Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Brian B. Cesario

Abstract

Voluntary turnover has increased in the United States federal government in recent decades. Employees are voluntarily leaving organizations sooner than expected, leaving the remaining employees to complete their tasks and posing a possible loss of revenue until the employee is replaced or retrained. The purpose of this study was to understand the reasoning behind the upward trend in turnover rates within the federal government and assist with strategies to retain government employees in the future. Herzberg’s two-factor theory was used as the theoretical framework to heighten understanding of the high levels of turnovers within the federal government. The primary research questions centered on ascertaining former federal employees’ lived experiences and the factors that influenced them to depart their organization. The sample consisted of 17 former government employees who departed between 1999-2019. Semi structured interviews were conducted telephonically, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Four themes were revealed: job dissatisfaction, compensation and benefits, promotion and growth ability, and organizational leadership influences. The recommendations based on this study are that organizations should provide better compensation packages for federal employees and opportunities for employees to advance professionally and personally. Understanding the reasoning behind federal employee departure could assist organizational leaders in developing a better retention program for current and future employees. Increased retention might promote positive social change by increasing organizational revenue and stability in communities.

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