ABSTRACT
Much turnover research narrowly scrutinizes particular turnover antecedents rather than testing complete turnover models. Such focus is invaluable for improving the capacity to predict turnover but also for reconceptualizing the role of these antecedents within larger theoretical frameworks. Specifically, we review longstanding research on the varied forms of organizational commitment and recent person-centered studies on commitment profiles. Next, we consider how temporal change in job satisfaction can reclaim its historic legacy as a prime turnover driver. Moreover, we examine enduring inquiries into the relationship between job performance and turnover, identifying its moderators as well as its dynamic features. Finally, we critique traditional approaches for capturing March and Simon’s “ease of movement,” noting the shortcomings of standard measures of employee perceptions of job alternatives. We discuss how improved instrumentation can more fully capture labor market perceptions as well as “movement capital” (reflecting objective proxies for unemployment rates and human capital enabling employees to change jobs).
