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When Does Employee Turnover Matter? Dynamic Member Configurations, Productive Capacity, and Collective Performance

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  • John P. Hausknecht

    (Department of Human Resource Studies, ILR School, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853)

  • Jacob A. Holwerda

    (Department of Human Resource Studies, ILR School, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853)

Abstract

In theory, employee turnover has important consequences for groups, work units, and organizations. However, past research has not revealed consistent empirical support for a relationship between aggregate levels of turnover and performance outcomes. In this paper, we present a novel conceptualization of turnover to explain when, why, and how it affects important outcomes. We suggest that greater attention to five characteristics—leaver proficiencies, time dispersion, positional distribution, remaining member proficiencies, and newcomer proficiencies—will reveal dynamic member configurations that predictably influence productive capacity and collective performance. We describe and illustrate the five properties, explain how particular member configurations exacerbate or diminish turnover's effects, and present a new measurement approach that captures these characteristics in a collective context and over time.

Suggested Citation

  • John P. Hausknecht & Jacob A. Holwerda, 2013. "When Does Employee Turnover Matter? Dynamic Member Configurations, Productive Capacity, and Collective Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 210-225, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:24:y:2013:i:1:p:210-225
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1110.0720
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    3. Will, Matthias Georg, 2017. "Voluntary turnover: What we measure and what it (really) means," Discussion Papers 2017-01, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Chair of Economic Ethics.
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    7. Gjerløv-Juel, Pernille & Guenther, Christina, 2019. "Early employment expansion and long-run survival," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 80-102.
    8. Wynen, Jan & Van Dooren, Wouter & Mattijs, Jan & Deschamps, Carl, 2019. "Linking turnover to organizational performance : The role of process conformance," Other publications TiSEM ab3fe85e-a4a2-4e2a-8058-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    9. Ahmed Al Hebsi & Stephen Wilkins, 2022. "New Public Management in Abu Dhabi: Effects on Employee Loyalty, Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, and Work–Life Balance," Merits, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Matthias Georg Will, 2017. "Voluntary Turnover: What We Measure and What It (Really) Means," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 897, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
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    17. Song Wang & Bowen Dong & Steven X. Si & Junsheng Dou, 2017. "When it rains, it pours: A triple-pathway model of collective turnover based on causal mapping analysis," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 461-486, June.
    18. Man-Su Kang & Huifeng Pan & Hong-Youl Ha, 2018. "An empirical test of replacement costs of turnover using human capital corporate panel in Korea," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 312-329, May.
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    22. Kin Fai Ellick Wong & Cecilia Cheng, 2020. "The Turnover Intention–Behaviour Link: A Culture‐Moderated Meta‐Analysis," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(6), pages 1174-1216, September.

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