Factors Affecting State Government Information Technology Employee Turnover Intentions

Electronic government expansion is creating the complex challenges of managing an effective information technology (IT) workforce in the public sector. Survey questionnaires were sent to IT employees working in the central IT departments of two state governments to analyze how job characteristics, work environment, and human resource management practices influence their turnover intentions. Results show that work exhaustion, an emphasis on participatory management, and opportunities for advancement were statistically significant variables affecting state government IT employee turnover intentions, and that salary satisfaction was not a statistically significant factor. Suggestions are offered for improving IT employee retention rates in government agencies.1