Building an Exploratory Model for Part-time Sales Associates' Turnover Intentions

This study focused on the development of a conceptual model of the turnover intention of part-time sales associates in apparel retailing. A convenience sample of 294 college students who were part-time sales associates was used to test the model. In this initial model, self-efficacy and work competencies indirectly influenced turnover intention through work engagement, which in turn positively affected work effort. Work effort and work engagement directly influenced job performance, which in turn impacted job satisfaction. The results revealed a negative relationship between job satisfaction and burnout. Burnout had a direct influence on turnover intention. These findings provide a baseline for apparel retailers to reference when considering ways to reduce turnover, particularly among early career employees such as college students. Further testing of the model among less transient workers than undergraduates in apparel retailing could reveal additional insight about turnover intention.