Graduation Year

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

D.B.A.

Degree Granting Department

Business Administration

Major Professor

Diane Kutz, D.B.A.

Co-Major Professor

Douglas E. Hughes, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Hemant Merchant, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Joann Farrell Quinn, Ph.D.

Keywords

Employee Churn, Employee Retention, Employee Turn-Over, Mercenary Employee, Gig Employee, Human Resources Management

Abstract

This phenomenological study is designed to define a “nomadic employee,” a figure who has emerged in the ever-changing labor force, and to define what drives these workers to move between companies within a short period of time (generally within a 12-month period). These nomadic employees are driving higher turnover rates and causing rising onboarding costs. Relationships between employees and their employers have changed drastically in recent decades. Business concepts have evolved, and, thus, so have employee motivations. With the introduction of the millennial generation into the workforce and the emergence of the technology revolution, workforces have transformed, again establishing the gig workforce and, now, the new nomadic employee. Disrupting employee retention rates, nomadic employees are moving from company to company to gain something they seek in their career, whether that incentive is growth, income driven, boredom, or additional creative benefits. The divide between employee and employer has grown substantially, burdening human resource groups to be more creative with enticing employees and maintaining the company’s human capital. Maintaining human capital is integral to a company’s success or failure. The inevitable predicament of employee gratification and employer dedication has changed the face of today’s workforce. Fighting the battle of employee retention, employers are finding creative ways to entice and retain employees by offering new benefits such as sleeping pods and healthy snacks. However, this study conducted a qualitative study concerning what drivers are influencing nomadic employees to transition between companies within a year of being hired. Using qualitative measures and semi-structured individual interviews of workforce members, this study analyzed trends that define the incentive to change jobs within a short period of time. Factors including changing business practices, the introduction of newer generations of workforces, and the evolution of the technology revolution, in particular, potentially could be driving unprecedented employee turnover, causing production loss, and increasing onboarding costs. Devotion to the company evaporated with the emergence of the nomadic employee, who has a primary objective of self-satisfaction and growth. This new, as of yet undefined, type of employee emerging from the rubble of a diminishing version of corporate America could be propelling us into a new workforce that the employee, rather than the employer, drives.

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