Date of Award

12-2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Executive Leadership

First Supervisor

Shannon Cleverley-Thompson, Ed.D.

Second Supervisor

Drew Marsherall, Ed.D.

Abstract

Millennials have been found to have higher turnover than previous generations, costing organizations and the U.S. economy over $30 billion annually (Adkins, 2016). Higher turnover for millennials has both short-term and long-term implications for organizations. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of job satisfaction, demographic characteristics, and retention for millennials working in technical and business professions in the United States. Using a quantitative, postpositivist paradigmatic design, this study employed the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) short form (University of Minnesota, 2016), the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6) (Roodt, 2004), and demographic questions that were adapted into an electronic survey. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, least squares regression analysis, and confidence interval testing were used to analyze and interpret the data. Key findings indicated that marital status, education level, number of children, and annual salary had statistically significant relationships with respect to job satisfaction and retention. Recommendations for improving job satisfaction, retention, and mitigating organizational costs associated with turnover included implementation of employee assistance programs, establishing mentoring programs, increasing base salaries, and offering additional reward and incentive programs. Additionally, suggestions were made for adjustments in organizational budgeting and workforce planning to mitigate turnover and recruiting and replacement costs. Results from this study also provide insight for organization and executive leaders into understanding the influence of demographic characteristics of millennials, for building sustainable, robust process-based business models for long-term sustainability, business performance, and competitive advantage.

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