Making the Jump: Understanding the Associativity Between Perceived Job Performance and Turnover Intention of IT Professionals in Higher Education

Abstract

As higher education institutions continue to operationally mature, there is an inherent need to adopt new technology to maintain relevancy and efficiency. To meet the demand and expectation of modern society, information technology (IT) departments have seen rapid growth in higher education. However, similar growth trends within many industries have warranted these technical capabilities, which places these positions in high demand. A challenged faced by higher education institutions is the capability to attract, cultivate, and retain IT professionals based on the competitiveness of the market. Previous research has demonstrated that job performance has been found as an antecedent for turnover intention within the overall industry and IT occupations. The purpose of this study is to determine if similar associativity exists between perceived job performance and turnover intention within IT professionals in higher education. The results of the research can provide relevant information for institutions seeking to develop employee retention plans with IT departments.