Topic: Accommodations needed for employee/s with specific health issues For this assignment, you will select a topic from a

Literature Review Synthesis Essay

Adapted from Previous Student Paper

WRTG 394

Employee Retention and Turnover Rates

The literature on employee retention and turnover rates shows that there is a fine line that keeps employees coming back to work, week after week, with ambitious goals and a passion to excel. No matter the workplace in question, the literature shows a few factors that hold true across the board. Management styles, job satisfaction and development, and solid retention programs were the key areas shown in the literature that made a difference in whether or not an employee stayed with a company or went on to find another place of employment.

Management impact on retention and turnover rates

Various studies support the notion that management can make or break a company in many aspects, especially concerning turnover raters and employee retention. When talking about turnover rates and employee retention, it is imperative to understand how exactly they are measured. According to the Saratoga Institute, “Turnover is calculated as the number of employee terminations in a given period—voluntary, involuntary or both—divided by the average number of active employees during the same period” (as cited in Waldman & Arora, 2004). Employee retention is measured by examining individuals in different job groups and measuring how long they stay at their jobs (Waldman & Arora, 2004).

In addition, the cost of employee turnover can be significant to any organization. According to Kepner-Tregoe, Inc. (as cited in “To conquer turnover, first calculate its true impact”), to calculate the cost of employee turnover, one would multiply the wage of the position by 130% (in order to include the cost of benefits) and then multiply the result by 25%. “This cost per employee may then be multiplied by the number of ex-employees [from this position]…to arrive at the total cost of turnover in this position” (“To conquer turnover, first calculate its true impact,” p. 8).

Management has a direct impact on turnover and retention. According to Abrams (2002), “If employees have problems with their managers, their probability of leaving the organization increases dramatically, since day-to-day contact has a profound impact on staffing.” Ultimately, a manager cannot throw money at his or her employees in an effort to maintain feasible retention rates (Mitchell, Holtom, Lee, 2001). The literature regarding management techniques and the impact it had on employee retention and turnover rates showed that open, two-way communication and trust were the biggest contributing factors to success in both areas (Taplin & Winterton, 2007). Aside from the impact the manager as a person contributes, the actual job satisfaction itself also plays a bug role in the rates of employee retention and turnover rates.

The impact of job satisfaction and development on employee retention and turnover rates

Other key points that impact employee retention and turnover rates, according to the literature, are job satisfaction and development. “The first step in decreasing turnover is understanding why your employees leave” (Jardine & Amig, 2001). Making this accomplishment more difficult is the fact that “employees are reminding us that the heart is a tougher battlefield than the mind” (Frank, Finnegan, & Taylor, 2004). When assessing how happy an employee is in his or her current position, the process is not as simple as most employers may think. In today’s times, employers are dealing with both older generations and younger generations who have very different mindsets with regard to what they desire from their jobs. For the older generations, job satisfaction is at the top of their list of reasons to stay employed by a particular company. On the other hand, for millennials, their focus is on development (Lee, Hom, Eberly, & Li, 2018). Living in a time when two very different generations have to learn to coexist in the workforce poses an immense pressure for companies to find a happy medium for both. According to a study done by Gallup, (1) millennials want a purpose, not just a paycheck, (2) millennials are not just looking to be satisfied by their job, they are looking for career development; (3) millennials want to be coached through things, not bossed around or micromanaged; (4) millennials want conversations with meaning on a regular basis, not just annual reviews; (5) millennials want to focus on their strengths, not their weaknesses; and (6) millennials are not looking at work as their job, but more so that it represents their life (n.d.). Baby boomers, however, have a different mindset. At this point in time they are focusing more on job satisfaction and maintaining their employment in an effort to secure their health and retirement benefits. According to Allison Bell of the National Underwriter, “ a good benefits package can be critical to efforts to retain boomer employees” (2005). Time allocated for sick days and vacation days, along with the opportunity to invest in retirement, are important features. However, when employees stay at a job only because they fear losing these benefits, then the quality of work generally suffers (Lee, Hom, Eberly, & Li, 2018).

