What are the best HRM practices for retaining experts? A longitudinal study in the Canadian information technology sector. Issue 3 (1st June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Renaud, Stéphane; Morin, Lucie; Saulquin, Jean-Yves; Abraham, Jocelyne
• Is Part Of: International journal of manpower. Volume 36:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 416
• Page End: 432
• Publication Date: 2015-06-01
• Subjects: 331.1105
• DOI: 10.1108/IJM-03-2014-0078
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-7720

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Purpose</title> <p> – The purpose of this paper is to answer the following two questions: What are the HRM practices that have a significant impact on employees' functional retention?, and Does the impact of these HRM practices on functional retention differ based on the employee's status as an expert or a non-expert? Our theoretical foundation rests on human capital theory and social exchange theory. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Design/methodology/approach</title> <p> – This study uses longitudinal data that come from multiple surveys conducted on new employees within a Canadian subsidiary of an international information technology (IT) firm. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Findings</title> <p> – Results show that four out of five HRM practices under study have a significant and positive impact on functional retention of employees regardless of their expert status: satisfaction with a respectful and stimulating work environment, satisfaction with training and development, satisfaction with innovative benefits and satisfaction with incentive compensation significantly increase functional retention of employees. Functional retention was found to be higher for experts than for their non-expert counterparts. Last, results show that expert/non-expert status play a moderating role between HRM practices and functional retention. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Originality/value</title> <p> – In short, this study offers five main contributions to the literature: first, it focuses on retention rather than turnover; second, it goes further by examining functional retention as the dependant variable; third, it distinguishes between two categories of employees: experts and non-experts; fourth, it extends the limited literature on IT workers, HRM practices and retention; and fifth, it is based on longitudinal data whereas the overwhelming majority of published studies have been based on cross-sectional data.</p> </sec> </abstract>