about the recruitment in the public

sector and the low salaries. However, she identifies other reasons for this: “When they find

better alternatives, even if the salary is only slightly higher than what we offer”, and, “Maybe the

intensive monitoring of the employee makes her feel that the management does not trust her,

which therefore leads her to leave the job”.

Factors that Might Keep Employees Working with The Same Job:

The Director of Education believes that both the salary increases and the desire for good

experience are two important factors that could make the employee not leave her job and make

her “feel confident and productive”. She also identifies another factor: “Provide the employee with

a positive work environment that would encourage her creativity”.

The General Manager on the other hand thinks that an increase in the salary plays an important

role in the employee’s decision not to leave her job as she emphasised, “of course when we

increase their salaries”.

Consequences of Employees’ Turnover Upon the Schools:

The next question was about the consequences of employees’ turnover on the managers’

schools. The Director of Education believes that this has a negative effect upon the students’

outcome and would confuse the educational process; “When the teacher stops her teaching

activities, this indeed has a negative effect upon the educational process”. The Director also thinks

that it has incurs extra cost; “All the investment we make in our employee, like training courses;

all will be wasted”. Also, it has negative impact on the school’s reputation, as she stated, “this

would make the parents move their children to another competitor as a result of the negative

outcome for their children”.

The General Manager agrees that such a turnover have a negative effect on the students’

outcome and would confuse the educational process; she summaries this as the “disruption of

the work”. She also thinks that it would have a negative impact on the quality of the service and

“upon the students as they are the main people who suffer from this incident and their time will

be wasted”.

Management Dealing with Employees’ Turnover:

The Director of Education says that they document the contract and give both monetary and

non-monetary rewards to the good teachers, and she would also “create more training courses

to develop the employee’s performance”. The General Manager deals with this issue in a different

way. She first tries to give monetary and non-monetary rewards to the good teachers and

increase the salary to make the teachers work harder. In addition, she documents the contract

with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour to make it more compulsory in order

to “avoid teacher movement between private schools without valid reasons”, but she also stated,

“when teachers got a job in public schools, we cannot do anything as they strongly prefer the job

there and the authorities cannot do much regarding it”.

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Role of Authorities:

The aim of this question is to discover the official view about the role of both the Ministry of

Education and the Ministry of Labour with regard to decreasing the incidence of employees’

turnover in the private schools. The General Manager believes that the authorities should issue

a united contract between all private schools to preserve the rights of both employer and

employees. Furthermore, the authorities should “issue strong and more obligated regulations

that would force the teacher not to leave the school without meeting the school’s obligations and

avoid teacher movement between schools without good reasons”. Finally, she mentioned that the

authorities like the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour should support employees’

wages for the first four to five years of their commencement in the job, and that should have a

condition which is that “the employee’s wages cannot be supported if she breaks the contract and

tries to move to another school without good reason”.

The Director respondent agrees with the General Manager but she also mentioned “if the

teacher wants to move to another school, this must be at the end of the academic year to avoid

disruption”. Moreover, she suggested another possible action, i.e. the linking of tuition fees for

students with teachers’ salaries; “If the school increased tuition fees it would also increase

teachers’ salaries, which needs permission from the authorities first”.

Employees’ Satisfaction with Their Salaries and Benefits:

The aim of this question is to find out the officials’ views about their employee’s satisfaction

about their salaries and benefits. The Director believes that 70% of the employees are satisfied

with their salaries and benefits, as she stated, “In comparison with our competitors, I think 70%

of our employees are satisfied with that ”. The General Manager assumed, “I would say 50% of the

teachers in the school are satisfied with their salaries and benefits”.

Job Security and Future Career:

This question aimed to obtain the managers’ thoughts on whether their organisation was

considered a proper place for employees to pursue their careers and whether employees felt

secure in their jobs. The General Manager believes that most of the teachers do not see their

future in the private schools: “To be honest, I think most of them don't see their future in private

schools, they just want to gain experience and have this job until they find another one in a public

school”. She further clarified: “When you ask any person in the Kingdom about the private schools,

you will probably have an answer that assumes all the owners are greedy who take much and give

little. So when we hire an employee, they already have a bad image from society about private

schools, so they don't have high expectations about their career in such a school”.