Employee retention programs

The literature also shows the characteristics of effective employee retention programs. “Employee retention programs are made up of a variety of components. Each of these components must work together in a systematic method to achieve the goal of retaining employees” (Gillies, 2000). In the various programs mentioned, the most successful efforts were found in compensation reviews, employee surveys, easier access to communication with upper management, and scheduling that allows for flexibility (Abrams, n.d.). Additionally, employers also have to combat economic fluctuations in regard to turnover and employee retention (Frank, Finnegan, & Taylor, 2004). When employees know that their pay will increase with a positive compensation review, this incentive gives them something to work hard for. Keeping employees willingly engaged in the betterment of their work performance is a difficult task for any employer, which is apparent by all of the studies that have been done in response to retention rates and employee turnover. There are popular misconceptions that are addressed pertaining to the state of the economy and the relationship that it has with retention and employee engagement (Frank, Finnegan, & Taylor, 2004).

Conclusion

The literature reviewed on employee retention and turnover rates shows that there are many factors that play into measuring the effectiveness of various efforts. While there is no infallible method on determining what works best for all companies as a whole, it is apparent that each company must look within its own walls to determine what is the best course of action to keep highly productive and engaged employees loyal to the company. Focusing efforts on management techniques, job satisfaction and development, and better employee retention programs can greatly mitigate the costly and overwhelmingly difficult task of minimizing employee turnover and improving retention rates.

References

Abrams, M. (2002). Back to basics 1. Employee retention and turnover: Holding managers accountable. Trustee: The Journal for Hospital Governing Boards, 55(3), 15–18. Retrieved from https://www.journalguide.com/journals/trustee-the-journal-for-hospital-governing-boards

Bell, A. (2005). To raise boomer retention, firms may have to update benefits. National Underwriter Life & Health, (44), 37. Retrieved from https://www.nationalunderwriter.com

Frank, F. D., Finnegan, R. P., & Taylor, C. R. (2004). The race for talent: Retaining and engaging workers in the 21st century. Human Resource Planning, 27(3), 12–25. Retrieved from https://journals.aom.org/

Gallup, Inc. (n.d.). How Millennials Want to Work and Live. Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com/workplace/238073/millennials-work-live.aspx

Gillies, B. (2000). A Comprehensive Approach to Reducing Turnover. San Diego Business Journal, 21(41), 22. Retrieved from https://www.sdbj.com/

Jardine, E., & Amig, S. (2001). Managing human Capital. Behavioral Health Management, 21(2), 22. Retrieved from https://www.worldcat.org/title/behavioral-health-management/oclc/29851428

Lee, T. W., Hom, P., Eberly, M., & Li, J. (Jason). (2018). Managing employee retention and turnover with 21st century ideas. Organizational Dynamics, 47(2), 88–98. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.08.004

Mitchell, T. R., Holtom, B. C., & Lee, T. W. (2001). How to keep your best employees: Developing an effective retention policy. Academy of Management Perspectives, 15(4), 96–108. doi:10.5465/ame.2001.5897929

Taplin, I. M., & Winterton, J. (2007). The importance of management style in labour retention. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 27(1/2), 5–18. doi:10.1108/01443330710722724

To conquer turnover, first calculate its true impact. (2019). HR Specialist, 8. Retrieved from https://www.thehrspecialist.com/

Waldman, J. D., & Arora, S. (2004). Measuring retention rather than turnover: A different and complementary HR calculus. Human Resource Planning, 27(3), 6–9. Retrieved from https://journals.aom.org/

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Writing Assignment #2

Background Review and

Synthesis of Literature

Summary of assignment

· Task: You will complete the following:

· Select a topic for writing assignment #4 o Research that topic in OneSearch

· Locate at least seven articles from scholarly or credible trade journals on the topic o Write a synthesis of the articles.

· Length: 1000-1400 words.

· Format: APA

· Sources: At least seven sources from scholarly or credible trade journals

· Writing Process: You will submit a first draft of the essay to the assignment folder. The first draft will not be graded. The instructor will provide comments to it. After receiving comments from the instructor, you will submit a revised draft. The final draft will be graded.

Continue to the next page

How This Assignment Informs Future Assignments in WRTG 394

This assignment is designed to help you prepare for the final paper in WRTG 394. Keep in mind that your final paper in WRTG 394 will be a report in which you define a problem in your workplace or community persuasively and accurately and propose a solution or solutions to the problem or issue.

For writing assignment #2, consider the problem you will address and conduct research in the library on the topic.

For example, let us assume that you are considering writing a report to the Dean of The School of Arts and Sciences at UMGC to recommend that UMGC move from LEO as its learning management system (LMS) to a different learning management system. In preparing to write this type of report, you might complete the following for writing assignment #2: Conduct library research on the topics of learning management systems for schools, online teaching, and effective teaching in an online environment.

