Degree
Master of Business Administration Executive
Faculty / School
School of Business Studies (SBS)
Year of Award
2025
Advisor/Supervisor
Dr. Yasir Mansoor Kundi, Assistant Professor, Department of Management
Project Type
MBA Executive Research Project
Access Type
Restricted Access
Keywords
Turnover intention, Turnover rate, Recruitment cost
Executive Summary
In today's competitive business environment, attracting and retaining talent is more crucial than ever (HBR,2023). As organizations strive for innovation, growth, and sustained success, the caliber of their workforce becomes a defining factor (Stephen, 2023). The present study has been conducted within an organization that operates as a vertically integrated textile manufacturing unit, founded in 1952. This family-owned business is renowned for producing high-quality fabrics and currently employs over 700 individuals. The primary reason for studying this organization is that according to its Human Resources Department, the organization is experiencing a higher-than-average turnover rate. Over the past 18 months, the company has reported that more than 20% of its new and established employees have resigned to join other organizations. The accounts department noted a turnover rate of 40% of turnover in the past 12 months, with over 50 employees leaving during this period. This turnover not only interrupts operations but also incurs costs related to recruitment, training, and lost productivity In the retail sector, employee turnover poses a significant challenge for management due to the sudden market demand. The organization employs around 140 employees to run its retail operations in the country, and it was reported that around 60 employees left in the past 6 months, particularly very near to the primary season of the year, which is the month of Ramadan. Not having experienced employees in customer-facing roles resulted in declining sales by more than 20% in the peak season of Ramadan. Additionally, newly recruited employees were not adequately trained, which resulted in poor customer service, hurting the company's reputation. The HR department informed management that if this issue continues, the company will face tremendous problems regarding increased recruitment costs, as hiring and training new employees is expensive. The firm management is concerned about losing the knowledge and skills developed within the existing workforce over time. Hence, the management seeks a plan and strategy from the HR team to address these challenges and effectively solve the turnover. We plan to conduct a mixed-methods study in the current project to address the above issue faced by ABC (name disclosed for confidentiality purposes). First, we will undertake a qualitative study to explore the underlying reasons behind turnover intentions, which have been argued to lead to actual turnover. Next, we will conduct a survey-based study to examine which factors identified have a more substantial effect on their turnover intentions.
This study aims to provide ABC management with empirical evidence about the root causes of turnover. This will help the management design and implement feasible and effective targeted retention strategies.
Pages
vii, 17
Recommended Citation
Naseem, B., & Lakhany, R. (2025). Strategic solutions for retaining talent at organization- an exploratory study (Unpublished graduate research project). Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan. Retrieved from https://ir.iba.edu.pk/research-projects-emba/678
