TO LEAVE OR NOT TO LEAVE: FACTORS THAT MOTIVATE AN AFTERCARE WORKER TO STAY IN OR LEAVE THE AFTERCARE SECTOR

Abstract

Worker turnover is a prevalent issue within the aftercare sector that impedes the organisations’ administration. The quality, efficiency, consistency and stability of client services are compromised when worker turnover rates are high. In order to reduce the rate of turnovers within aftercare organisations, it is vital to gain an understanding of the factors that motivate a worker to leave or stay in the organisation and aftercare sector. ‘To leave or not to leave: Factors that motivate an aftercare worker to stay in or leave the aftercare sector’ is an exploratory research study that aims to explore the factors that influence an aftercare worker’s decision to stay in or leave the sector. The study involves qualitative semi-structured interviews with current aftercare workers and ex aftercare workers that focuses on the factors that contributed to their decisions. The purpose of the study is to illuminate the reasons why some workers leave the sector while others stay on for a considerable length of time. An understanding of these reasons will place the management of aftercare organisations in a better position to safeguard the interest of their workers and focus on staff retention; ultimately, this will contribute towards client satisfaction through continued, effective and efficient service delivery. This study found that it was the interactions between personal, familial, organisational and cultural factors that motivated aftercare workers to either stay in or leave the sector. The results of this study contributed towards the development of the Framework for Understanding Workers’ Motivations, which is an extension of the Ecological Systems Theory combined with the Turnover Intent Model and other literature.