Investigating factors that influences employee turnover in the hospitality industry : a case study at Durban Marine Theme Park (Ushaka Marine World)

Abstract

Employee turnover has become an important area of research from both a theoretical and practical standpoint. It is important from a theoretical perspective, in understanding how the underlying causes of turnover can provide insights into how to control the phenomenon. However, from a practical standpoint, learning how to minimize the turnover of skilled employees is crucial in reducing employee replacement costs. A decreasing employee turnover keeps knowledgeable and experienced employees working in the organization. A large portion of the employee turnover problems that we have seen in the recent past can be directly linked to the fact that jobs were plentiful and employees were scarce, considering overall unemployment was at or near a 30-year low. In this study, the researcher reviewed a variety of published literature dealing with employee turnover in general and some more specific to employee turnover in the retail industry. Employees who transfer to other positions within the same organization are not considered in the calculation, as well as those who retired, had their job phased-out or were terminated due to downsizing. Turnover rates for employees can be measured and compared over time and across companies, using what is commonly referred to as the employee turnover index. The main aim of this study is to investigate factors that influence employee turnover and their impact on employee performance at Durban Marine Theme Park. The objectives of the study, to investigate the causes for the high employee turnover in the hospitality industry, examine what are the consequences of the high employee turnover in hospitality industry, determine factors that contribute to employee turnover and propose possible solutions towards the reduction of employee turnover. The research design used in this study will be quantitative study, structured questionnaires. 100 respondents will be selected none randomly, hence the use of non-probability technique. The researcher selected the non-probability sampling design method and purposive sampling for this study to confine to a specific group of people who would able to provide the necessary information. The study can be beneficial in addressing problem of high employee turnover at Durban Marine Theme Park.