NCJ Number
230646
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 38 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2010 Pages: 139-148
Date Published
March 2010
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the potential antecedents of turnover intent among jail staff.
Abstract
The success of any organization usually rests on the shoulders of its employees. As such, voluntary personnel turnover presents administrative challenges that have substantial and far reaching effects. Understanding the factors that lead to staff turnover intentions can assist organizational leaders in possible altering the work environment to address employee concerns. Among correctional organizations, the few studies that have been conducted on turnover intent have focuses, as most correctional research in general, on prisons. The exclusion of jail turnover intent is puzzling given the unique challenges that jail staff face. The current study attempted to fill this empirical void by using survey data to examine the antecedents, (i.e., personal characteristics, perceptions of the work environment, and job attitudes) of turnover intent among staff at a large southern jail. Based on a multivariate analysis, the most powerful predictors of jail staff turnover intent were job attitudes (i.e., job involvement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment). The findings suggested that administrators should concentrate on improving the work environment to boost employee job involvement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Tables, appendix, notes, and references (Published Abstract)