Is Occupational Stress a Good Predictor of Turnover Intention? Evidence From a Leading Garment Manufacturer in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Managing occupational stress and the turnover intention have become momentous phenomena in career management literature. Majority of garment factories in Sri Lanka are experiencing high rate of labour turnover ratio and it becomes a critical problem to maintain their competitive advantages. Various factors affecting to the turnover intention and the occupational stress is one of the major determinant which leads the turnover intention. However, the relationship between the occupational stress of the Sewing Machine Operators and the Turnover Intention is under considered in Sri Lankan context. Thus, the paper based on two main objectives; first, it explores the relationship between occupational stress and the turnover intention of sewing machine operators. Second, study aims to identify the significant stressors of perceived occupational stress. Two hundred sewing machine operators are surveyed by using a self administered questionnaire and the results of the factor analysis extracted two main components of stressors as subjective work stressors and objective work Stressors. Regression analysis identified that working condition and the work load as the significant predictors of objective work stressors and the social image and the supervisory support as the significant predictors of subjective work stressors. Correlation Analysis revealed a positive relationship in between the occupational stress and the turnover intention but no significant relationship is found in between these two variables. The findings of the study would be important to the human resource managers of apparel industry to develop their stress management and retention programs.