Personnel turnover is one of the most costly problems which afflict organizations (Mercer, 1988). The costs of personnel are not limited to those incurred directly in rela tion to those employees leaving the organization, such as the loss of productive workers, lost training costs, the necessity to train replacements, and so forth. Personnel turnover also exacts organizational costs through the effects it has on those employees who remain with the organization (Bailey and Daven port, 1986). It is incumbent upon organizational management, therefore, to not only develop strategies to combat personnel turnover, but to also develop procedures which will permit man agement to learn how to combat turnover from the very employees which leave the organization (Kegel and Peters, 1988).
Exit interviews are widely used by American organizations. More often than not, however, these interviews are structured with the intent of either precluding litigation against the organization by departing employees (Like, 1990), or assisting the departing employee in job transition process (Settles, 1988; Lancaster and Thomas, 1989; Eber, 1990). Many manage ments are beginning to find, however, that an effectively structured exit interview can provide an organization with valuable information which transcends potential litigation, and matters of personal assistance for departing employees (Colby, 1989/1990; Giacalone and Knouse, 1989). Among the important items of information which may be gleaned through exit inter views are those related to the reasons why employees leave organizations, and why they leave when they do.
It is proposed that a research study be conducted, the purpose of which will be to assess the potential for the posi tive effect that a well structured exit interview process can have on an organization's personnel turnover rate. If such positive effects can be documented, and if they are signifi cant, the proposed research study wi...