The Director thinks slightly different where she stated that, “the badly performing teacher feels

insecure about her future”. The reason is that she believes that the school has a great future and

therefore could enable good employees to fulfil their ambitions. “We are a well known school in

the region, and every year we have a dozen candidates who want to work with us, but it's a matter

of commitment”.

Employees’ Satisfaction with The Work Environment:

The Director of Education feels that 80% of the teachers working in her school are satisfied

with the environment in the school; she stated, “I believe we provide an environment that

encourages creativities”. The General Manager’s thoughts are quite similar to those of the

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Director of Education, as she stated, “I would say 85% of our employees are satisfied, not because

of our excellent facilities, but also because of our good reputation as a private school in the region”.

Workload Sufficient for The Employees’ Job and Characteristics:

All the managers believe that the workload matches the job responsibilities. As the General

Manager assumed: “I believe 95% of the work is matching the job responsibilities, otherwise, the

employees would have complained a long time ago”.

Correlation between Cultural Pressure and Employee Turnover:

None of the managers thought that the pressure from culture has an impact on the phenomenon

of employees’ turnover. As the General Manager stated, “In general, I don't really think so. Not

in these days at least. This might have an impact a long time ago, but now working women

especially in schools is not something to be ashamed of, it’s actually a respectful job in the eyes of

the society”. However, she also repeated what she said in the previous question: “but some

people in the society doesn’t like the private schools as I told you before”.

DISCUSSION

The results of these semi-structured interviews provide a number of interesting findings that

help in the analysis of reasons for turnover and the ways in which such turnover can be reduced.

It is clear from the responses of the staff that the overwhelming majority of the employees have

strong reservations about their current jobs, with specific regard to their salaries, and all of

them would be willing to take up other employment if they were offered higher salaries. The

review of literature however reveals that the role of wages in turnover tends to be mixed. Byars

and Rue (2000) and Heneman and Judge (2008) find little relationship between wages and

turnover, whilst Tang et al. (2000) and Legge (2005) suggest that employees are motivated by

prospects of higher wages. Therefore, the results of the interviews might be due to the context

under study - Saudi Arabia - and thus the findings cannot be generalised. Furthermore, the

finding is in favour with what Megan and Bontis (2002) suggested that people who value money

and have low level of job satisfaction, would have higher tendency to leave their job.

Whilst both the officials agreed that salary was an important motivator in teachers staying with

or leaving the organisation, they also appeared to believe that only 30%- to50% of the

employees were likely to be dissatisfied with their salaries and more than 80% of them were

satisfied with their working environment. This finding is in accordance with literature on the

subject, which also appears to be divided on the issue, with some authors like Tang et al. (2000)

and Megan and Bontis (2002) suggesting a strong relationship between turnover and wages

and others like Heneman and Judge (2008) and Byars and Rue (2000) stating the very opposite.

The actual responses from the teachers however revealed a completely different picture, with

all of them stating that they would be ready to leave their jobs if they were offered better

salaries elsewhere, and many of them stating that better treatment would help them to remain

with their present employer. It is also interesting to note in this regard that while all the

employees who were administered semi- structured interviews were on seasonal contracts and

did not receive salaries during the summer vacations, most of them stated they would prefer a

higher salary to a permanent contract which is against the literature which revels that worker

feel job security to be extremely important even more than working hours or wages (Agho et

al., 1993). They were furthermore happy with the idea of being paid for their summer holidays,

only if their salaries were attractive enough. Their statements are in accordance with the

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Journal, 6(3). 439-471.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

suggestions of Tang et al. (2000); those salaries are extremely important for employee

retention and that employees will be more likely to leave if they can get better remuneration

elsewhere.

