The relationship between job performance and voluntary turnover in the Canadian Forces

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to examine the direct relationship between job performance and voluntary turnover in the Canadian Forces (CF). Principle Components Analysis using a sample of 10,422 officers uncovered intellect, operational job performance, professionalism and physical fitness and appearance as performance factors. Categorized by four equal interval performance levels, one-way analyses of variance showed a significant negative linear relationship between Operational Job Performance and voluntary turnover. A significant positive linear trend exists between Intellect performance and voluntary turnover. Finally, significant negative linear and quadratic trends exist between Professionalism and voluntary turnover where the highest proprotions of voluntary turnover are in the extreme performance intervals. No significant relationship with turnover appear for the Physical Fitness and Appearance performance factor. A sample of 24,213 Non Commissioned Member personnel was subject to the same procedures, however, findings were non-significant. The conclusions are: (1) proprotions of Officers who voluntarily leave vary significantly as a function of their level of performance; (2) the importance of the factor and direction of the relationship varies as a function of the type of performance observed and the type of occupational group studied; (3) the findings suggest that the majority of officer leavers can be described as, poor operational job performers, good intellectual performers, and poor professionals; and, (4) in general, because of the importance of the Operational Performance as a measure of military performance, voluntary turnover is interpreted as having an overall positive impact on the organizational effectiveness.