What do We Mean by Synthesis?

In a background review and synthesis of the literature, you don’t take a stand on an issue. You review what the articles say on the issue, dividing the arguments in the articles into themes.

For example, let us assume that you conduct library research on the topic of learning management systems for schools, online teaching, and effective teaching in an online environment. You might find that three major themes emerge from your perusing of the seven articles:

· common reasons for resisting the move to a new LMS

· impact on faculty members when transitioning to a new LMS

· impact on students when transitioning to new LMS

Selection of Topics

Examples of Topics for Writing Assignment #4, the Research-Based Report

A student could write a report on a number of topics. The following are some examples. Please note that these are examples of topics. You are not required to choose any of them. They are provided here to help illustrate this assignment.

· a report to your supervisor at work suggesting that email be used less frequently for communication and that another application be used to improve communication

· a report to your city council suggesting a new smart traffic light system for parts of the city

· a report to the program chair of your major at UMGC to suggest changes to one or more of the classes required in the major

· a report to the manager of your unit at work noting that recycling facilities in the workplace should be improved

Examples of Topics for Writing Assignment #2, the Background Review and Synthesis, Based on the Suggested Topics Above

In any report of this nature, some background research is necessary. For example, consider the following strategies when collecting background research for the topics mentioned above:

· For a report to your supervisor at work suggesting that email be used less frequently for communication and that another application be used to improve communication, some scholarly literature or articles from credible trade journals on transitioning to alternative electronic communication would be beneficial. In addition, articles that demonstrate the problems with email communication would add to the argument.

· For a report to your city council proposing a new smart traffic light system, some trade journal or scholarly literature on such systems would augment the report considerably.

· For a report to the program chair of your major at UMGC, some scholarly or trade journal articles on the skills that a graduate of that major needs in the workplace would be very effective. This information would greatly enhance the credibility of a report that suggests changes to the curriculum.

· For a report to the manager of your unit at work arguing that recycling facilities in the workplace should be improved, some scholarly articles or studies on the challenges of and benefits to implementing recycling facilities in organizations would be persuasive. Of course, there are varieties of recycling programs. The articles you find would help define what type of recycling program you would propose.

Length of Your Paper

As noted above, your background review of the literature on your topic should be 1000-1400 words in length.

The sources should be cited throughout the paper in APA format and listed in a References page at the end of the paper in APA format.

You will find that your synthesis will be a helpful component of your final research-based report. In fact, if your synthesis is well written, you might be able to take parts of it and copy them into sections of the final report. The skills and strategies you gain from writing the background review and synthesis of literature will be very valuable in writing your final research-based report.

Guide to Help You in Writing this Assignment:

Please read the sample paper in our class from Tom Student.

In addition, the following link provides access to guides on writing a research-based business report. While the guide provides instruction on writing a research-based business report, for the purposes of writing assignment #2, you might focus on how the guide instructs you on the use of sources and secondary research for the report.

· Victoria University of Wellington

Additional Topics that Previous Students Have Used

Some possible workplace research topics are the following. These are examples to help you get started. Please contact your instructor to have other topic ideas approved .

· Making a change in the computer infrastructure at your workplace

· Establishing a drug policy

· Establishing an employee leave donation program

· Establishing an equipment donation program for used computers, etc.

· Establishing a company recycling program (paper, etc.)

· Education/retraining for your employees

· Recommending the purchase of standing desks for employees

· Designing a training program for workplace safety issues

· Redesigning employee performance evaluations

· Establishing on-site day care or providing other child care benefits

· Providing gym membership or creating an on-site workout facility

· Creating or revising a charitable contribution policy

· Creating or improving a tuition assistance program

· Accommodations needed for employee/s with specific health issues (for example, migraines)

Some students have chosen topics outside of their workplaces, such as the following:

· Getting additional lighting in the neighborhood

· Changing traffic patterns around your child’s school

· Starting a PTA website for your child’s school

· Constructing a crying baby room at your place of worship

· Offering ESL courses at your church

· Increasing participation in a military Family Support Group

· Introducing a youth sports program to a school or community

· Changing the design of a class for your university

· Changing the learning management system for online classes for your university

Submitting the assignment:

You will submit a first draft of the essay to the assignment folder. The first draft will not be graded. The instructor will provide comments to it.

After receiving comments from the instructor, you will submit a revised draft. The final draft will be graded.

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