organizational withdrawal behavior that is different than turnover as withdrawal behavior; (3) Both turnover and absenteeism, whether or not they are related, arise from the same causal factors.
In terms of whether the same factors give rise to both absenteeism and turnover, Hawk (1976) has noted that existing research shows that there are some factors that are specifically related to absenteeism (e.g. personal life factors, company policy, work planning and scheduling). Further, there are some factors that are specifically related to turnover (e.g. general economic conditions, local labor market conditions, job security, and mobility).
However, there are also a number of factors that have been found to influence both absenteeism and turnover. These factors include demographics, supervisory style, interpersonal relationships, working conditions, salary, job expectations, man/job fit, and job design factors.
In terms of whether there is a relationship between absenteeism and turnover, Muchinsky (1977) found in his comprehensive review of the literature, there was clear evidence of association between both factors at the level of the individual worker; this for samples of manufacturing workers, factory workers, psychiatric aides, industrial apprentices, nurses, and telephone operators. However, when the relationship is examined across work groups, it appears to dissipate. As Muchinsky (1977) put it:
At the group level of analysis, there does not appear to be much support for the hypothesis that absenteeism and turnover are related. (p.333)
In their review of studies examining the relationship between absenteeism and turnover, Porter and Steers (1973) stated that while there were some similarities between the two variables, most of the research pointed to some clear differences. According to these authors, the important distinctions between absenteeism and turnover are:
(1) Negative consequences for the ind...