Employee development, commitment and intention to turnover: a test of ‘employability’ policies in action

TLDR

The study examines how three types of development activities affect salaried employees in a firm that expanded development access following late‑1990s layoffs. On‑the‑job training increased commitment and lowered turnover intention, whereas tuition‑reimbursement alone raised turnover intention, but earning a degree and receiving a promotion mitigated that effect.

Abstract

Participation in three types of development activities is examined among salaried employees of a firm that significantly increased access to development after a series of layoffs in the late 1990s. Analyses of survey and archival data representing 667 employees show that on‐the‐job training was positively related to organisational commitment and negatively related to intention to turnover. Participation in tuition‐reimbursement, which provides more general or marketable skills, was positively related to intention to turnover. However, intention to turnover was reduced after earning a degree through tuition‐reimbursement if employees were subsequently promoted. Implications for an employment relationship based on ‘employability’ are discussed.