Charting a Path to Sustainable Workforce: Exploring Influential Factors behind Employee Turnover Intentions in the Energy Industry

Abstract

The challenges of employee retention in the energy industry are more significant than in other industries where absenteeism is also common. The goal of this paper is to understand the variables influencing turnover intention while determining whether absenteeism in the energy sector can be a predictor of turnover intention. The turnover intention model was set up with the following predictor variables: Absenteeism, Affective Organizational Commitment, Organizational Justice, and Alternative Job Opportunities. The structured questionnaire was created by combining previously established scales. A primary survey was conducted on a sample of 156 employees, and a predictor analysis was conducted using regression analysis and SEM. The research results showed that alternative job opportunities have a direct and positive influence on turnover intention (β = 0.186), while organizational justice (β = −0.127) and affective organizational commitment (β = −0.317) have a negative direct influence on turnover intention. Absenteeism (β = 0.098) was found to have no significant influence on turnover intention. Apart from the obtained results indicating that absenteeism in the energy industry cannot be a predictor of turnover intention, the scientific contribution of the paper is also manifested in the analysis and critical review of previous research on turnover and absenteeism in the energy industry. The study’s conclusion is that affective organizational commitment is a key variable for employee retention, i.e., workforce sustainability.