Autonomy and broader job involvement linked to higher turnover; relationship-oriented culture curbs attrition
Study of 1,479 firms finds organizational culture outweighs wages and working hours
Coaching and mentoring also reduce turnover; researchers urge better onboarding support for young workers
Organizational culture and the way work is structured matter more than wages or working hours in determining whether new employees leave their jobs early, according to new research. Notably, giving new hires greater autonomy and broader involvement in decision-making was found to increase turnover rather than reduce it, while a relationship-oriented culture that fosters a sense of belonging and camaraderie proved effective at keeping staff.
The findings come from a study by Noh Yong-jin, a professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, presented at a recent academic conference and cited Monday by the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET).
The study drew on KRIVET's Human Capital Corporate Panel data from 2020 to 2023, using regression analysis on a sample of 1,479 companies over four years to examine how organizational culture, team work practices, and coaching and mentoring systems affect the turnover rate of entry-level employees with no prior work experience.
The analysis found that a relationship-oriented organizational culture — one that cultivates a family-like atmosphere and a strong sense of unity among members — was associated with lower new-hire turnover. The regression coefficient for this factor was -3.403, a statistically significant result.
By contrast, organizational practices that emphasize autonomy and active job involvement for new employees produced results that ran counter to expectations.
Task-oriented factors — such as encouraging employees to participate actively in problem-solving and decision-making, assigning diverse responsibilities to build experience, and granting broad autonomy in how work is carried out — yielded a regression coefficient of 4.914, indicating that the stronger these elements, the higher the new-hire turnover rate.
Particularly notable is that organizational culture and work practices had a larger influence than wages or working hours. The regression coefficients for wage levels and weekly working hours were -0.048 and -0.271, respectively. However, comparing effect sizes across different variables based solely on regression coefficients requires caution.
Coaching and mentoring programs designed to help new employees adjust to the organization were also identified as a factor that reduces turnover, with a regression coefficient of -1.382.
The study suggests companies need to move beyond the conventional human resources approach of focusing solely on improving compensation — through pay raises or shorter working hours — to prevent early attrition. The research also warns that granting autonomy and responsibility to new employees who lack job experience, without adequate training and support, may burden rather than ease their adjustment to the organization.
The researchers caution, however, against viewing early job changes in purely negative terms. Some voluntary turnover among young workers reflects a natural process of searching for a better fit in terms of job type and working conditions. The study calls for distinguishing between turnover driven by poor workplace adjustment and that driven by deliberate career exploration.
"The impact of interpersonal relationship management on turnover was stronger among employees with no prior work experience than among those with experience," Noh said. "The absence of professional experience may be a factor mediating the effect of interpersonal maladjustment on turnover."
Noh added that for MZ generation new hires — who have had fewer opportunities for direct interpersonal interaction due to smaller family sizes and the spread of the internet — adapting to an organizational environment can be a significant challenge. "Interpersonal relationship management that supports adjustment could contribute to lowering turnover rates among new employees," Noh said.
fact0514@heraldcorp.com
