Turnover of Outdoor Adventure Education Field Staff

Abstract

TURNOVER OF OUTDOOR ADVENTURE EDUCATION FIELD STAFF by Justin M. Hall Spring 2019 Outdoor adventure education (OAE) organizations continually struggle with field staff turnover. Little research exists of this unique worker population and their unconventional living and working conditions warrant further exploration of the variables that best drive this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to explore the strength and direction of the relationships between turnover predictor variables and intent to turnover (IT) of OAE field staff. Per the suggestion of organizational behavior and OAE literature, and conversations with OAE practitioners, five independent predictor variables were chosen; (a) tenure; (b) career development opportunities; (c) sense of community; (d) compensation satisfaction; and (e) burnout. A survey was developed adopting validated scales that measured each predictor variable and the dependent variable IT, of which a total of 101 OAE field staff successfully completed the survey. To test the predictor variables, two separate multiple linear regressions were calculated. Results suggest that compensation satisfaction’s pay subscale and sense of community are significant negative predictors of IT. These findings contribute to organizational behavior and OAE turnover literature by providing evidence for strong turnover correlates unique to a worker population seldom studied. Additionally, OAE practitioners can use these findings to aid in prioritizing their time and resources when combatting employee turnover.