Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Lynn Szostek

Abstract

Voluntary employee turnover in the fast-food industry is 50%. Employee turnover costs fast-food restaurants $10 billion annually. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the strategies of 5 fast-food restaurant managers in the Midwestern United States who achieved higher employee retention than did peers in their districts. The conceptual framework was the 8 motivational forces of voluntary employee turnover. Data were collected via semistructured, face-to-face interviews, recruiting materials, retention activities, policy manuals, and overall voluntary termination reports. Data were compiled, disassembled into groups, reassembled into patterns and themes, and interpreted for conclusions, revealing 3 themes that influenced the managers' employee retention: organizational support, communication, and employee training. These findings suggest that proactively developing a culture of support, implementing communication and feedback channels for employees, and maintaining a training and development program can improve employee retention. Findings might contribute to social change by helping managers develop strategies for improving employee retention, and in turn, financial performance. Employees of fast-food restaurants could benefit from improved retention and financial performance, as they could contribute to new employment opportunities and increased career longevity. Society could benefit from expanded aggregate employment and tax revenue.

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