Both the employees and the officials interviewed were furthermore unanimous in their opinion

that social pressures were not likely to have any significant impact upon the decisions of

teachers to take or leave jobs. This appears to be surprising because Hofstede’s work on

national culture suggests that cultural pressures certainly influence employee behaviour. It is

important to note that 13 out of 15 employees felt location to be an extremely important factor

in their decision regarding taking up alternative employment or staying with the current

employer. This finding is in line with the literature on the subject as a number of experts like

Byars and Rue (2000) and Gillespie et al. (2001) speaks of the importance of location. Other

factors that appear to be important are the availability of good training facilities, good

treatment from the management and comfortable working environments. Maicibi (2003) and

Shamsuzzoha (2007) have found that improved training facilities leads to reduction of

turnover, particularly when it is provided within the organisation. A number of UK studies

however found little relationship between training and mobility (Maicibi, 2003). These factors

help in employee motivation and should certainly help in improvement of staff retention.

While the officials feel that employees can be motivated to continue with their employment by

increasing salaries (Abbasi & Hollman, 2000), providing other monetary and non-monetary

rewards, offering yearly contracts (MacLeod & Clarke, 2009) and improving training facilities

(Maicibi, 2003; Shamsuzzoha, 2007), they appear to be silent on the issue of location and the

importance of better treatment to employees or the provision of a better working environment

(Radin, 2006). These differing approaches reveal significant divergence in the attitudes of

employees and officials towards important factors like working environment, the needs of

employees for organisational respect (Maicibi, 2003) and the importance of locational

convenience. Such differences in opinions and attitudes between employees and officials could

result in HR policies that do not meet the objectives of employee retention. The review of

literature also reveals that differences in perceptions between the opinions of employees and

officials can very frequently lead to lack of communication, and subsequently, employee

turnover (Shamsuzzoha, 2007; Steven & Gregory 2002).

The results obtained from the primary data clearly reveal a divergence of opinions and attitudes

between the employees and officials of the organisation. The employees are clearly dissatisfied

about their salary levels, the seasonality of their contracts and the non-payment of salaries

during the summer holidays. They would be motivated to remain in their job if the location

were suitable to them and if they were shown appreciation for their efforts, greater respect,

better working conditions and improved training facilities. The review of literature also

strongly indicates that employees can be motivated through such HR mechanisms as been

supported by the literature that revels that highly motivated employees have significant levels

of commitment to their organisations and significantly lesser tendencies to leave their

organisations, compared to those who are less motivated (Ahmad & Schroeder, 2003; Legge,

2005).

Whilst the officials do agree on the importance of increasing salaries, they do not appear to be

aware of the level of discontent in the organisation and the readiness of all the employees to

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leave the organisation just for better salaries. They appeared to be under the impression that

50% to 70% of the employees were happy with their salaries and more than 80% are satisfied

with the working environment. Their suggestions for controlling employee turnover thus

appeared to be regulatory in nature and designed to erect barriers in the movement of

unsatisfied teachers. Such a reaction appears to concur with Hofstede’s analysis of Saudi

Arabian society, which is characterised by high Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance

indices. The responses of the officials appear to be hierarchical and regulatory in nature rather

than aiming to increase commitment and motivation in employees. Their impression about

more than 80% of the employees being satisfied with their working environment is clearly

unfounded and can lead to the taking of inappropriate decisions.

Recommendations for Improving Employee Retention

The researcher thus recommends that the management should very carefully assess the

opinions of teachers about issues like salaries, working conditions, appreciation, reward and

training. Whilst it is obvious that the private schools cannot provide all the benefits of public

sector jobs, it can take a number of actions to improve employee motivation, commitment and

retention. In such circumstances it would be advisable in the first instance to carefully assess

the abilities of different teachers and to thereafter provide the best of them with permanent

contracts and year-round salaries. Secondly, it would be advisable to recruit teachers from the

areas close to different schools in order to avoid the recruitment of teachers who have

locational problems with their job.

The organisation should also undertake a careful appraisal of existing salaries, particularly with

regard to parallel salaries offered by the public sector and the general cost of living in the

country. Such a practice will enable the organisation to improve remuneration levels, recruit

better teachers, improve retention levels and enhance the quality of education to students.

Much greater efforts should be made to understand the teachers and to deal with them with

greater empathy. The institution of an appropriate performance measurement system along

with the introduction of rewards for high-performing teachers will also help in increasing

employee commitment and motivation.

The officials of the Private Education Group should make efforts to understand the actual needs

of their teachers and institute wide-ranging measures in areas regarding selection of talent,

provisioning of appropriate salaries, permanence of employment, performance measurement,

performance-related reward, and training, rather than working towards the erection of

barriers to the movement of teachers from one organisation to another. Such barriers are

artificial in nature and can very rarely satisfy basic staff retention objectives.

Summary

The findings of this study clearly reveal that employees can be motivated through the provision

of better salaries, good treatment from management, more motivation, security of employment,

and improvement of training facilities and enhancement of behaviour with staff. There do,

however, appear to be some discrepancies between the attitudes and approaches of the

employees and officials, particularly with regard to location of employment, better treatment

and better working environment.

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Alsoaery, A. (2019). The Employee Turnover Phenomenon in Saudi Arabia’s Private Schools: Case Study. Advances in Social Sciences Research

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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.63.14814

The researcher recommends that the school management should very clearly investigate and

assess the opinions of teachers about their various priorities and thereby attempt to meet such

priorities, taking care at the same time to select the best possible employees in order to ensure

high-quality education. The researcher also recommends the introduction of an appropriate

performance management system, which should not however be at the expense of

organisational empathy with teachers and the understanding of their needs.

CONCLUSIONS

This study investigated the causes for high employee turnover among teachers of Saudi Arabian

private schools and made recommendations on ways and means through which such turnover

can be reduced. High turnover among teachers of private schools in Saudi Arabia appears to be

a matter of concern, and government reports, as well as media publications, state that the

country faces shortages in thousands of teaching positions, particularly in the areas of

mathematics and physical and technical education.

The research has been conducted with the help of an extensive literature review on various

aspects of employee turnover, with specific regard to turnover among teachers in schools,

followed by the framing of appropriate research questions and the conducting of research

based on the case study method. The case chosen for investigation is the Private Educational

Group, can be considered representative of private schools.

The findings from the interviews reveal important differences in the opinions and attitudes of

the employees and officials of the organisation. An overwhelming majority of the employees

appears to be ready to leave the organisation for alternative employment with better salaries

and many of them appeared to be dissatisfied with the temporary nature of their employment,

the fact that they were not paid during the summer holidays, the treatment that was given to

them by the management and the lack of remuneration and reward. The majority of them also

made the point that they would prefer to work in an establishment near their places of

residence. The officials of the school, while recognising the importance of salaries, believe that

a large proportion of their employees are satisfied with their jobs and that only the poor

performers are likely to suffer from insecurities. Their approach towards reducing the

incidence of turnover focuses more on governmental action and erection of barriers to

movement of employees between jobs, rather than motivation of employees, creation of better

working conditions and improvement of training facilities.

The researcher recommends that members of the organisational management of the Private

Education Group should make strong efforts to increase their communication with teachers and

their awareness of the various problems and constraints the teachers face, as well as learn more

about their ambitions and desires. The organisation can take a number of steps that should help

in improving the attractiveness of the group as an employment destination and help

significantly in reducing turnover among teachers.

Limitations

The researcher believes that while the number and nature of participants was complementary

for the conducting of the research, the quality and the amount of information would have

possibly improved if the researcher had more experience in interviewing methods and

techniques. The researcher also feels that the research findings could possibly have been

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improved if the research had incorporated more schools in different regions of Saudi Arabia

and made use of both qualitative and quantitative methods, i.e., through a true and appropriate

combination of questionnaires and in-depth interviews with selected respondents.

Recommendations

The researcher believe that future research would benefit from a larger sample size, of at least

300 participants from different regions in Saudi Arabia, and by incorporating both quantitative

and qualitative methods. The use of questionnaires and in-depth interviews with the

participants should lead to more representative and generalisable findings about the causes of

employee turnover in private schools in Saudi Arabia. It could also be interesting to conduct

research on the relationship between specific job responsibilities relating to teaching subjects

and turnover among teachers. Similar research in some public schools in the country would

also prove interesting in order to understand the similarities and differences in the attitudes of

teachers between private and public schools of the country, with regard to turnover. Last but

not least, further research could investigate this phenomenon among male and female teachers

in Saudi Arabian private schools, in order to examine the impact of gender upon teacher

turnover. Finally, the researcher recommends conducting a similar study in another country

with a similar cultural sitting in order to discover the similarities and differences between these

countries with regards to teacher turnover.

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